Coiba and Granito de Oro
Today, on our last day in Panama, we visited the big island of Coiba and the tiny Granito de Oro islet early in the morning. As is our custom, we arrived at the crack of dawn. We started our activities at Granito de Oro—this tiny speck of an island. It’s really just a small, rocky outcropping with a couple of palms and a gorgeous white sandy beach that descends into a garden of coral.
This was indeed a perfect day for snorkeling. We didn’t have to go far to see a lot of fish, and there was quite a variety. From the concealed and camouflaged to the colorful and fast moving—to the single individual to the big schools of fish. We saw, among other things: bi-colored parrot fish, guinea fowl puffer, rainbow wrasse, big-eyed jack, king angelfish, Moorish idol, jewel moray, plus green and hawksbill marine turtles. Some of these turtles were seen extremely up-close by kayakers.
For lunch we relocated the National Geographic Sea Lion to the nearby park ranger station at the “Isla de Coiba.” Coiba is the largest island on the entire Pacific coast of Central America.
Over the last few million years, Coiba has been pushed in, closer to the Isthmus of Panama by the action of the tectonic plates. During the last glaciations, Coiba became briefly connected to mainland when ocean waters retreated and created a continuous land bridge. This permitted flora and fauna to come across and make of Coiba their new home. After the end of these glaciations many species became isolated, and after a long, long stretch of time they evolved into new species, which today are unique to the island.
Some of these endemics are: the Coiba Agouti, and the Coiba Howler Monkey.
So! Coming back to the present! We enjoyed a beautiful lunch by the beach, provided by our crew. Afternoon walks around the grounds of the station and the monkey trail, gave us good looks of many things including some the Coiba mammalian endemics and other Panamanian specialties like the crimson-backed tanager before we set foot (or propeller!) to our new destination…and new country.
We are half way there! Tomorrow Costa Rica!...Pura Vida!
