Coiba National Park
🇵🇦 Panama
🐒 Endemic Howler Monkeys & Whale SharksCoiba National Park is a remote protected marine and coastal sanctuary situated off the Pacific coast of Panama, encompassing dense tropical rainforests, sheltered mangroves, and pristine coral reefs. This isolated island refuge remains largely untouched by mainland development, preserving wild habitats that stay remarkably intact.
7.486° N 81.723° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
★ 
Whitetip Reef Shark
Triaenodon obesus
★ 
Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus
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Scarlet Macaw
Ara macao
📊 Most Spotted
Hawksbill
Eretmochelys imbricata
American Crocodile
Crocodylus acutus
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura similis
Lance-tailed Manakin
Chiroxiphia lanceolata
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
Barred Antshrike
Thamnophilus doliatus
Crimson-backed Tanager
Ramphocelus dimidiatus
Magnificent Frigatebird
Fregata magnificens
Leopard Round Ray
Urobatis pardalis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Mantled Howler Monkey
Alouatta palliata
Coiban Agouti
Dasyprocta coibae
Central American White-faced Capuchin
Cebus imitator
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin
Stenella attenuata
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
Common Opossum
Didelphis marsupialis
Bryde's Whale
Balaenoptera edeni
Killer Whale
Orcinus orca
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Lance-tailed Manakin
Chiroxiphia lanceolata
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
Barred Antshrike
Thamnophilus doliatus
Crimson-backed Tanager
Ramphocelus dimidiatus
Magnificent Frigatebird
Fregata magnificens
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Melanerpes rubricapillus
Southern House Wren
Troglodytes musculus
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Tropical Gnatcatcher
Polioptila plumbea
📊 Most Spotted
Hawksbill
Eretmochelys imbricata
American Crocodile
Crocodylus acutus
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura similis
Common Basilisk
Basiliscus basiliscus
Green Iguana
Iguana iguana
Yellow-bellied Sea Snake
Hydrophis platurus
Common House Gecko
Hemidactylus frenatus
Caribbean Least Gecko
Sphaerodactylus homolepis
Central American Lizard Eater
Mastigodryas alternatus
Central American Coral Snake
Micrurus nigrocinctus
Degenhardt's Scorpion-eating Snake
Stenorrhina degenhardtii
📊 Most Spotted
Giant Marine Toad
Rhinella horribilis
Green and Black Dart-poison Frog
Dendrobates auratus
Guayaquil Dwarf Frog
Engystomops pustulosus
Savage's Thin-toed Frog
Leptodactylus savagei
Pugnosed Tree Frog
Smilisca sila
Mexican White-lipped Frog
Leptodactylus fragilis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Leopard Round Ray
Urobatis pardalis
Longtail Stingray
Hypanus longus
Pacific Eagle Ray
Aetobatus laticeps
Munk's Pygmy Devil Ray
Mobula munkiana
Gorgona Guitarfish
Pseudobatos prahli
Pacific Nurse Shark
Ginglymostoma unami
Oceanic Manta Ray
Mobula birostris
Requiem shark
Carcharhinus limbatus
Southern Banded Guitarfish
Zapteryx xyster
Target ray
Diplobatis ommata
Pacific chupare whipray
Styracura pacifica
Animal Events
1Humpback Whale Season
Humpback whales that migrated up from the southern hemisphere gather in Coiba's sheltered waters to breed and nurse their calves, breaching and slapping the surface along this migration corridor. Pods of pantropical spotted dolphins often feed alongside them, adding a second act to the show.
2Whale Shark & Pelagic Season
Dry-season currents draw whale sharks — the world’s largest fish — to the seamounts and Contreras pinnacles, where they cruise and filter-feed near the surface. Whitetip sharks gather in the same waters, making the open sea thick with circling sharks.
3Sea Turtle Nesting Season
Green and hawksbill turtles haul out to nest on Coiba’s quiet beaches, digging under cover of darkness before returning to the sea. By day the hawksbills forage in the shallows, gliding through the clear water in search of sponges.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Humpback Whale Season
- 2Whale Shark & Pelagic Season
- 3Sea Turtle Nesting Season
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Marine Life In Coiba, we saw Mobula rays, white-tip reef sharks, green turtles, octopuses, frogfish, stingrays, wahoo, moray eels (green & jewel), seahorses, barracudas, and various reef fish.
Most of the sharks we saw were whitetip reef sharks.
While backpacking through Panama, I really wanted to spot the whale sharks that travel through Coiba National Park during their migratory route.
A little later, we even saw two reef sharks and a large sea turtle, yay!
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Coiba National Park?
The most likely sightings are Whitetip Reef Shark (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Hawksbill (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), American Crocodile (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Green Sea Turtle (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Black Vulture (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 584 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Coiba National Park for wildlife?
July has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Humpback Whale in Coiba National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale sighting in Coiba National Park, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Whitetip Reef Shark in Coiba National Park?
Yes — about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Whitetip Reef Shark sighting in Coiba National Park, based on 219 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Whale Shark in Coiba National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Whale Shark sighting in Coiba National Park, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Scarlet Macaw in Coiba National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Scarlet Macaw sighting in Coiba National Park, based on 88 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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