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Coiba separated from continental Panama between 12,000 and 18,000 years ago when sea levels rose. Plants and animals on the new island became isolated from mainland populations and over the millennia most animals have diverged in appearance and behaviour from their mainland counterparts. The island
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After the prison was closed down in 2004, the island's pristine condition made it ideal as a reserve. It is now said that the prison is haunted by the ghosts of prisoners. One story is that a guard was chasing a prisoner, but the prisoner was a ghost. The guard was so scared that he shot himself.
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can be found in large numbers in the wild. The island is about 75% forested with a large fraction comprising standing ancient forest. Coiba Island is home to rare flora and fauna found only on the island. The island also harbours tree species that have long disappeared from the mainland due to
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temperature swings, the marine ecosystems within Coiba
National Park harbor a high degree of biodiversity. The park is home to 760 species of marine fishes, 33 species of sharks and 20 species of cetaceans.
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In 1992, Panama created Coiba
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providing protection for coral reefs, humpback whales, pilot whales, killer whales, dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays, marlins and other marine creatures.
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Coiba is also one of the last places in
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Coiba
National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection
578:"How a Deadly Prison Island Became a Natural Paradise"
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109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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886:Protected areas established in 1992
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241:503 km (194 sq mi)
16:Largest island in Central America
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611:Historical Dictionary of Panama
586:. 29 April 2017. Archived from
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876:World Heritage Sites in Panama
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891:1992 establishments in Panama
853:travel guide from Wikivoyage
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692:Video of diving in Coiba
660:. Madrid. 20 July 2005.
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744:Barro Colorado Island
149:Isla Granito de Oro,
407:improve this article
371:. It is part of the
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687:Coiba National Park
543:World Heritage Site
533:Coiba National Park
488:Coiba Island howler
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814:Volcán Barú
463:August 2023
316:State Party
246:Established
225: /
201:Coordinates
860:Categories
784:La Amistad
749:Cerro Hoya
668:25 January
642:25 January
564:References
493:, and the
433:newspapers
365:Panamanian
291:Designated
69:newspapers
809:Soberanía
799:Portobelo
662:Archived
636:Archived
369:Veraguas
283:Criteria
191:Veraguas
187:Location
804:Sarigua
769:El Cope
754:Chagres
594:7 April
557:El Niño
447:scholar
422:"Coiba"
379:History
361:Pacific
310:1138rev
298:session
278:Natural
213:81°47′W
83:scholar
58:"Coiba"
764:Darién
632:UNESCO
539:Unesco
491:monkey
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324:Region
319:Panama
296:(29th
210:7°29′N
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759:Coiba
454:JSTOR
440:books
344:Coiba
294:2005
286:ix, x
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670:2020
644:2020
596:2018
525:and
508:and
426:news
275:Type
249:1992
238:Area
133:II (
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