Isla Coiba —nature's time capsule in the Pacific

By Craig J. Weincek

Coiba is big. The largest island in Panama, and one of the biggest along the entire Pacific shoreline, Coiba has existed in magnificent isolation, protected from the ill winds of El Niño for centuries.

Since 1919 the pristine island covered in virgin forest served as a Devil’s Island-style penal colony considered escape-proof because of the white-tip Pacific sharks. Now that the prison has been phased out (only about seven trustee convicts remain, outnumbered by a remnant of about a dozen guards), Coiba National Park has recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its remarkable unspoiled natural riches.

Once impossible to escape from, the island is also difficult to get to, involving a two to five hour boat trip depending on the weather in the Gulf of Chiriquí. Accommodations are also limited to a few cabins at a park field station because the government of Panama seems sincerely determined to protect the marine and natural resources of what is one of the largest marine parks in the world.

The old penal colony on Isla Coiba was Panama's
Devil's island.

In addition to the big island, the park includes 38 smaller islands with white soft sand beaches including the relatively small island of Coibita, just off the northeast tip with a beautiful beach shaded by coconut palms; and the picturesque island of Jicaron and the Islas Contreras, skirted by mangroves and surrounded by coral reefs and sparkling clear water teeming with marine life.

The best way for determined divers, fishermen, bird watchers and nature lovers to reach the massive 493-square-kilometer, green island of Coiba is to make arrangements through an experienced tour company like Margo Tours of Panama, who will provide the needed guides, transportation and permissions. While there is a landing strip on the island there are no air services, so most visitors stay on board a charter boat or day trip from Santa Catalina.

The point is that all the trouble is worth it, particularly if the visitor is interested in sport fishing or scuba diving, since the park has the second largest coral reef along the entire Pacific eastern coast. Deep sea fishing enthusiasts will find that the currents swirling around Coiba make the area a prime feeding ground for three kinds of marlins as well as swordfish, sailfish, wahoo, amberjack, tuna, red snapper, and barracuda.

Scuba divers and snorkelers can prowl the bay along the eastern shore of Bahia Damas and inspect the second largest reef (135 hectares) in the eastern Pacific. Still relatively unexplored, the coral formations give shelter to over 200 species of game and reef fish, including grouper, king angels, blennies, puffers, moray eels, manta rays and white tip, tiger and even some hammerhead sharks. Anyone in a boat should not be surprised to spot dolphins, humpback whales, orcas or maybe a massive whale shark, depending on the time of year.

The island itself is blanketed by deep green, moist virgin forest, nearly 90% intact, that is the home for over 150 species of birds. Coiba might just be one of the last reserves where beautiful scarlet macaws can be viewed flying in pairs particularly along the shoreline called Barco Quebrado. While there are bicolored hawks and large oafish king vultures, and even a few endangered crested eagles, there are also several endemic species of birds especially the Coiba spinetail.

Coiba is an outdoorsman's paradise.

On land, as is the case with many islands, there isn’t as vast a diversity of animal life, but there are nearly 40 species of mammals including some free-range cattle and even some water buffalo that escaped from the old prison pens. Endemic species include a so-called Coiba agouti (a guinea pig-like creature) and a local variety of howler monkey. There are also dozens of amphibians and reptiles from geckos to iguanas, some boa constrictors and a good number of fearsome fer-de-lance snakes. Sea turtles love to visit the white crescent beaches and use the fine, powdery sand as their nesting ground from April until October. Meanwhile, thousands of hermit crabs rustle in the leaves at the border between beach and jungle.

There is a reason a place like Coiba National Park receives the special Unesco designation of“World Heritage Site.” It is because it is a special place, a rich marine habitat, that is worth saving for posterity. Probably because of its history as a penal colony where felons were kept in, the influences that threatened the ecology of this vast and wonderful Panama natural resource were kept away. Today, government forces still patrol the district in an effort to stop illegal commercial fishing and to help control drug trafficking. Tourism, even so-called eco-tourism, will be strictly restricted, meaning that only a lucky few will be privileged to visit and enjoy a place of outstanding and hopefully timeless natural beauty.