Coiba and the Galápagos: Islands Linked by Life
T hough separated by more than a thousand kilometers of open ocean, Coiba and the Galápagos Islands are not isolated outposts. They are key stepping stones in a vast chain of islands and seamounts that stretches across the Eastern Tropical Pacific — a living network connected by currents, migration, and evolution.
1) An Ancient Ocean Highway
This island chain includes the Galápagos, Malpelo, Cocos, Coiba, and smaller archipelagos and underwater ridges between them. Ocean currents flowing west to east and seasonally reversing create natural pathways that carry larvae, nutrients, and migratory animals across immense distances. For marine life, these islands function less like endpoints and more like rest stops along an ancient ocean highway.
2) Life in Motion
Large migratory species — including humpback whales, whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays, and sea turtles — move between these islands to feed, breed, and give birth. Even smaller organisms travel invisibly: fish larvae, coral spawn, and plankton drift between islands, maintaining genetic connections that keep populations resilient and ecosystems healthy.
This connectivity is why Coiba, like the Galápagos, supports extraordinary biodiversity and high levels of endemism. Coiba’s relative isolation during the ice ages allowed species to evolve uniquely, while its position along migratory routes keeps its ecosystems dynamic and replenished. Together, Coiba and the Galápagos anchor opposite ends of a transboundary ecological chain that spans national borders and open seas.
3) Protecting the Living Network
Today, this chain is recognized and protected through the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) — a multinational effort to safeguard not just individual islands, but the living connections between them. In protecting Coiba and the Galápagos as linked nodes in a single system, CMAR preserves one of the world’s last great marine migration networks — a reminder that in the ocean, distance does not mean disconnection.
Experiencing Coiba
The Galápagos is often seen as the pinnacle of marine discovery, a once-in-a-lifetime journey. Coiba shares that same biological significance, yet remains far quieter, more intimate, and profoundly wild.
For guests staying at Casa Cavada, this connection becomes tangible. A guided expedition to Coiba National Park is included as part of the experience which is just a short boat ride from Islas Secas, an encounter that elsewhere typically comes at an additional cost. It is an opportunity to explore one of the world’s most important marine ecosystems not as a distant observer, but as part of the living network that links Coiba to the Galápagos and beyond.
