Panama protects all five species of sea turtle found in its waters under Ley 371 of 2023. Catching, harassing or keeping them is banned, and MiAmbiente has warned of fines of up to US$9,000. Keep boats 100 m from dolphins under DM-0144-2022. Slow down in shallow bays, and never touch, feed or chase turtles, dolphins or rays.
What the law says
Ley 371 of 1 March 2023 is Panama's sea turtle law. It bans the capture, harassment, mistreatment, keeping, intentional fishing, retention and killing of sea turtles anywhere in the country. It also bans trade in turtles, eggs, hatchlings and turtle products. MiAmbiente leads enforcement, with ARAP on fishing bycatch and SENAN and the police in support. Ley 8 of 2008 also protects turtles. In 2025 MiAmbiente warned that interfering with turtles can bring fines of up to US$9,000.
Whales and dolphins come under MiAmbiente's Resolución DM-0144-2022. Keep 100 m from dolphins and 250 m from whales, with no circling, chasing or sudden changes of speed. Las Perlas has extra bans under Ley 18 of 2007: no shark or ray fishing, no turtle meat or eggs, and no harassing cetaceans.
Turtles on the water
Green, hawksbill, olive ridley, leatherback and loggerhead turtles all use Panamanian water. You meet them most in shallow seagrass and reef bays, such as Bocas del Toro, San Blas, Las Perlas and Coiba. They surface to breathe and are hard to see in a chop.
- Slow down in shallow water. Below planing speed you can see a turtle in time, and a strike does far less harm.
- Give them room. Don't chase, circle or try to touch a turtle, and don't let guests ride or hold one.
- If you hook one, don't pull it in by the line. Bring it alongside gently, cut the line as close to the hook as you safely can, and report it to MiAmbiente on 311.
- Nets and lines. Never leave fishing line or gear in the water; turtles drown in it.
Nesting beaches and lights
Some important nesting beaches are protected areas. Isla de Cañas Wildlife Refuge in Los Santos is one of the best-known olive ridley beaches. Playa Bluff in Bocas has its own small reserve. In 2024 MiAmbiente created the Saboga Wildlife Refuge in Las Perlas to protect turtle habitat.
MiAmbiente names light pollution as a main threat: it confuses nesting females and hatchlings heading for the sea. If you anchor off a nesting beach at night:
- switch off deck floodlights and spreader lights, and keep cabin lights shaded;
- don't land on the beach at night or shine torches at turtles;
- never pick up hatchlings or block their way to the water; MiAmbiente lists blocking hatchlings among the acts it fines.
Keep your anchor light on. It's required, and it's not the problem.
Dolphins
Bottlenose and spotted dolphins are common in the Bahía de Panamá, Las Perlas, the Gulf of Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro. The rule is 100 m, at slow speed, with no chasing, circling or cutting through a pod.
If dolphins come to ride your bow, that is their choice. Hold a steady course and speed, and don't turn into them or speed up to keep them there. Nobody goes in the water with them.
Crowding is the real problem. In Bocas, more than 30 boats have been reported around one small dolphin group in high season. If boats already surround a pod, don't add yours. The whale rules and their numbers are in whale-watching rules in Panama.
Rays, sharks and seabirds
- Rays rest on sandy bottoms in shallow bays. When you wade ashore, shuffle your feet so you don't step on one. Don't touch or chase mantas or mobula rays; let them pass.
- Sharks are protected in Las Perlas, where fishing for them is banned. In Coiba, whitetip reef sharks are part of the dive. Don't feed or bait them.
- Seabirds and shorebirds crowd the Bahía de Panamá's Ramsar mudflats and islands such as Isla Iguana. Keep wakes down and don't run close to nesting colonies.
- Feeding any wild animal from a boat changes its behaviour and is banned in protected areas. Don't throw food scraps over the side.
Where these animals live inside parks, the extra rules are in Panama's protected marine areas.
Brief your guests before the first sighting
Most wildlife trouble on private boats starts with an excited guest, not the captain. Before you leave the dock, tell everyone four things. Nobody jumps in near turtles, dolphins or whales. Nobody reaches out to touch an animal. Nothing gets thrown overboard, food included. And the captain decides how close the boat goes. Say it in Spanish too if you have Panamanian crew or guests. The bilingual guest safety briefing has a place to add it. On a charter the operator is responsible. On your own boat, you are.
Your practical starting checklist
- Slow below planing speed in shallow bays, seagrass and near nesting beaches.
- Keep 100 m from dolphins and 250 m from whales, and never chase or circle.
- Don't touch, hold, feed or ride turtles, rays or dolphins, and keep guests out of the water near them.
- Cut a hooked turtle's line close to the hook, and report it on 311.
- At night off nesting beaches, switch off deck floodlights but keep the anchor light on.
- Bring all fishing line and rubbish home.
Frequently asked questions
Are sea turtles protected in Panama?
Yes. Ley 371 of 2023 bans capturing, harassing, keeping or killing sea turtles, and trading their eggs or products. MiAmbiente has warned of fines of up to US$9,000.
How close can a boat get to dolphins in Panama?
100 m under Resolución DM-0144-2022, at slow speed and without circling or chasing. If they come to the bow, hold course and speed.
What do I do if I hook a turtle?
Bring it alongside gently. Cut the line as close to the hook as you safely can, don't pull it aboard by the line, and report it to MiAmbiente on 311.
¿Qué pasa si molesto a una tortuga marina en Panamá?
La Ley 371 de 2023 prohíbe capturar, acosar o retener tortugas marinas. MiAmbiente advierte multas de hasta 9,000 dólares. Las denuncias se hacen al 311.
En español: tortugas marinas, delfines y embarcaciones
La Ley 371 de 2023 protege a las tortugas marinas en todo el territorio nacional. Prohíbe su captura, acoso, maltrato y cautiverio, y el comercio de huevos y productos. El Ministerio de Ambiente advierte multas de hasta 9,000 dólares. Navegue despacio en bahías poco profundas y pastos marinos, no persiga ni toque a las tortugas, y apague los reflectores de cubierta frente a playas de anidación. Mantenga 100 metros de distancia de los delfines (Resolución DM-0144-2022). Para reportar una tortuga herida o enredada, llame al 311.
The next question to answer
Distances, speeds and time limits for cetaceans. Read Whale-watching rules in Panama.
Who to call about a hurt turtle, dolphin or whale. Read Reporting injured marine wildlife.
The shallow habitats where turtles and rays feed. Read Mangroves and seagrass.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Responsible Dolphin and Sea Turtle Encounters.
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- Panama sea turtle law, Gaceta Oficial 29730-A, 1 March 2023 (Ecojurisprudence copy) ↗
- TVN: MiAmbiente warns of fines up to US$9,000 for interfering with turtles (Ley 371 of 2023), July 2025 (secondary, press) ↗
- MiAmbiente: citizen reporting for marine ecosystems (311, webchat) ↗
- La Estrella de Panamá: national turtle committee and light pollution, Aug 2026 (secondary, press) ↗
- TVN: MiAmbiente cetacean rules (100 m dolphins, no circling or chasing), Aug 2025 (secondary, press) ↗
- Ley 18 of 2007, Las Perlas: shark, ray and turtle bans (Justia copy) ↗