Parque Nacional Coiba

Everything about Parque Nacional Coiba is big. It’s one of the largest marine parks in the world. The island at the center of the park, Coiba, is Panama’s largest—a massive 493 square kilometers. It has the second-largest coral reef in the eastern Pacific Ocean. And the waters are filled with big fish—very big fish, as in orcas, dolphins, humpback whales, whale sharks, manta rays, barracudas, amberjack, big snappers, three kinds of marlin, moray eels, and white-tip, hammerhead, and tiger sharks. Sharks and mantas are especially common, and there’s a decent chance of coming face to face with a sea turtle. Visibility can be unpredictable, but even on “bad” days one is likely to see some impressive creatures. The diving here has been described as a cross between that off the Galapagos Islands in Equador and Cocos Island in Costa Rica.

The park became even larger in 2004 when Panama enacted a law that raised its status and nearly doubled its area, to 430,821 hectares. Besides Coiba, the park includes the comparatively tiny (242-hectare) island of Coibita just off its northeast tip, the 20-square-kilometer island of Jicarón, the Islas Contreras, and many other smaller islands and their surrounding waters, mangroves, and coral reefs.

Coiba itself is still mainly covered in virgin forest—it’s reportedly 85 percent intact—though there has been some deforestation and forest disruption. As with most islands, there isn’t a huge diversity of animal species on Coiba itself, but there are least 36 species of mammals, including howler monkeys, and dozens of amphibians and reptiles, including the deadly fer-de-lance snake. You’re much more likely to come across beautiful birds, however, of which there are about 150 known species. Coiba is just about the last stand in Panama of the gorgeous scarlet macaw, which are concentrated in an area called Barco Quebrado. Other impressive birds common on Coiba include the bicolored hawk and the enormous king vulture. Coiba also has several endemic species, including the Coiba spinetail (a bird—Cranioleuca dissita), Coiba agouti (Dasyprocta coibensi), and a local variety of howler monkey (Alouatta palliata coibensis).

Coiba attracts visitors largely on the strength of its world-class diving and deep-sea fishing. But the impact of human pressures, including the appearance of commercial fishing vessels that trawl these waters illegally, is beginning to mount.

Two things have so far kept nature more or less intact on and around Coiba: It’s quite remote and hard to get to, and it’s the home of a Devil’s Island–style penal colony with convicted murderers, rapists, and other serious criminals. Prisoners are confined to a series of colonies around the massive island, but they’re not locked in. Instead, guards lock themselves in with their guns at night. The island jungle and shark-filled ocean keeps prisoners from straying too far.

Naturally, a place such as this inspires endless stories, some of which may even be true. There’s a legend, for instance, about the “mud man,” a runaway prisoner who roams the island, covered in mud. He’s said to steal up on other prisoners and strangle them to death, a “mercy killing” accompanied by whispered apologies.

The Panamanian government has been making noises for years about moving the colony and developing the island for tourism, but for better or worse, definite plans have been slow to materialize. That may at last be changing, however. The prison camp, along with its legacy of horror and misery, is slowly being phased out—there were reportedly just 60 prisoners left at last count—and the future of Coiba is being passionately debated.

Conservationists were fearful in 2003 that the new law extending the park’s boundaries was just a smokescreen to allow the commercial exploitation of the island. A lobbying campaign by environmentalists and subsistence fishermen on the mainland appeared at the time of writing to have halted this scheme.

The passage of the new law was met with guarded optimism, and everyone was waiting to see what the new government that came to power in the second half of 2004 would eventually do with the park. There was lots of talk, as there has been for years, of building “low-impact” tourist developments on the island. Whether these will be built, and how truly low-impact they might be, is unknown. And there is still concern that commercial tuna boats have been using massive nets to fish the waters in and around the park limits, damaging fragile ecosystems. It was unclear what, if anything, was going to be done about this. One hopes that common sense and long-term self-interest will prevail. Losing this Garden of Eden would be a tragedy not only for Panama but also for the world.

The island is still relatively little known even by scientists. It’s hilly in the center and crisscrossed by many rivers, including the 20-kilometer Río Negro. But because of the penal colony, access to the island itself is tightly controlled. Visitors are restricted to the area around an ANAM field station on the northeast tip of the island. It’s well away from the prison camps, though one model prisoner works as a cook there. The guest cabins are decent and air-conditioned, and the station is on a sandy cove.

There is a landing strip on Coiba, but at the time of writing only charter flights made the trip. Otherwise, access to the island is a long haul by land and sea. The logistical hassles in getting to Coiba almost force travelers to go with some kind of tour operator. This can get quite expensive, but you’ll see a lot more and have a far more comfortable—and safe—trip than if you tried to get there on your own.

Sports and Recreation
Dry season is the best time to see monkeys and other animals on shore. Diving can be good year-round, though visibility can vary dramatically day to day. Access to most of the island is restricted for visitors’ own safety.

The waters off Bahía Damas, a bay on the east side of the island, has the largest coral reef in Central America (135 hectares) and the second-largest in the eastern Pacific. That and the density and diversity of large sea creatures have made the park famous among scuba divers. The sealife in some spots is what a nature guide friend calls “aggressive—everyone in town comes by,” including turtles, orcas, and sharks that zip right past divers. Because of the fragility of the environment here, and the necessity of knowing these waters well, diving trips should be arranged through reputable professionals. As my friend put it, anyone found tossing an anchor onto the reef will likely get an anchor tossed at his head.

A good and accessible spot for snorkeling is Granito de Oro, a lovely islet a short boat ride from the ANAM field station. There are coral fields, including brain and fan coral, and schools of pretty little tropical fish just off the islet’s sandy beach. The current becomes very strong just beyond the rocky cove—even strong swimmers should be careful not to swim out too far.

There are two trails—short walks, really—around the ANAM ranger station. The Sendero del Observatorio (Observatory Trai) is a 15-minute walk at a very slow pace that leads to an elevated bird-watching station. It’s not a particularly good place to watch birds, but the view is nice. The trail starts behind cabin 6. Note the sign that says the trail is “approximately” 527.81 meters long. Another brief walk behind the kitchen leads up to a second lookout point on a small hill. It has a lovely view of the sea and Isla Coibita.

The Sendero de Los Monos (Monkey Trail) is not accessible from the ranger station. It requires a boat ride to the area near the Granito de Oro islet. It takes about an hour to walk and curves inland from one beach to another. There are howlers and white-faced capuchins along the trail, but you’d be lucky to spot them; best bet is in the dry season. Other flora and fauna found along the trail include fiddler and hermit crabs, coconut trees, the guinea-piglike ñeque de Coiba (Dasyprocta coibae), boa constrictors, and fer-de-lance snakes.

There is a trail on the southeast side of the island that leads to some thermal pools, but a trip there requires special permission from both ANAM and the police. Those interested can try to make arrangements through ANAM.

Hannibal Bank, between Isla de Coiba and Isla Montuosa, is especially famous among deep-sea fishing folk.