GOLFO DE CHIRIQUI NATIONAL MARINE PARK

Golfo de Chiriquì National marine park was set up in 1994. It covers 14.470 hectares of islands and marine waters in the western Pacific of Panama on the gulf of the same name to the south of the extensive mangrove swamps of Bahìa de los Muertos (Muertos bay).
The protected area is known as the Paridas islands Archipelago and includes the Parida island (the largest of all) and Paridita, the only inhabited islands on the whole archipelago (due to the fact they have water sources). Other proteced islands are Santa Catalina, Pulgos, Gàmez, Tintorera, Obispo, Obispone, Los Pargos, Ahogado, Icacos, Coral de Piedra, Bolaños, Berraco, Bolañitos, San José, Linarte, Saino, Saintos, Iglesia Mayor, Carey Macho and Carey Hembra. The main features of the islands' landscape are the small hills of sedimentary rock not more than 100 metres above sea level and lots of coastal plains. A tropical savannah cilmate with average annual temperatures over 27°C and average annual rainfall between 2.000 mm and 2.500 mm, allows the growth of mois tropical forests on the different islands. Santa Marìa trees (Calophyllum longifolium), oak (Tabebuia rosea), spiny cedar (Bomabcopsis quinatum) 'cedro amargo' (Cedrela odorata) 'espavé' (Anacardium excelsum) and 'corotu' (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) are predominant on these forests. Coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) and manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) grow on the may extensive island beaches, on which threatened sea turtels commonly nest, in particular the leatherback turtle (Demochelys coraicea) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).
The most common reptile, especially on Bolaños island, is the iguana (Iguana iguana), and the most common amphibian is the frog (Dendrobates auratus). In the mangrove swamps of Parida and Paridita Islands, it is easy to spot the tiger heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum ) and the abundandt yellow warbelr (Dendroica petechia erithachorides), Pale-vented pigeons (Columba cayennensis), red-lored amazons (Amazona autumnalis), brown-throated parakeets (Aratinga pertinax) and orange-chinned parakeets (Brotogeris jugularis) can often be seen flying from one island to another.
On the larger island, groups of howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata), raccoons (Procyon lotor) and pacas (Agouti paca) have been recorded. The richness of the seas around the archipelago, with coral reefs and marine meadows, is the national park's most significant feauture. On the reefs there are some coral formations (Porites lobata) and the hydrozoa known as fire coral (millepora intricata). It is the home of such spectacular fish species as the angel kingfish (Holocanthus passer), bicolor parrotfish (Scarus subrobviolaceus), white tipped shark (Trienodon obesus) etc.