Panamic Green Moray: The Reef's Big, Watchful Eel

The Panamic green moray is the heavyweight of our local eels — a large, muscular moray, greenish-brown and often speckled, that holds court in reef crevices. Seeing a big one framed in its den is a genuine thrill. Here's how to spot one snorkeling near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Panamic Green Moray · Gymnothorax castaneus

How to spot the panamic green moray near Jacó

Look into larger holes and ledges on the rocky reef for a thick-bodied eel's head, greenish-brown and sometimes finely mottled, resting in the opening. The Panamic green moray is bigger and bulkier than the jewel or zebra moray. Keep a respectful distance and never put hands near its den.

5 fun facts about the panamic green moray

• A true heavyweight. It's one of the largest morays of the Eastern Pacific, with big individuals growing to around five feet long.
• The green is partly a coat. Its skin is often coated in a yellowish mucus that, over a dark body, can give morays their characteristic green cast.
• Second jaws in the throat. Like all morays, it has a hidden second set of jaws that lunge forward to pull prey back into its throat.
• A keen nose. With tiny eyes and poor eyesight, it hunts mostly by an excellent sense of smell, tracking fish and octopus after dark.
• Watchful, not aggressive. It looks fierce but simply guards its den; bites happen only when it's cornered or a hand invades its hole — so we keep our distance.

The panamic green moray is just one of many characters down there. See the whole cast in our Snorkel Jaco fish directory, or read real guest photos and reviews on the Snorkel Jaco reviews.