Scuba Coiba was founded by the Austrian Dive Instructor Herbie Sunk in 2003 as the first dive center offering professional services for divers at Coiba National Park.  After travelling and working as dive instructor in South-East and South Asia, Egypt and the Caribbean, Herbie discovered the prison island Coiba off Panama’s Pacific coast and heard about the plans to convert it into a National Park. So, he decided to have a look and he chose Santa Catalina, what was the only village with road access, electricity and the basics to offer adventurous divers accommodation and an easy to organize boat access to Coiba. 

When he arrived with one of the 2 daily buses in July 2003 and saw the sheer number of fish and size of fish offloaded from local fishermen, he knew, that this is THE place, what waited for him to open the first dive center. 

Well, Coiba became a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage site, the road has been paved, phone networks reach Santa Catalina now, credit cards are accepted, the hospitality sector improved a lot in quantity and quality and the boats became larger, better, faster – and safer. But Santa Catalina still offers the best option in Panama for divers (and no divers) to access and experience Coiba. 

And we are still here – since 2003 – and invite you to experience the BIG FISH paradise Coiba with us – THE ORIGINAL.