Sanctuary of the Green Turtle : Located in the coastal region of Kenya about 140 kilometres from Mombasa is Malindi town. It is the second biggest town after Mombasa and the Headquarters of Kilifi county. Town that grew from the ancient trade, the local people are the swahili predominantly the Giriama.The town on the Malindi bay at the mouth of River Sabaki on the shores of Indian Ocean kenya. Watamu Marine National park covering an area of 10 kilometres Square is well known for its natural beauty. Different from other National parks in kenya ,here you are not going to see the land animals like the big five, antelopes zebras and the likes but in this tour safari you’re exploring the richness of Kenya marine life in the Indian Ocean. Apart from Watamu National park and reserve there are other protected parks in the region ,governed by Kenya wildlife service such as Kisite Mpunguti marine Park, Malindi Marine National Park and Mombasa National Marine Park .This park is also home to the largest population of the green turtles was established in 1968 and was one of the first established Marine parks in Kenya.The coral gardens which are about 300 metres from the Indian Ocean shores hosts approximately more than 600 species of fish ,countless invertebrates and more than 110 stony corals. It is now recognised by UN as World Biosphere Reserve giving it a unique identity from other Marine Parks in the region. The green turtles, unique coral gardens and Gede ruins are what makes the watamu national park and reserve worth visiting anytime of the year.
Green turtles
The green turtles are the largest of all the hard shelled turtles but have relatively small head. They are unique among the sea animals in the sense that they are herbivores feeding only on sea grasses and algae. Green turtles are found all over the world. They nest in over 80 countries and live in the coastal areas of more than 140 countries .The green turtles were listed as endangered species because they were exploited for their fat, meat and eggs, causing global population declines.
Unique coral gardens
Watamu Marine park and game reserves being one of the coastal region where visitors can explore the richness of Indian Ocean marine life .This is one of the major attractions of the park, stretching for about 100 metres from the shores of the Indian ocean and hosts over 250 species of fish. It is very popular tourist attractions in the Kenyan North coast and very rich in Marine life with diverse bird life, fish and dugongs. This makes the park the best place for snorkelling, water skiing, windsurfing and glass Bottom Boat Rides in the blue warm Indian Ocean waters.
Gede ruins
This is a remains of a ancient Swahili town built in the coast of East Africa. The towns origins dates back to way back in the 12th century growing gradually through the centuries and with more people living there, the town flourished and grew rapidly reaching its peak in the 15th century. This wealth and richness of this ancient city is verified by the presence of Mosque, a Palace and house which are made from stone and one storey and are distributed evenly in the town Gedi’s architecture and an abundance of imported material culture including pottery, beads, and coins provide evidence of the city’s rising prosperity over the course of its occupation from as early as the eleventh century to its abandonment in the early seventeenth century. The Giriama ,one of the Mijikenda is main community around the Gedi ruins who view the site as a sacred and spiritual place. Despite changes in their belief system civilization and the prominence of Islam in the region, evil and ancestral spirits are thought by many to reside at Gedi. This makes the tourist decoder much of the unknown Mijikenda culture ,traditions and their early lifestyle.
Mida Creek
Mida Creek is a tidal stretch of about 32 km² from the sea into Arabuko Sokoke Forest. It is one of the major tourist attractions of the watamu marine national park and the most productive mangroves ecosystem in the world.It is an recognised international bird area and together with Arabuko Sokoke Forest forms a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is home to different species of birds such as Greater and Lesser sand plover, Crab plovers, Dimorphic Egrets ,Lesser Crested and Roasted terns, Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, and Greater and Lesser Sand plover among many other bird species and some of the migratory birds from Europe.
Mida Creek is also an important feeding and breeding grounds for green and Hawksbill turtles. Coral heads and the rich sea grass beds provide food in a sheltered area away from large predators.
Climate
The park lies in one of the warmest regions of Kenya. The Coast is humid with mean annual temperatures ranging from 22-34 C throughout the year.The Rainfall is about 500mm per annum .
Park Entry fee
Just like any other National parks of kenya ,there are chargeable park fee paid at the Gate entrance of the park as follows.
Adult Child
Citizen ksh 130 kshs 125
Residents kshs 130 kshs 125
Non residents 17USD 13USD
How to get there
Watamu National park can be accessed by road and is 120 kilometres north of Mombasa and 28 kilometres south of Malindi. At Gede, which is on the main Mombasa Malindi Road, you turn towards the Indian Ocean a distance of about 11kilometres from the main road is Watamu itself.
The Watamu marine national park can also be accessed by air ,Malindi airport is your arrival point.
The Best time to visit
While turtles hatching and nesting can be viewed all year round activity. The best time to visit Watamu marine national park and reserve is between the months of July to October when it is best for water sport activities like diving, windsurfing and snorkelling because at this season the water is very clean .
Things to do in Watamu Marine National park
Snorkelling
This entertaining activity for all ages makes Watamu Marine National park a perfect destination for a holiday family safari. This activity entails swimming with a help of snorkel and fins deep into the ocean water. Snorkelling allows one to explore the marine life in its natural undisturbed habitat just like a wild game drive safari. Some of the animals likely to be seen during snorkelling include a wide variety of tropical fish such as clownfish ,butterflyfish angelfish, starfish ,sea turtles, reef sharks ,dolphins among others.
Bird watching
The park is one of the recognized International bird area in the Kenya. Some of the area you are likely to see plenty of birds are : The mida Creek Dakatcha woodland, and the mouth of sabaki River. There are over 100 species of bird are found here.The most Commonly seen overhead is the Black Kite, whilst the Common Bulbul, White-Browed Coucal and Speckled Mousebird can be seen scuffling in the undergrowth. Bright Yellow Canaries and Golden Palm Weavers flash in the bush, whilst the Lizard Buzzard and the Lilac Breasted Roller are often seen perched on poles and wires.
Turtle watch
A visit to the Watamu marine national park offers a great opportunity to learn more about the turtles ,great work done to them ,their rehabilitation and releasing them back into the ocean. Their natural and undisturbed peace habitats and parks experience guides will provide more efficient and detailed information about endangered species.
Dolphins
This is one of the places, you’re likely to see dolphins in Kenya. There are two types of dolphins in the Kenyan Indian ocean .They are Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins and the Humpback dolphins. They are highly intelligent and social mammals living ,playing and even hunting in groups. Dolphins are being said to be as intelligent as apes and their large brains has been observed to be as similar as that of humans.
This is a region brimming with Tourist ,and one of the best tourist destinations in Kenya. This beautiful slice of the Kenyan Indian ocean provides a perfect getaway , from beautiful white sand beaches, Marine life ,water sport activities such as windsurfing, Diving ,Snorkelling, Scuba diving, Glass Bottom Boat Rides and wonderful variety of Hotels, Lodges, Resort and Cottages makes it one of the a must visit tour list in Kenya.
