This was posted by Posted by Kike Calvo of Photographer; Expert at National Geographic Expeditions .
This post is the latest in the series Places, Experiences and Objects to Dream About, which profiles marvelous locations, unique life experiences and objects of interest to modern explorers that Kike discovers during my travels.
Infamous penal colony turned into a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Coiba National Park is a spectacular marine reserve off Panama´s Pacific coast. Coiba Island is the largest island in Central America and is home to many endemic subspecies that evolved in isolation from the mainland. In addition to the magnificent marine life in the surrounding turquoise waters, Coiba has a very attractive ancient forest that covers about 75% of the island.
Coiba is well known for its 33 species of sharks, 20 species of whales, and abundant scarlet macaws as much as for its haunted, eerie prison compound where the last convict was released only ten years ago. But for sure, it is better to be captured by the inviting warm waters and pristine beaches than by the ghost stories and inclemency of the political history surrounding Coiba during its prison days.
Nestled within the national park, Granito de Oro is ranked as one of the most pristine beaches in the world and one of the top ten scuba diving destinations. The particular morphology of Granito de Oro holds the white sand in place creating a great reef structure that supports a tremendous variety of marine life. Snorkelers and divers are likely to come close to different creatures like turtles, eels and large schools of colorful fish. It’s hard to come out of the water in Granito de Oro. It is also hard to stop producing aerial shots of the spectacular scenes and textures as seen from above with my drone.
Kike shares his expertise and experiences as a National Geographic Expert on several Costa Rica/Panama Lindblad Expeditions.