National Parks

CAÑO ISLAND BIOLOGICAL RESERVE

Area:
200 Terrestrial Ha.
2,700 Maritime Ha.

Location: In the Pacific Ocean, 15 Km offshore from Corcovado National Park and the port of San Pedrillo.

This reserve is of major archaeological importance since it was used as a cementery in pre-Colombian times. It is still possible today to see some almost perfectly round stone spheres, made by the Indians. It has a plateau some 90 meters high, covered by a very tall evergreen forest with trees reaching heights up to 50 meters. Other species present are the locust and wild fig. The smaller trees include wild cocoa and rubber tree.

The fauna is sparse, possibly caused by the disappearance of the natural forest. The few birds that can be sighted here are the cattle egret, common black hawk, osprey, brown booby, and Northern phalarope. The four-eyed opossum, paca (introduced), boa constrictor, brown tree gorg and transparent tree frog, and a few species of rats, bats, small snakes, and lizards are also sighted here.

A rich variety of marine fauna inhabits the tidal pools. In addition to a multitude of fish, there are countless brittle starfish and sea urchins. Two endangered species in the vicinity of the island are the lobster and the giant conch.