A great dive...Isla Iguana

Pictures from the dive...Sea Star

Last weekend I had one of the best dives I've had in Panama. I saw sharks, turtles, eel and more fish than I have seen anywhere in Central America. Attached are a few of my pictures from the dive. 

Isla Iguana is a Galapagos-esque island that sits about 15 minutes offshore the Azuero Peninsula – inhabited by rare birds, purple and red crabs, and giant lizards. It offers clear blue water and white sand as nice as any Caribbean island. An extensive coral reef surrounds the palm-dotted island, giving it a powdery, blinding, white-sand beach, and its crystal-clear, shallow waters offer some excellent snorkeling.

The island is less than 1 km long and is covered with coconut palms and tropical vegetation. There are two beaches to choose from – the main larger beach is Playa El Cirial, and then there is the smaller Playita del Faro on the other side of the island. Isla Iguana is home to the largest coral reef in the Gulf of Panama. The 99 acres reef has 14 different coral species, more than 200 species of invertebrates, and at least 350 different tropical fish species. The island’s only inhabitants are the crabs, iguanas, and the more than 5,000 great frigate birds that use it as a rookery. Isla Iguana and its large coral reef are protected within the Reserva de Vida Silvestre Isla Iguana.