Our last day of expeditions in Panamanian waters took us into one of the pristine national parks of Panama. Coiba National park was created in 1991 to protect the immeasurable natural value of its marine and forest ecosystems. It is comprised of a group of 38 islands that represent over 50 thousand hectares and more than 200 thousand hectares of marine ecosystem. It was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2005 due to its regional importance and also its importance to the marine corridor that includes Cocos Island in Costa Rica, Malpelo in Colombia and Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.
We enjoyed the location by visiting Granito de Oro Island, a place with a rocky reef formation that gave us snorkeling opportunities as well as swimming, kayaking and paddle-boarding. We also had the chance to hike a local trail in the main Coiba Island called Los Monos. There we spotted the elusive lance-tailed manakin and we saw the local Coiba howler monkey.
We were very fortunate to be able to finish our experience in Panama exploring this marvelous location. Tomorrow another exciting day is coming in the natural paradises of Costa Rica.
