Gorgona National Nature Park
Gorgona is a small paradise of diversity and a privileged spot for scientific research located 35 km. from the Colombian Pacific coast. The island is also of cultural and historical value having been the site of a pre-Columbian settlement back in the 13th century BC, a haven for pirates and privateers and for having been a prison site from 1960 to 1983. Following the closure of the penitentiary, the island was declared a Nature Reserve and National Park in 1984.
85% of its territory is covered by tropical rainforest and contains several endemic species of birds, reptiles, fish and invertebrates. Gorgona Island boasts thirteen species of coral, a great biodiversity of molluscs and crustaceans, sharks (whale shark, white fin, hammerhead), rays, barracudas, dolphins, porpoises, sperm whales, swordfish and groupers. Its coral reefs provide an excellent mating and reproduction ground, which encourages annual visits by humpback whales.
The high rainfall of Gorgona gives rise to a high number of waterfalls that flow seawards, mainly on the east of the island, totaling 25 brooks in the drier months and 75 in the rainy season.
The only people living in the Park are a small community of National Park guards, volunteer park guards, researchers and residents working in the ecotourism facilities in the area.
Most of the inhabitants in the buffer zone are of African descent, whose main activities are fishing and picking mangrove cockles (small molluscs used in traditional dishes). They have a rich culture and musical tradition – the best schools and handicraft centres for the well known musical instrument “marimba de chonta” (T.N. jungle piano) are found in Guapi – and a tasty regional cuisine.
