Coiba Tour Safety & Credentials: Licensed Captains, ATP-Registered Operator
Before you step on a boat to an island 20 nautical miles out at sea, you should know who is driving it, what it is and what it carries. Here is all of it.
The Short List
Is Travel Coiba a Licensed Tour Operator?
Yes. Travel Coiba belongs to Pacific Adventure Tours, Inc., registered with the Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá (ATP), the national tourism authority, under number 0520-22051. The company was founded in February 2007, and since then the same crew has been taking travelers to Coiba National Park and the Veraguas coast, raising the bar on service quality and safety standards along the way. Travel Coiba is simply the door we opened for people who are looking for Coiba first.
Who Are the Captains and Guides? Licensed Captains and Cetacean Specialists
On a Travel Coiba boat, the person at the wheel is not only a driver. Each of our three captains holds a boat captain license, is an ATP-certified tour guide and has a Specialization in Responsible Whale Watching, which covers all cetaceans (whales and dolphins). In practice, that means the one who reads the sea is also the one who explains what is surfacing next to you, and who knows how to approach a humpback mother and calf without bothering them.
Angelo Solanilla
- Licensed boat captain
- ATP Specialized Guide, registry 15967
- Specialization in Responsible Whale Watching
- Languages: English and Spanish
Founder of Pacific Adventure Tours. Guide, photographer and the one who sends you the photos of your day.
Andis Batista
- Licensed boat captain
- ATP-certified guide, registry 16226
- Specialization in Responsible Whale Watching
Founder of AMETUR, an association of captains with an ecological conscience in the Gulf of Montijo.
Noriel Murillo
- Licensed boat captain
- ATP-certified tour guide
- Specialization in Responsible Whale Watching
Years of crossings between the mainland and Coiba, reading tides and currents that change by the hour.
Mini Yachts, Not Pangas
Most boats that cross to Coiba are pangas: long, open fiberglass skiffs built for artisanal fishing. They do the job, but on a 20-mile run across open Pacific you feel every wave. Our three boats are 25-foot sport boats from Wellcraft, Pursuit and Bayliner, built for recreation and fishing at sea, with modern four-stroke outboards and GPS navigation. Think of them as private mini yachts for up to 6 guests, with the boat and the day all yours.
Angel de Mar
- Boat: Pursuit, 25 feet
- Engine: Suzuki 225 HP outboard
- Navigation: GPS
- Guests: up to 6, private
Pacific Adventure #1
- Boat: Wellcraft, 25 feet
- Engine: Mercury Verado 275 HP outboard
- Navigation: Lowrance GPS
- Guests: up to 6, private
Master and Commander
- Boat: Bayliner, 25 feet
- Engines: twin Suzuki 140 HP outboards
- Navigation: GPS
- Guests: up to 6, private
| Typical panga | Travel Coiba mini yacht | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Artisanal fishing | Recreation and sportfishing at sea |
| Who is aboard | Often shared with strangers | Only your group, up to 6 people |
| At the wheel | Varies by operator | A licensed captain who is also an ATP-certified guide |
| Navigation | Varies | GPS and VHF marine radio on every trip |
What Safety Equipment Is on Board?
Every boat leaves the dock with the same safety kit, on every trip:
And for the fun part: snorkel gear, Deepboards, SUP boards and complete fishing gear. Kids are welcome: they snorkel next to their parents with a life jacket, and the guide keeps an eye on them in the water.
Where Do Tours Depart From?
We have two bases of operations, and we work from both all year:
Santa Catalina
The town closest to Coiba and the classic gateway to the park. Our office is in town, and the boat picks you up on the beach. Open in Google Maps ↗
El Bongo, Montijo
Our home dock at the Club Náutico de Veraguas, inside the Gulf of Montijo. A longer, calmer ride out through the mangroves before the open sea. Open in Google Maps ↗
Every visitor also needs the Coiba National Park permit from MiAmbiente. It is not ours, and we explain it once, with the current rates, in our Coiba prices guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Travel Coiba registered with the ATP?
Yes. Travel Coiba is a brand of Pacific Adventure Tours, Inc., registered with the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) under number 0520-22051 and operating since February 2007.
Are the Coiba tour captains and guides certified?
Yes. Our three captains, Angelo Solanilla, Andis Batista and Noriel Murillo, hold boat captain licenses and are ATP-certified tour guides, all three with a Specialization in Responsible Whale Watching (cetaceans: whales and dolphins).
What kind of boats do you use to go to Coiba?
Private 25-foot mini yachts, not pangas: a Wellcraft with a Mercury Verado 275 HP engine, a Pursuit with a Suzuki 225 HP engine and a Bayliner with twin Suzuki 140 HP engines, all with GPS. Up to 6 guests per boat.
What safety equipment do the boats carry?
Life jackets for adults and children, a VHF marine radio, GPS, a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher. Every guest is covered by accident insurance during the tour.
Do Coiba tours leave from Santa Catalina?
Yes. We have two bases of operations, Santa Catalina and El Bongo (Montijo), and tours leave from either one.
Is a Coiba boat tour safe for children?
Yes. We carry children’s life jackets, kids snorkel next to their parents, and the captain picks calm spots based on the tide and the currents of the day.
Planning your trip? Read the best time to visit Coiba, what to know before you book, how to choose a Coiba tour operator and where to sleep: hotels in Santa Catalina and Santiago.
Ready to pick a trip? See the Coiba snorkeling tour, the Coiba 2-day tour, the Coiba fishing charter or whale watching in Coiba.