Located off Panama’s Pacific Coast in the Gulf of Chiriqui, Coiba Marine Park comprises the islands and surrounding waters of Coiba island, plus 38 smaller islands.
It is a wild and remote area of thick mangroves, tropical forests, sandy beaches and deep waters with extensive coral reefs.
Coiba island was used as a prison until 2004 so human activity in the area has always been low.
This, combined with the Gulf of Chiriqui’s capacity to buffer against the effects of El Nino temperature swings and the park’s special protection has resulted in a rich marine ecosystem there.
Consequently, the marine biodiversity is next level! Divers can see an abundance of sharks, rays and turtles plus huge schools of fish and even whales at the right time of year.
In April 2022, I went on a special 2 night trip to explore the most remote dive sites of Coiba Marine Park in search of great hammerhead sharks, southern stingrays and huge schools of fish.
In this report, I’ll detail my experience scuba diving at Coiba Marine Park whilst telling you all you need to know to discover it yourself.
In my opinion Coiba offers the best diving in Panama!