Panama Live Aboards
Lost Coast Explorer
Lost Coast Explorer
The 100' Explorer Yacht
The Lost Coast Explorer is a true ocean going vessel. It is a 250 ton steel vessel designed to take on some of the biggest seas in the world, as it has done over the majority of its life. The Lost Coast Explorer was used in the Baring Sea of Alaska for many years, where it handled the area's large seas without incident. It is a Marco built boat, known in many circles to be one of the finest ocean going boats on the water. The Lost Coast Explorer has had a refit to convert this serious ocean going vessel into an explorer yacht worthy of our exquisite cruises.
Rugged Refinement
 The Lost Coast Explorer draws 12 feet of water, ensuring that while anchored up in bays and inlets we are not moving around with the seas. It takes a sizable wave to actually make the boat move. It is extremely stable. What does this mean to you? Calm cruising and a sound nights sleep.
 The boat was renovated into an explorer yacht with your comfort in mind. With eight double occupancy staterooms that are heated and air conditioned, The Lost Coast Explorer offers comfort in a luxurious environment. It has a large entertainment room with dartboards, card tables, and a flat screen television, to ensure that you remain entertained. The Lost Coast Explorer also has a satellite phone system. There is a charge for time used that can be settled up at the end of your stay.
A large dining room provides ample seating accommodations inside with views of the ocean, but the best view is experienced while dining on the back deck. The rear deck is 25 feet by 29 feet wide, which allows ample room for evening activities such as watching the sun set on the horizon.
 Ready for Action
The Lost Coast Explorer travels with a 19' sport boat and two 24' offshore runners that we use for our activities, and is outfitted with a 12,000-pound crane that can actually lift these boats onto the deck for repairs if necessary. These boats are outfitted for fishing, diving, surfing, and beach transfers. We carry two spare outboard motors with us that are available as backups in the event that our boats experience mechanical difficulties. If this does happen, we will swap motors ensuring that you never miss a day on the water. The Lost Coast Explorer also has a walk-in freezer, an additional freezer, and storage space.
Exquisite Diving
 "Coiba Island is one of the last relics of tropical moist forest in Pacific Central America, a site of great beauty and great marine and terrestrial diversity, preserving endemic and endangered species. The coral reefs exemplify successful reef growth under sheltered but very restricted conditions and serve as a refuge and source of species replenishment for other islands, including the Cocos and Galapagos, during and after El Ni~no disturbances."
Protected Areas Programme - UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Why Dive Coiba?
Pristine Environment: Coiba National Park is the largest Marine Park in Central America and now a World Heritage Site. Coiba has only begun to be explored by scientists and adventurers. A small ranger station and an old prison are the only structures within the park. There are no towns or resorts in this location. To learn more about Coiba's lush marine life please read UNEP's description of this area (link to UNEP)
 Rich Reef Corals, High Number of Endemic Marine Species and Corals: Reef Corals have not been as affected by the recent El Nino Bleaching episode. These warm water currents have greatly affected the reef corals of the Galapagos Islands and the Cocos Islands. Coiba's combination of a variety of warm and semi-oceanic marine habitats rich in coral and large fish with tropical forest is also far larger and richer than that of Cocos Island.
We are easy to get to: Direct flights from the US to Panama City Panama are available from Miami, Houston, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Upon your arrival, we will transport you via vehicle to the Lost Coast Explorer (approximately 2 hour 45 minutes). Once aboard, we begin diving and touring!
Unexplored Territory: We are constantly making new discoveries. First decents are not only possible, they are encouraged as we continue to research this vast marine park. Local scientists are also finding new species of coral, fish, insects and marine animals regularly. Coiba Island has been nicknamed the new Galapagos.
What Will I See When I Dive Coiba?
 Rays: mobula rays, devil rays, eagle rays
Turtles: leatherback turtle, hawksbill turtle, olive ridley turtle, loggerhead turtle
Whales: sperm whales, Bryde's whales, killer whales, short-finned pilot whales, false killer whales
Dolphins: bottlenose dolphin, spotted dolphin, Central American spinner dolphin, common dolphin
Sharks: whale shark, tiger shark, bull shark, black-tip c, silky c, white-tip reef shark, scalloped hammerhead shark, nurse shark
760 species of fish, including: giant tuna, blue marlin, black marlin, sailfish, amber jacks, wahoo, dorado, flying fish, rainbow runners, rooster fish, barracuda, mackarel, angelfish, scissortail, chromis, gag cabrila, sergeant majors, barberfish, butterfly fish, cubera snapper, grunts, damselfish, blennies, puffers, creolfish, blue finned, trevally, jawfish, scorpionfish, hawkfish, group
Also seen on site: lobster, grunts, harlequin shrimp, sea cucumbers, moray eels, sea snakes
Coiba Island National Park, Panama - 6-day, 6-night Itinerary
Arrival Day: Fly to Panama City where our representative will meet you at the airport and transport you and your group to Santiago Panama (2.5 hour shuttle). You will spend your first night here in Santiago, at one of the best hotels in town. Santiago is the third largest town in Panama and has a small town charm with numerous restaurants and bars.
 Day 1: Your guide will transport you directly to Puerto Mutis, which is 1/2 hour outside of Santiago. You will be met here by our staff and our 24' Koffler boats which will take you directly to the Lost Coast Explorer. Once aboard our 100' yacht, you will be escorted to your state room, served brunch and will have an opportunity to get your gear ready to dive! After refreshing and changing, you will jump on our smaller 24' boats and head out to the dive sites. The 100' Lost Coast Explorer will follow and stay in close proximity throughout the day as we work our way up the coast, cruising and diving our way up the coast, taking advantage of incredible diive sites and sandy beaches. The abundance of huge snapper barracuda and schools of jacks in this area will surely surprise you. Giant turtles and reef sharks also frequent this area.
After you have completed your three dives, you will board the Lost Coast Explorer for a dinner cruise to the little known village of Bia Honda. This small community does not have a road or airstrip yet and is surrounded by miles of rugged jungle and mountains. Being in Bia Honda is a step back in time as its residence rely on hand crafted dugout canoes for transportation and to catch their food. We are the only tour operators that visits Bia Honda, so be prepared for a lot of hospitality. The village does have a lively cantina, where they will insist that you try their favorite local drink "Seco" which is not for the faint at heart.
Day 2: In the early morning, the Lost Coast Explorer will transport you to Isla Canales Afuera - Isla Contreras. The Canales Islands are home to some of the best diving in the area as the visibility is extremely good, the currents are calm and the fish are plentiful. The islands themselves are covered with untouched jungle and white sand beaches. There are ten marked dive sites available here. This area is famous for is large concentration of flying Mobula mantas (January through April). The Canales Islands are part of Coiba National Park which means you must respect the pristine environment you are in. Our crew will provide you with all needed information. Our crew will check you in while you are diving so you don't miss a thing. We will be spending the night here, as the islands provide great moorage and evening activities including fishing, snorkeling, spending time on the beaches and wildlife viewing.
 Day 3: We begin our day with a cruise to the Contreras Islands. This group of 11 islands is over two miles from the mainland and offers the perfect opportunity to view a variety of marine life including lobster, trumpetfish, cornetfish, spotted eagle rays, moorish idols, cortez barracuda, cortez angelfish, pompano, chubs, jacks, surgeonfish and a variety of sharks. We will also dive Rocas Prosper, which has many lava plumes (similar to a wall dive) that rise up over 100 feet. We will spend the night in this magical place.
Day 4: We will begin with a morning dive in the Contreras Islands followed by a cruise to Coiba Island. Coiba Island is the largest Island in the park and is approximately ten miles wide and 30 miles long. We will cruise along the west coast stopping at a dive spot that is frequented by large nurse sharks and manta rays. After your second dive, we will jump back on the Explorer and cruise down the coast to Playa Hermosa (beautiful beach). Playa Hermosa is a beautiful sandy beach that is home to a small river. This is the perfect area for either a night dive or our evening tour of the river, nicknamed the crocodiles and cocktail cruise. During this excursion, we view many different nocturnal creatures including the red eyed tree frog, the ghost bat and many interesting insects. Don't forget about the crocodiles, these beasts are plentiful in this area. Our suggestion is to stay in the boat!
Day 5: We will continue our cruise south along the Coiba coastline in the morning towards Isla Jicaron, diving along the way. This stretch of coastline is rarely visited by either divers or fishermen as it is very remote. The only way to successfully explore it is with a live aboard boat. Join us as we continue to explore this untamed coastline in search of more world class diving spots. Whale sharks and giant mantas feed along the steep walls in this area. Diving will be more challenging, but very rewarding.
This area is also home to some of the best fishing and surfing in Panama. For those of you who would like to spend a day fishing or surfing, this is the area to do it. We will dive three sites as we cruise down the coast, and will arrive at our destination island, Jicaron in the evening. We will anchor in front of a beautiful beach that is frequented by howler monkeys and rare birds. Devil Rays and Manta Rays often play in this bay. With its crystal blue waters, there is always something to view. For those of you looking for some adventure, you may trek around this island. It is rumored that the pirate Captain Henry Morgan buried his lost treasure here. Although many Panamanians have set course for the island in search of the lost treasure, no one has found it yet.
 Day 6: We will spend our day here exploring the incredible diving around Jicaron and Jacarita Island. Hammer head sharks, large rays, nurse sharks and a variety of other BIG fish including Marlin, Tuna and Sailfish are seen frequently in this area. This area is unique because it is home to world class fishing, surfing and diving. Marlin, sailfish and tuna are within two miles of our anchorage. There are also over 7 surf spots nearby. This is the perfect day to mix up your activities. You can dive in the morning, fish during the day and surf in the evening. It is all right here and our guides know how to get you into the action. After a day of blissful play, we will pull anchor and do a sunset dinner cruise to the island of Cebeco.
Departure Day: Our crew will help you load your gear onto our 24' boats and will transport you back to Puerto Mutis, where our agents will transport you to Panama City. You may choose to fly out this day or extend your trip and spend time in Panama City. Panama City is a very cosmopolitan city, offering first class amenities, a rich history and plenty of culture. If you are interested in adding on to your trip, we can help you make arrangements.
* This itinerary is a tentative schedule that may be altered by weather or other unforeseen factors. Every effort is made to follow this itinerary.
For more information
Contact:
Dive Discovery
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1 800 886-7321
ph- 415-444-5100
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