BASTIMENTOS INTERNATIONAL MARINE PARK

Covering 13.226 hectares, of which 11.596 hectares are part of a marine area, Isla bastimentos national marine park was set up oin 1988. It lies in the vast archipelago of Bocas del Toro in the province of the same name. In the morth of the protected area, the Caribbean Sea crashes impetuously against the rocky coastline of bastimentos island and larga beach, a very important place for nesting marine turtles. On the south coast of the island, there is peaceful Almirante lagoon with its many channels winding among the mangrove islets, surrounded bu corals and sandy shallows vocered in meadows of sea grass (Thalassia testudinum).
The park has the largest area of Caribbean mangrove swamp in the country as well as the best conserved coral reefs on that coast, where the so-called red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) and white mangrove (laguncularia racemosa) are predominant. In the intrior of bastimentos island, there is the only know freshwater insular lagoon in Panama. Many freshwater turtels (trachemis scripta), caimans (caiman crocodylus) and crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) are found here. The Zapatillas Keys, at the north-east end of the park, are made up of two island of 34 and 14 hectares surrounded by spectacular white sand beaches and coral reefs of about 500 hectares.
The many coral species, wealth of fish and variety of marine invertebrates make this one of the most exceptional parks in the Carribean. With average annual temperatures of 26° C and average precipitation of 3.000 mm, conditions are right on bastimentos Island for the growth of dense moist tropical forests. Over 300 vascular plants have been recorded in some of them, with crabwood (Carapa guianensis), 'nispero' (Manilkara zapota), guaruba (Vochysia hondurensis), oak (Tabebuia rosea) and yellow tree (Terminalia amazonica) predominant. Of the 28 species of reptiles and amphibbians living in the park, 17 are threatened of endangered. Four of the threatened turtle species, including the bawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) nest on the parkìs beaches.
In the mangrove swamps, it is easy to spot the yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia), and, in the forests, the poisonous frog Debdrobates pumilio. Of the 68 recorded bird species, some are seabirds such as frigate birds (fregata magnificens) and laughing gulls (Larus atricilla). However, most live in the park's forests, such as the three-wattled bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata), crowned woodnymph (Thalurania colombica), eautiful band-tailed barbthroat (Threnetes ruckeri), re-loared amazon )Amazona autumnalis) and blue-headed parrot (Amazona menstruus). 32 mammal species live in the protected area, including 13 bat species. For example, the bulldog bat (Noctilio leporinus).
In the forest canpy, alnside the capuchin (Cebus capucinus) and the night monkey (Aouts trvirgatus) there are many two-toed sloths (Choloepus hoffmani) and three-toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus). There are also lots of pacas (Agouti paca).