Coiba National Park encompasses over 2,700 square kilometers on the southeastern side of the Republic of Panama. This includes islands, coral reefs, forests, mangroves, forests and beaches. Coiba Island is the largest uninhabited tropical forested island in the Americas and it is one of the most spectacular marine and terrestrial environments located in the Coiba National Park.

As over 85 percent of the forests of Coiba Island are primary and untouched, they serve as a safe haven for birds and mammals found nowhere else on earth; and also for species that have largely disappeared from the mainland. This National Park is one of the greatest remaining treasures of Panama. For many years, a penal colony located on the Island acted as a deterrent to colonization and the extraction of the natural resources. This, however, may change as the Panamanian government has relocated all but about 100 prisoners – which are not nearly enough to keep up and protect a Park of such an abundant size. Archaeological findings indicate that the Island was the location of PreColumbian settlements that seem to have disappeared in the 15th century with the arrival of the Spaniards. Since then, the Island has remained mainly unsettled except for the prisoners and the police to guard them.

An abundance of biological wealth can be found in and around the waters of Coiba Island. It is a refuge for approximately 147 bird species, including 21 endemic species and subspecies. More importantly, the islands provide refuge for birds such as the Scarlet Macaw and the Crested Eagle; both are species that have largely disappeared from the rest of Panama. Scientists have registered a total of 36 different species of mammals, including the nearly extinct Mantled Howler Monkey. Coiba Island consists mainly of very moist tropical forests and strands of mangroves. Believe it or not, most of the interior of Coiba Island is completely unexplored botanically.

The Coiba National Park includes the reef of Bahia Damas, which is the second largest reef in the Eastern Pacific. It covers an immense 160 hectares and evolved over extremely harsh and unusual circumstances. There are 4 whale and dolphin species that make their home in the waters surrounding the islands. These include the Killer Whale, the Humpback Whale, the Pantropic Spotted Dolphin and the Bottlenose Dolphin. At least 19 other species visit the area on many occasions. There is widespread commercial fishing in and around the island. Fishing activities include the extraction of conch, shrimp and lobster and there is an abundance of grouper, snapper, billfish and rays. Although there is a large amount of illegal fishing in the Coiba National Park, it is mainly due to the fact that many do not know exactly what the boundaries are. They are, however, in total support of the idea of a National Park.