Panama has a great variety of landscapes and habitats. In the Bocas del Toro archipelago there is a huge array of wildlife, both on land and in the sea. The rainforest on Isla Bastimentos is home to a complex, intricate ecosystem that draws wildlife observers from all over the planet while the vibrant coral systems around these islands provides a fantastic arena for studying marine life.
The sea grass ecosystems are present throughout the archipelago. The most common is called “turtle grass” because it is the food of the green marine turtles. Sea Grass is found in the shallowest parts of the sea, near the coast, and resembles fields of grass that you could see on land. Manatees and sea turtles feed on the same sea grasses. However, they target different parts of the grass, with manatees digging into sediment to eat the roots while turtles remain near the surface, grazing on the top of the grasses. The Almirante lagoon, with its many channels winding among the mangrove islets, has sandy shallows covered in meadows of sea grass (Thalassia testudinum). If you snorkel among the sea grass you may think that there is only grass there, but various animals lurk among it. White urchins, sea cucumbers, sea biscuits, stars and sponges, are found here.
Several species of sea turtles also swim through these waters to their nests on beaches nearby, including the leatherback turtle, which can grow up to 6 feet (2 m) in length and weigh over 1,400 pounds (630 kg)! Visitors can spot usual reef fish like queen, french and grey angels, parrot fish, hogfish, triggerfish and many more. Nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays and southern rays are often seen as well as crabs, lobsters, moray eels and less usual fish like toadfish, batfish and spotted drums. For the sports fisherman there are sailfish, blue and black marlin, shark, barracuda, red snapper and snook.
About 155 miles (250 km) of coral reef edge the coast of this region. More than a dozen coral reefs protect a marine environment that, because its remote location, has remained untouched; it is a protected area for the endangered manatee and is a tarpon spawning ground. The coral reefs are spectacular. You can see dolphins, sea turtles, lobsters, crabs, octopus, cuttlefish, nurse sharks, remoras, eels, stingrays, electric rays, manta rays, and a great variety of reef fish in these waters. There is also a great variety of coral, with many colors, shapes and sizes. Coral reefs prosper in tropical seas when exactly the right conditions exist – warm, clear, shallow, sea water. In Bocas del Toro, reefs exist on all the islands’ coasts, including numerous shallow reefs.
There are two types of reefs here – barrier reef, on the coast exposed to the open sea, and lagoon reef, inside Admiral Bay and the Chiriquí Lagoon. The most common corals are lettuce, finger, brain, elkhorn, fire, gorgonia and flower corals. The protected reefs are in very good condition, and are one of the major attractions for tourists in the area. One popular destination for divers and snorkelers is Hospital Point. Only five minutes by boat from Bocas, the water is warm and clear and it is possible to see many different examples of coral such as brain and elk. Reefs are, of course, much more than coral, because the coral itself hides many creatures like sponges, fishes, crabs, lobsters, and shrimps.
