Text by Mary L. Peachin with photos by Mary Peachin and Diego Mejias
December, 2012, Vol. 17. No 3
If back rolling into a four knot current, grabbing a submerged buoy line, then descending a hundred feet onto a seamount covered with anemone-covered black coral—one frequented by schools of various species of tuna, amberjack, and other pelagics—appeals to you, then read on. M/Y Yemaya Captain David Spell would later comment, “If you see the buoy under the surface, don’t jump in.” But more about the diving later. It was our visit to Coiba’s infamous penal colony that brought a unique prospective to our diving trip.
Imagine being jailed on a beautiful tropical Eastern Pacific Island. The cells had minimal security, but the sharks surrounding the island quelled any desire to escape. The island has been called the “Alcatraz” of Central America, and compared to Papillion’s Devil Island.