Panama Coiba Island a Paradice in Panama

story by Panama Post

Coiba Island is located in the districts of Montijo and Soná, in the Veraguas province . The Coiba National Park was created in 1991 and has a surface of 270.125 hectares, of which 216.543 are marine. Due to its extension and the richness of its islands and of the sea waters that surround them, it is considered as a jewel in Panama and in the whole world.
The island, of volcanic origin, has 50.314 hectares and it´s the biggest in the Central American Pacific. Along with it are the other islands: Jicarón, Jicarita, Canal de Afuera, Afuerita, Pájaros, Uva, Brincanco, and Coibita, among others.
In total, the islands of this park have more than 240 kilometers of coast, most of which remains in natural state.
The conservation of this archipelago is due to the fact that from 1919 to 2004 it was used as a penitentiary colony by the Panamanian government.
Coiba Island has several endemic species. More than 80% of the island is covered by its original vegetation, the mangroves are of significant size.
At least three species of sea turtles arrive to its coats to lay eggs and it has one of the best coral reefs in the Panamanian Pacific, offering a unique view to tourists.

Fauna variety
Since 1993 and with the Collaboration of the Spanish Cooperation Agency (AECI), a biological station was established in the park. So far 36 species of mammals have been registered, and 36 of amphibians and reptiles, with a high level of endemic qualities, such as the “ñeque” (Dasyprocta coibae), and the Howler monkey (Alouatta palliata coibensis) among the mammals, and the Coiba Colaespina (Cranioleuca dissita) , among the birds.
Coiba is the only place in Panama where it is still possible to see herds of Red Macaws (Ara Macao), almost extinct.
However, the natural richness of the park is in the sea. So far 60 species of fish have been identified, 12 of echinoderms, 45 of mollusks and 13 of crustaceans.
The Coiba seas are also the hábitat of four types of cetaceans
The huge Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), the orca (Orcinuous orca), the tropical dolphin (Stenella attenuata), and the Common Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).