Watamu Marine National Park is located about 90 miles (140 km) to the north of Mombasa, Kenya’s second-largest city in Kenya. Watamu Marine National Park, which was first created in 1968. The park is located in Malindi Mombasa in Kilifi County, and its gardens are about 300 metres (980 feet) from the sea.
The park’s habitat includes marine and tidal habitats, amazing green turtles, coral reef gardens, and a white sandy beach; as a result, the carol reefs are the habitat’s support system. There are more than 150 species of hard and coral reefs in the park, which are home to approximately 600 species of fish and 110 species of stony fish. Watamu Marine National Park has water that is 20 degrees Celsius from June to November and 30 degrees Celsius from December to May. Kenya Wildlife Service protects. Watamu Marine National Park in 1979, the park was planned as a biosphere reserve.
Attractions in Watamu Marine national park.
The park includes a variety of attractions that both add to its allure and draw in more visitors.
Coral Gardens.
The most well-liked location for boat-based snorkeling in the park is the coral gardens, a 100-meter stretch of coral heads at the edge of the lagoon where at least 250 kinds of fish can be discovered.
Turtle Reefs.
These are some of the top dive sites with a variety of fish species. Turtle reefs also provide protection for divers when it’s too windy to venture outside the reef. The starfish, parrotfish, lobsters, anemones, moray eels, wrasses, sea urchins, and other unusual marine life can all be found here.
Turtles Watch.
For turtles, the park is the ideal breeding ground. Programs that incorporate beach patrols effectively conserve this resource. The Community Education System Programme, the Rehabilitation Centre, and the Nest Monitoring for the injured or ill turtles are some of the other programmes. One of the programs is an incentive plan that asks fishermen to net back the turtles that are mistakenly caught. Although nesting Green turtles are the primary inhabitants of the area, other turtle species like Olive Ridley and Hawksbill Turtles are also expanding their populations there.
Mida Creek Mangrove Forest.
It is known as one of the world’s most beneficial mangrove ecosystems and is a popular safari destination for both local and migratory birds from Asia and Europe. The open parts of Mida Creek, a tidal inlet with various ecosystems impacted by tide, serve as breeding and feeding grounds for numerous fish species, including snappers, rabbit fish, jacks, barracudas, and emorys. In Mida Creek, there are 333 different types of seaweed and 11 different species of sea grass, which vary in number and distribution. Both mangroves and sea grasses collect sediments that are advantageous to corals and offer the ideal habitat.
Larder.
The larder is a group of reefs in the north where ships can moor; it is well-known for its enormous fish shoals.
White Sandy beach.
Tourists are drawn to Watamu National Park’s stunning white sand beach because it contains a variety of colourful fish, coconut palm trees, calm, and warm water. The ideal spot to relax after a safari excursion is a white sandy beach.
Variety of fish species.
Whale sharks, green sea turtles, angle fish, sword fish, spear fish, sailfish, marlin, damsel fish, batfish, porcupine fish, wrasse fish, lion fish, octopus, drummer fish, and many more marine species can be found in Watamu Marine National park.
Bird species.
A few of the bird species found in Watamu Marine National Park that are over 100 bird species that includes the common bulbul, African Pygmy Kingfisher, White-throated Bee-eater, Black Cuckoo-shrike, white-brown coucal, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Osprey, golden palm weaver’s and among others.
Gede Ruins.
Gede Ruins are the remains of a Swahili village from the 12th century that was mysteriously abandoned some 600 years ago. To the experienced, the ruins are now a national museum. The ruins are heavily overgrown with lovely native forest trees, baobabs, and tamarind, giving the mind room to envision the magnificence of the village at its height.
Activities to do in Watamu Marine National park.
Snorkeling.
Without a doubt, the Carol reefs and the sea gardens are the highlights of the Watamu Marine National Park. Here, you can see more than 150 species of soft and hard corals, as well as sponges, brain corals, and fan corals, which together attract more than 1000 different species of fish. The clear water also provides excellent visibility for snorkelers, and there are more than 20 top dive sites just 30 minutes offshore for scuba divers to explore and dive in.
Big- game Fishing.
These protected waters of Watamu are among the best places for game fishing along the African coastline, and fish like sailfish, marlin, spearfish, and swordfish can be found here. There are deep-sea charter companies to choose from, and the setting is ideal for both beginning and experienced fishermen. Fishing competitions are held from December to March, which is the best fishing season.
Bird watching.
Watamu Marine National Park is a birding haven with over 100 bird species. The four key bird watching destinations in Watamu Marine National Park are Whale Island, Mida Creek, Dakatcha Woodland, and Sabaki River Mouth. While the park’s focus is on water birds, where countless Egrets, Plovers, Sandpipers, and Terns can be seen, it also has migrant birds like Warblers, Flycatchers, Shrikes, Sunbirds, and Orioles that are specifically seen on birding safaris. And among many others Golden Oriole, White-throated Bee-eater, Pygmy Kingfisher, Speckled Mousebird, Common Bulbul and among others.
Diving.
Due to ocean conditions, diving is seasonal, with the best diving occurring from November to April. The diving reefs are characterized by soft corals, with many fish to view and nudibranchs being reasonably abundant.
Glass bottom boat rides.
This enables you to watch some of the park’s hundreds of species of fish without being soaked. Schools of colourful fish dart among the lush coral, and you may even see dolphin and sea turtle pods in the park.
Experience of marine life.
Watamu Marine National Park is home to a variety of marine life, from little fish to larger ones, such as whale sharks, green sea turtles, swordfish, angle fish, and marlin crocodile fish.
Water surfing.
Sport of surfing is also practiced in Watamu Marine National Park on the shores of the ocean. An athlete, commonly known as a surfer, begins at a particular distance from the shore and advances closer to it while standing on a surfboard and using the waves as propulsion.
Scuba diving.
The sport of planning and leaping on water skis is also practiced in Watamu Marine National Park. In the park, picnicking is another stunning Kenya safari activity that is done.
Best Time to visit Watamu Marine national park.
Due to its proximity to the equator, Watamu is warm all year round. The greatest months for diving, snorkeling, and fishing are from October to April, but turtle nesting and hatching occur all year long.
Where to stay in Watamu Marine National park.
During their safari, visitors to Watamu Marine National Park can stay in a variety of accommodations, including budget, mid-range, and luxury hotels. These include, Temple Point Resort, Villas Watamu Resort, Garoda Resort, Mapacha Village, and many others.