Gorgona is a Colombian island in the Pacific Ocean situated about 50 km off the Colombian Pacific coast and part of the municipality of Guapi in the Cauca Department. The island is about 9 km long and 2.5 km wide, with a maximum height of 338 m; with an area of 26 kmē. It is surrounded by numerous smaller stacks and keys. Gorgona is separated from the continent by a 270 meter deep underwater depression. The island functioned as a prison (similar to Alcatraz Island) until 1985 when it was turned into a National Natural Reservation Park noted for a large number of endemic species resulting from its isolation from the American continent.
The island is best known for the yearly visit humpback whales pay its shores from August to October accompanied by their newborn. Gorgona is also a snorkeling and diving paradise. The islands dense rainforest has been isolated for thousands of years from the mainland, and gives shelter to some unique species like the Blue Lizard of Gorgona.
