Coiba National Park
Sun and beach were the prominent themes for today. We spent the entire morning and much of the afternoon swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and sunbathing on a small island called Granito de Oro in the warm, clear waters of Coiba National Park. The park is one of Panama’s largest national parks and is the third largest marine park in the world, smaller only than the Great Barrier Reef and Galápagos National Park. In addition to being one of Panama’s largest protected areas, Coiba Island - the largest island within the national park - served as a prison many years ago and still houses several penal structures.
We went ashore at Granito de Oro just after breakfast and subsequently spent several hours enjoying its allure. We made available both single and double kayaks for guests to enjoy and the crystal clear water, which was more than ideal for snorkeling. A few of the varieties of fish that we saw included several species of puffer fish, yellow and black striped sergeant majors, bright blue and green parrot fish, Moorish idols, king angel fish, and even a white-tip reef shark. For those wanting a bit more activity, one of our naturalists led a longer kayak paddle across the channel from Granito de Oro and along the opposite shoreline lined with mangroves.
We returned to the ship for lunch and then had the afternoon to either shuttle back to Granito de Oro for more swimming and snorkeling, or to relax on board with a good book. It was also a busy afternoon for massages! Guests also had the option to stretch their legs on a nature walk along the Monkey Trail. Although there were no monkey sightings, guests heard their calls in the distance. Even more exciting was a glimpse of the unique mating dance of a male lance-tailed manakin, a small black bird with pale blue wings.
Tonight we will leave Panamanian waters and enter into Costa Rica where our voyage and adventures will continue. Tomorrow we visit the beautiful botanical garden of Casa Orquideas.
