Caribbean Sea

The western Caribbean extends off the coasts of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Rivers descend from the mountains to a humid shore of lagoons, islands and mangroves. To the south, the Bocas del Toro archipelago shelters Almirante Bay and Chiriquí Lagoon behind a chain of islands. Beyond the coast, the Caribbean current carries water westwards across the basin, connecting the waters of the Antilles with Central America.