Coiba Island Photo Gallery: Top Picks by Travelers
Welcome to our Coiba Island photo gallery, a curated collection of images captured by travelers, divers and photographers who’ve explored this remote corner of Panama. Here you’ll find a mix of underwater scenes, wild Pacific landscapes, islands and beaches, sunsets, wildlife and aerial views from the coast near Santa Catalina and the Coiba National Park area.
These photos aren’t just “pretty pictures” – they’re a visual guide to what Coiba really looks and feels like: turquoise shallows, volcanic rock, dense forest, dolphins and turtles, reef sharks, big schools of fish and golden-hour skies over the Pacific. Use this gallery to get inspired, plan your own trip and decide which tours, seasons and experiences you want to prioritize.
If you’re already dreaming of your own Coiba photos, don’t miss our in-depth guides to the best Coiba tours, the best time to visit Coiba Island, and the easiest way to fly from Panama City to the Lago Bay Airstrip and then continue to Santa Catalina for Coiba tours.
Coiba Island Photo Gallery – Top Picks by Travelers
Below you’ll find a selection of our favorite Coiba Island photos, grouped loosely by theme: underwater life, beaches and islands, wildlife and forest, and aerial shots of the coastline. We recommend featuring around 30–40 of your best images on this page, with more photos available on future themed galleries (diving, wildlife, Santa Catalina & Lago Bay, etc.).
For each image, use descriptive alt text such as “diving in Coiba Island with schooling jacks” or “sunset over Coiba National Park in Panama” to help search engines and AI tools understand what’s in the photo. Captions are optional, but adding short, natural descriptions under some images can further boost engagement and SEO.
Featured Coiba Island Photos
Start with a strong, mixed grid of photos that show different sides of Coiba: water color, reefs, boats, islands, sunsets, wildlife and life around the coast.
Underwater & Diving Photos from Coiba National Park
Coiba is famous for its diving and snorkeling. Beneath the surface you’ll find volcanic rock formations, cleaning stations, coral gardens and open blue water where pelagic life shows up: reef sharks, rays, schooling jacks and, in the right season, whale sharks and humpback whales at the surface.
Use this section to showcase:
- Divers swimming through schools of fish.
- Reef sharks, rays and turtles (always in a respectful, no-touch way).
- Macro details: coral textures, smaller fish, patterns and colors.
- Shots taken from the boat, showing gear, tanks and the Coiba coastline.
If you want to turn these images into a real dive trip, you’ll find detailed tour ideas and real operator options on our best Coiba tours page, including snorkel and diving day trips as well as multi-day adventures.
Beaches, Islands & Sunsets Around Coiba
Coiba Island and the surrounding islets are all about untouched beaches, turquoise shallows and long Pacific horizons. This is where you highlight sand, palm trees, boats at anchor and slow golden-hour scenes.
Suggestions for this block:
- Wide shots of beaches and bays with boats anchored offshore.
- Close-ups of sand, shells and water texture at the shoreline.
- Sunset and sunrise shots over the ocean or from the boat.
- Photos of travelers relaxing between snorkel and dive sessions.
If you’re using this gallery to plan where to stay, combine it with our overview of hotels and places to stay near Coiba Island and our handpicked list of restaurants in Santa Catalina, where most visitors base themselves before heading out on Coiba tours.
Wildlife & Nature in and Around Coiba
Coiba is both a marine and terrestrial protected area. While the star attractions are usually whales, whale sharks, dolphins and turtles, the forests and coastlines around Coiba hold monkeys, birds, iguanas, crabs and more. This section of the gallery celebrates the wild side of the park and its neighboring islands.
Good subjects to feature:
- Sea turtles at the surface or resting on the reef (shot from a distance).
- Dolphins bow-riding or playing in the boat’s wake.
- Birdlife such as frigatebirds, pelicans and scarlet macaws.
- Forest or mangrove textures, close-ups of leaves, roots and rock.
Remember that all wildlife photos should respect distance, no-touch policies and local regulations. If you’re specifically interested in whale or whale shark seasons, check our guide on the best time to visit Coiba Island to align your trip with your dream sightings.
Aerial Views: Lago Bay, Santa Catalina & the Coiba Coast
Aerial photos give context to where Coiba sits in relation to the mainland: the mangrove-lined coast, headlands, bays and the route boats take out toward the national park. This section is perfect for drone shots (where permitted) and images taken from small planes flying along the coast.
Here you can include:
- Aerial photos of the Pacific coastline near Santa Catalina.
- Views of bays, islands and surf breaks from above.
- Shots related to flying into the area, especially flights to Lago Bay Airstrip.
If you want to save time getting to the Coiba area and capture your own aerial-style views, you can choose to fly from Panama City to Lago Bay Airstrip and then take a short ground transfer to Santa Catalina instead of spending 5–6 hours by bus or rental car. Learn more about this route on the Lago Bay charter flights page.
Plan Your Own Coiba Photo Adventure
If these Coiba Island photos have you itching to grab your camera (or just your phone) and get on a boat, the next step is to plan your trip. Start by deciding when you want to go, how you’ll get to the coast and which tours will match the photos you want most: reefs, wildlife, beaches, sunsets or all of the above.
To make planning easier, explore these key guides:
- Best time to visit Coiba Island – find the right season for whales, whale sharks, calm seas and sunshine.
- How to get to Coiba Island from Panama City – compare road travel with the option to fly to Lago Bay Airstrip and then continue to Santa Catalina.
- Best Coiba tours – snorkel trips, diving days, multi-day expeditions and private charters.
- Hotels and places to stay near Coiba – hostels, surf camps, eco-lodges and boutique stays.
- Things to do around Coiba and Santa Catalina – surfing, kayaking, beaches, sunsets and more.
Once you’ve chosen your dates and sketched out a rough plan, all that’s left is to get here, join a tour and start filling your own camera roll with Coiba Island photos. The images on this page are just a starting point – the best shots are the ones you’ll take yourself.
Coiba Island Photo Gallery – Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect to see in this Coiba Island photo gallery?
This Coiba Island photo gallery brings together traveler favorites: beaches, islands, underwater scenes, wildlife and aerial views from the Coiba National Park area and the nearby coast. You’ll see real moments from boat rides, snorkel and dive days, sunsets and coastal landscapes near Santa Catalina and Lago Bay. Use it as visual inspiration while you plan your own trip and decide which tours, seasons and experiences you want to focus on.
Can I use these Coiba Island photos for my own projects?
This gallery is designed to inspire your trip planning, not to provide free stock images. In most cases, the rights to the photos belong to the photographers or operators who took them. If you’d like to use any image commercially or in your own marketing, you should contact the original creator or tour operator directly and ask for permission. The safest option is to visit Coiba yourself, join one of the best Coiba tours, and create your own photo set based on your experience.
Where are the best places in Coiba to take photos like these?
Most of the photos in this gallery come from classic spots inside and around Coiba National Park: small islands with white sand, turquoise bays, snorkeling reefs and offshore dive sites. Many travelers stay in Santa Catalina and join day trips that visit islands such as Granito de Oro or Coibita, where it’s easy to photograph clear water, beaches and wildlife.
If you want to capture similar scenes, start by browsing our guide to the best Coiba tours for snorkelers and divers, then combine it with our list of hotels and places to stay near Coiba Island so you’re based close to the tour meeting points.
Do I need a permit to fly a drone near Coiba Island?
Drone rules can change, and Coiba is a protected national park, so you should always check the latest regulations before flying. In many protected areas, drone use is restricted or requires special permission from park authorities, especially near wildlife, nesting areas and sensitive habitats.
If aerial photography is important to you, consider capturing coastal views around Santa Catalina and the mainland, or booking a scenic flight to the Lago Bay Airstrip area and focusing on photos from the plane instead. Always respect local laws, keep your distance from wildlife and follow park guidelines when you visit Coiba.
What is the best time of year to capture great photos in Coiba?
You can take beautiful photos in Coiba all year, but the mood changes by season. The dry season (roughly December to April) usually brings more sun, calmer seas and clear horizons that work well for beach and landscape photography. The greener months (May to November) often create dramatic skies, lush vegetation and excellent chances to photograph humpback whales between July and October.
If photography is a priority, it’s worth matching your trip dates to your style: calm, bright scenes or more dramatic, wild conditions. Our in-depth guide to the best time to visit Coiba Island explains how each month looks in terms of light, weather and wildlife so you can choose the best window for your shots.
How do I get to Coiba Island to take my own photos?
Most visitors stay in Santa Catalina and join boat tours into Coiba National Park. You can reach Santa Catalina entirely by road from Panama City, but many travelers now choose to fly from Panama City to Lago Bay Airstrip and then continue by a short ground transfer to the coast. Flying first saves hours of driving and gives you more time and energy for early-morning photo missions and tours.
To see all your options in detail, check our guide on how to get to Coiba Island from Panama City, then combine it with our best Coiba tours page and our things to do around Coiba overview to design a photo-friendly itinerary that matches your budget and travel style.
