PANAMA SEA SURFACE TEMP

Best Time to Fish:

MOON PHASE CALENDAR  TIDES

  
AVERAGE YEARLY FLOW OF PACIFIC CURRENT IMPACTING PANAMA
SEASONAL CHANGES IN PACIFIC CURRENT IMPACTING PANAMA

Along Panama's Pacific coast, generally, the coast rises abruptly from a deep seafloor to mountain heights on land, and there is a narrow continental shelf. The seafloor between the Galápagos Islands and Panama is dominated by two large submarine ridges, the Cocos and Carnegie Ridges, and a variety of smaller ridges (Coiba, Malpelo) and seamounts, which are believed to have been formed by volcanic action from the Galápagos Hotspot.

Panama is squeezed between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean currents. From the north, the Caribbean Current streams through the Colombian Basin pushing north against southern Central America (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) causing the counter-clockwise circulation of the Columbia-Panama Gyre whcih is evident off-shore. From the Pacific, north of the Cromwall and South Equatorial Currents is the Equatorial Countercurrent. It brings warm tropical waters from the Western Pacific, ending in the Panama Basin, in and around the Gulf of Chiriqui. At the same time the Peruvian Current which flows in a Northerly direction up the west coast of S. America and the Southern Ocean Current form the South Equatorial current which flows westwards roughly along the Equator from the Panama Basin. The South Equatorial Current is also influenced by the Cornwall current, a cold water counter current, coming from the western Pacific (avg. 13 degrees c). It flows in an Easterly direction undercutting the South Equatorial Current. It upwells at the Galapagos Islands. Much of this upwelling and the cold water form the Peruvian Current cycle into the Gulf of Panama. The mixing of warm and cold water currents provides Panama with two vastly differing ocean conditions, which in turn manifest two distinct marine environments. Typically ocean currents moving toward a landmass converge and sink carrying with them organisms and warm water. These major currents coupled with the contrasting depths provided by the islands and seamounts contribute to form immense upwellings of nutrients important to the growth of marine life.
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OFFSHORE:There are a few areas of concentration for angling the Pacific coast of Panama. In the western region of the country it is Coiba Island, in central Panama is the Tuna Coast near Punta Mala and in the east is The Gulf of Panama. Around Coiba Island is the Hannibal Bank which rises from 1000 fathoms to 20. This is in the Gulf of Chiriqui which is warm water current influenced wherein temperatures remain constant and sea life has developed unchanged for centuries. This region between Costa Rica and Punta Mala on the Azuero Peninsula is protected from the prevailing north wind by the mountainous mainland. The seas are calm most of the year and warm offshore currents predominate promoting the growth of living reefs, corals and the profusion of sea life associated with this ambience which is unique in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Very deep water, 200 -1000 meters, run 1 to 5 miles along the shore of the Azuero Peninsula and into the Golfo De Chiriqui. Seamounts such as Hannibal Banks, Roncador Banks and numerous other volcanic rock formations rise up hundreds of feet from the sea floor provide structure for living reefs and conditions similar to those found in Hawaii or the South Pacific. The eastward flowing Equatorial Counter Current and part of the Peruvian Current, most of which begins to veer west at the equator joining the South Equatorial Current now completes its westward migration at these latitudes, influence the tremendous growth of oceanic habitat and marine sea life. These major currents coupled with the contrasting depths provided by the islands and seamounts contribute to form immense upwellings and currents that produce boundless quantities of nutrients important to the growth of sea life. The tropical water temperatures in this zone are warm and constant from year to year allowing uninterrupted growth and development of the tropical aquatic environment and the resulting sea life.
The waters of Pacific Panama are heavily influenced by the strong confluence of currents that exist only in this region of the Pacific. The strong upwelling caused by the currents moving along this steep land mass push the thermo-cline very close to the surface and it is a major migration route for yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna as well as almost all other blue water pelagic game fish such as swordfish and marlin usually only found far from land. This translates into probably the most economically affordable big game fishing and catching from small boats to be found anywhere in the western hemishere. Here big sailfs, wahoo, roosterfish, tuna, cubera snapper and grouper can be found in aggregations not normally encountered elsewhere.
Black and blue marlin fishing is excellent here Dec. through Apr. with blues being least prominent. Striped marlin show up in March and the wahoo bite is on between Sep. and Dec..
INSHORE:
WEATHER: CONDITIONS   SEA TEMPERATURE  MARINE WEATHER    OCEAN WEATHER
LINKS:

TRAVEL:

Entry Requirements:
U.S. citizens must have a passport or proof of citizenship. A tourist card or visa is required.


HIV Test: Not required.


Vaccinations: None required.


Cholera: This disease is active in this country. Although cholera vaccination is not required for entry if arriving directly from the U.S. or Canada, it may be required if arriving from a cholera-infected area, or required for on-going travel to other countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, or Asia.

Dengue Fever: Endemic year-round, countrywide, with risk elevated during the rainier months (usually May through December). All travelers, however, should take measures to prevent mosquito bites.

Hepatitis: Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for nonimmune travelers. Hepatitis E status is unclear. The hepatitis B carrier rate in the general population is estimated at 0.7% to 1.4%. Vaccination against hepatitis B is recommended for long-term travelers.

Leishmaniasis: Scattered cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis occur countrywide in rural areas, but most cases are reported from the western or west-central areas. Visceral leishmaniasis not reported. All travelers should take measures to prevent sandfly bites.


Other Diseases/Hazards: Cysticercosis, filariasis (may occur in the extreme northeast), histoplasmosis (from exposure to bat guano), leptospirosis, mansonellosis (increased incidence in northwestern Darien), measles, paragonimiasis (from raw freshwater crabs or crayfish), rabies (currently a minor threat to humans; dogs account for most human exposure), tick-borne rickettsioses (spotted fever group), toxoplasmosis (usually transmitted by infective cat feces), tuberculosis (incidence declining), typhoid fever, viral encephalitis, and intestinal helminth infections, including strongyloidiasis, are reported.

Travelers' Diarrhea: Variable risk. All water sources outside major hotels should be considered potentially contaminated. A quinolone antibiotic is recommended for the treatment of diarrhea. Diarrhea not responding to antibiotic therapy may be due to a parasitic disease such as amebiasis or giardiasis. Cryptosporidiosis may occur.

Yellow Fever: This country is in the Yellow Fever Endemic Zone. Vaccination is recommended for travel to rural areas. No cases reported since the 1940s.
 

 
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