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Malindi-Watamu
Marine National
Park
Malindi and
Watamu Marine
National Park
are famous for
their vast
stretches of
casuarinas
fringed white
sandy beaches,
beauty and
diversity of
marine life
which lives just
off-shore on
Barracuda and
North Reef coral
reefs and Turtle
and Whale
Islands; which
is the nesting
ground for
roseate and
bridled terns
from June to
 September when
they should not
be disturbed and
are protected by
razor sharp
rocks and rough
sea.
Watamu Marine
National Park
and Reserve
encompasses the
Mida Creek
mangrove forest
where young
coral begins its
existence before
the tides take
it out to the
reefs beyond.
The forest roots
are rich in
fish, crabs,
prawns and
oysters and are
also excellent
for birdwatching.
Tewa Caves, near
the mouth of the
creek, are
partly
underwater where
Giant Groupers
(up to 800lbs)
co-exist with
many other
tropical fish
species.
The low tide is
best to make a
trip. Floating
slowly over the
coral beds you
get to see
brilliantly
coloured marine
fishes of
bizarre
shapes,spiny
fish urchins,
brightly hued
seas slugs,
crabs and
starfish.
Shore birds
include;
sanderlings,
curlew
sandpipers,
little stints,
whimbrel and
greenshanks and
three species of
plovers: grey,
great sand and
mongolian sand.
Non-breeding
visitors include
terns and gulls.
They are; swift,
lesser crested
and saunders'
little terns and
the sooty or
hemprich's gull.
On the mainland
Giant Monitor
Lizards, dik dik,
Antelope,
mongoose and
monkey species.
Mombasa Marine
National Park
Mombasa
Marine Reserve
was formed
first, to
protect the
previous
coralheads and
their resident
marinelife from
damage by
over-fishing and
trophy
collecting
(relics, shells,
coral etc).
Coral species
include:
branching (acropora),
encrusting (turbinaria)
and massive (porites).
The National
Park opened
recently with
the
 support of
local hoteliers
to prevent
further
stripping of the
natural
treasures from
the reef in
order to
preserve its
ecological and
tourist
attraction.
he Kenya
Coast a unique
tourist product.
Almost 47% of
Kenya's tourism
occurs here.
Nationally about
52% of the total
hotel beds are
at the coast,
and 95% of the
visitors to
Kenya use the
coast as a base
for inland
safaris.
The marine and
coastal
environments
include Indian
Ocean
territorial
waters and the
immediate
hinterland areas
that border the
ocean. Another
feature of the
coastline is the
fringing coral
reef which runs
between 0.5 km
and 2 km
off-shore with
occasional gaps
at the mouths of
rivers and the
isolated areas
facing the
creeks. The
shoreline is
dominated in
most areas by
beaches, cliffs
or mangrove
forests. The
coral-reef
system and
mangrove swamps
serve the most
important
ecological role
and the former
is a major
tourist
attraction next
to the sun, sea
and sand.
Kiunga Marine
National Reserve
Kiunga Marine
National Reserve
incorporates a
chain of about
50 offshore
islands and
coral reefs in
the Lamu
Archipelago,
running for some
60km parallel to
the coastline
off the northern
most coast of
Kenya and
adjacent to
Dodori and Boni
National
Reserves on the
mainland.
 Composed of old,
eroded coral,
the islands
mainly lie
inland around
2km offshore and
inshore of the
fringing reef.
They vary in
size from a few
hundred sq m to
100ha or more.
Their walls rise
sheer from the
surrounding
seabed and are
usually deeply
undercut on the
landward side.
The larger
islands and the
more sheltered
inner islands
are covered with
low, tangled
thorny
vegetation
including grass,
aloes and
creepers. The
small outer
islands provide
nest sites for
migratory
seabirds. The
reserve
conserves
valuable coral
reefs, sea grass
meadows and
extensive
mangrove
forests, with
their attendant
biodiversity and
is also a refuge
for sea turtles
and dugongs.
Activities at
the Kiunga
Marine reserve
include; Wind
surfing,
Snorkeling,
Water skiing,
Sunbathing,
Diving
Reptiles and
fish and other
marine life to
be seen at this
Kenya marine
reserve include
Sea Turtles,
Olive Ridley,
Leatherback,
Turtles, Reef
fish, Lobsters,
Sea urchins, Sea
star, Crabs,
Mosquito
Kisite and
Mpunguti Marine
Park and Reserve
Kisite and
Mpunguti Marine
Parks are
located on the
south coast off
Shimoni and
south of Wasini
Island in Kwale
District on the
south Kenyan
coast of Mombasa
near the
Tanzanian
border. Kisite
and Mpunguti
reserve covers a
marine area with
four small
islands
sur rounded by
coral-reef.
Kisite island is
a small
waterless coral
island, 8 km
offshore in the
Marine Park.
Coral platforms
around the
raised central
portion are
exposed at low
tide. The three
other coral
islets in the
park (Mpunguti ya Juu, Mpunguti
ya Chini and
Liwe la Jahazi)
lie closer to
the larger
Wasini Island,
are scrub
covered and
support no
significant
wildlife or
birds. The
surrounding
waters have well
developed coral
gardens and a
large variety of
fish.
Kisite is flat
and treeless,
covered in low
grass and herbs
while Mpunguti
Islands have
dense coastal
equatorial
forest. Sea
grasses cover a
large area of
the sub-littoral
zone of the
reef. |
