Sustainability efforts at Islas Secas might best be represented in numbers. The 14-island archipelago shelters 71 species of birds, 128 species of plants, and 750 species of fish, which is why Islas Secas is considered an environmentally protected area under Panamanian law - approximately 75% of the archipelago will remain undeveloped. One island only has sustainably designed infrastructure, built using environmentally-friendly construction methods and materials.

Islas Secas relies on a 300-meter-long solar array to provide 100 percent of its power, reclaims 100 percent of guest wastewater for irrigation, and recycles 100 percent of its food waste (dehydrated food scraps are used to create organic fertilizer).

On-property efforts to restore and maintain the archipelago’s delicate ecosystem have included growing native plants in an on-site nursery and planting thousands of endemic trees. The privately funded Islas Secas Foundation supports in-country scientific research, as well as marine and conservation organizations working in the Gulf of Chiriqui area, such as Wetlands International’s mangrove protection program, Panama Audubon Society’s environmental education program “Aulas Verdes,” Panacetacea’s humpback whale research, and MarViva’s marine protected area work.

As part of its community engagement, the Islas Secas Foundation also supports schools, social programs, and cultural festivities. Islas Secas is supporting the development of a whale education program for local children.

Responsible, immersive outdoor experiences include guided nature hikes to teach guests about fragile island ecosystems, reef-safe snorkeling trips, and educational marine safaris that encourage taking home new knowledge about how we can all embrace conservation in our lives. Several ongoing research projects offer guests a chance to don their citizen science Panama hats, including two avifauna monitoring programs - Magnificent Frigatebird nesting colony and eBird - in which they can participate.

Islas Secas collects data on area fisheries, biodiversity, geology, and other natural resources to help understand the region’s past, document the state of the current environment, and inform conservation actions for the future.