Our day began with a visit to the small Island of Granito de Oro, located on the Pacific side of Panama on Coiba National Park. Years ago, the same place that today is a paradise for wildlife observation was also a prison, a kind of Panamanian Alcatraz where the worst people were sent and no one escaped. Now, it is considered one of the most beautiful and well known areas in the country.
When we arrived to the island, the first spot we saw was the white sand full of pieces of broken coral that the waves sounded like crystals. The rocks around the edges of the islet protect a hidden paradise in which the diversity of marine life is just amazing. This area is part of one of the biggest marine parks in the world with an extension of 271,000 hectares in which only 51,000 is land. All the rest is marine area.
We saw different species of fish such as bicolored parrot fish, Moorish idol, three banded butterflyfish, guineafowl puffer fish, Cortez angel fish and many others. The colors of the reef and the peaceful waters added a unique touch to enjoy a nice morning. Many of our guests did several rounds of snorkeling, while others preferred kayaking along the beach. Everyone was able to see the treasure of the tiny island. The island is also home to hundreds of hermit crabs. They were all over, all different sizes, walking in all directions making the illusion that the sand was moving. You could hear them walking over the dead leaves. Those little creatures recycle everything they can feed on and coconuts were on the menu today…plus an apple that fell down from our table.
After our morning activities, we came back on board National Geographic Sea Lion and enjoyed our lunch. The photographers were fascinated with all the pictures they captured. Some of them had underwater photos and others had awesome landscapes. They were all very happy.
The afternoon activities featured a lot of information about photography tips and Panamanian culture. As we cruised, we watched some birds, like Royal and Sandwich terns, plunge dive for their food. While enjoying this show, a bigger surprise showed up after the birds, Pan-Tropical spotted dolphins!!! At the beginning there were four of them, but after two minutes we got a pod of 12. They were jumping and bow riding. It was a great way to say “Welcome to Panama!!” What a lucky group! After a cup of coffee and a lot of laughter with the naturalists, we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset. I don’t think today could have possibly been better; it was simply a perfect day! Can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow.
