Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Activities
Wildlife-Watching
Over 147 bird species have been identified here. While bird-watchers covet sighting the
Coiba spinetail, a little brown-and-white bird found only on Coiba, most are awed by the
scarlet macaws, which are limited in Panama to Parque Nacional Coiba. The birds nest at
Barco Quebrado on the southern tip of Isla Coiba, but are frequently sighted in flight,
with an easy to recognize call.
Due to penal colony restrictions, Coiba has not had a proper wildlife survey, though
it's believed to be home to about 40 different species of mammal. Two rare mammals are
endemic to the island, namely the Coiba agouti and the Couti howler. While these are
difficult to spot, it's common to watch the howlers and white-faced capuchins playing on
the beach.
Seventeen species of crocodile, turtle and lizard, as well as 15 species of snake - in-
cluding the very dangerous fer-de-lance, coral snakes and boa constrictors - are found
here. Enormous crocodiles might inhibit your swim plans. Although snakes tend to be
extremely shy, you should always walk slowly and carefully through the jungles and
wear thick leather boots.
In prison times, cattle were brought to the island to supply meat for prisoners. Now
there are some 2500 of these untamed animals loose on the island. The cows are being
removed but meanwhile cause soil damage, which creates a mudflow that damages coral
reefs.
The waters surrounding Coiba have a notorious reputation for big sharks - a consider-
able deterrent for penal colony escapees and heaven for avid divers. Black-tip and white-
tip reef sharks are the most sighted, though hammerheads school in large numbers here
as well. Lucky divers may see the occasional whale shark. Unlucky divers may see the
occasional tiger shark, though the danger is overestimated.
The marine life in the park is simply astounding. The warm Indo-Pacific current
through the Gulf of Chiriquí creates a unique underwater ecosystem atypical of this re-
gion, attracting large populations of pelagics and enormous schools of fish. Over 23 spe-
cies of dolphin and whale have been identified, and humpback whales and spotted and
bottle-nosed dolphins are frequently seen. Killer whales, sperm whales and Cuvier's
beaked whales are also present, but in much fewer numbers.
The waters around Coiba are also home to large numbers of manta rays, as well as the
occasional sea turtle (leatherback, olive ridley and the increasingly rare green). In ad-
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