Coiba Island

  My son and I dove this weekend with Dive Base Coiba and it was the experience of a lifetime. Quick backstory before the review. DBC was founded by Kevan Mantell,... read more a British expat who made Panama his home and protecting the Coiba island chain (a UNESCO World Heritage site) his life's work. We became great friends with Kevan over the years and were impressed and amazed with his knowledge of the sea life, his commitment to protecting the marine environment, and his care and love for the local population (mostly small fishing villages and artisanal fishing communities) along the extremely remote coast.

Kevan passed away unfortunately and unexpectedly in 2021, which was a huge blow to Coiba, the local communities he supported, and the hundreds of divers, environmental, and research organizations, in the area. We used to joke that diving with Kevan was like diving with Jacques Cousteau. He knew more about Coiba than just about anyone... And he knew everyone, from the local fishermen to the research scientists from the Smithsonian, National Geographic, BBC, and even the European Space Agency that have been studying the area for years.

I'm happy to report that Kevan's two Panamanian sons, Will and Joshua, are now carrying on his legacy and have taken over DBC. We dove with Will and Joshua for two days and they are consummate professionals. Like their father, they put a premium on safety. Each morning they gave us a full briefing on what to expect, reviewed all of the safety procedures, made sure we were fully informed and answered all of our questions. They are outstanding guides - friendly, professional, knowledgable, and like their father, experts in all of the secret diving spots and the sea life.

As for the dives themselves, what can I say, they were spectacular. We saw bull sharks, white tip reef sharks, huge schools of snapper, dolphins, eagle rays, and even the elusive guitar ray or guitarfish. Between dives Will and Joshua took us on hikes to Coiba and the remote islands where we saw dozens of howler monkeys in the trees and enormous 3 meter caymans. It's as wild as you can imagine, like entering Juraisac Park.

Coiba and Pixvae, the small fishing village where DBC's office is located, are very remote. You feel like you're literally at the ends of the earth because you are. The charming little town is about 90 minutes from Sona, or about 5 hours from Panama City. The road is now paved and the drive in is spectacular. Expect basic accommodations, but all provided by very cool, laid back and very friendly locals. The rooms were clean at Hostal Yosi and guests have access to the kitchen. We ate fresh fish, lobster, patacones and rice across the street each night prepared personally by the owner of Donde Tena as we watched extraordinary sunsets across the bay.

Another huge plus, Pixvae is just a 20-25 minute ride by ponga to Coiba, contrasted to at least a 90 minute ponga ride from Santa Catalina, where many of the other dive operators stage from.

Bottom line, if you're looking for an absolute first rate dive experience from start to finish, want to experience "authentic" Panama in a spectacularly beautiful and untouched area of the world, you won't do better than DBC. It's an unforgettable experience.