Watamu Marine National Park

Green turtles, unique coral gardens, the Gede Ruins – the Watamu Marine National Park & Reserve has it all. The park is part of a complex of marine and tidal habitats along the Kenya’s north coast with rich and diverse bird life, fish, turtles and dugongs. Visitors can enjoy the white sandy beaches, snorkeling, water skiing, windsurfing and glass bottomed boat tours.

The Marine Park and Reserve is renowned worldwide for its natural beauty and boasts a rich marine life. It is virtually impossible to snorkel without seeing at least a few dozen species inside the main reef; Some of the more commonly seen fish include parrotfish, Angelfish, groupers, filefish, lionfish and snappers are just a handful of the easily seen species within this superb, brightly colored underwater world.

What to see in Watamu marine national park

The Larder-The Larder is a collection of corals at the North end of the lagoon where boats can moor and is well-known for sightings of huge fish shoals – a great introduction to the Park.

The Coral Gardens-The Coral Gardens consist of a 100m stretch of coral heads at the edge of the lagoon where about 250 species of fish are found; this is the most popular spot for boat-based snorkeling trips.

The Turtle Reefs-The Turtle Reefs are probably one of the best dive spots with a great variety of fish species and forms an important protected area for divers when windy conditions make it unpleasant to venture beyond the reef. Just a few of the myriad of the marine creatures you can expect to see include Parrot-fish and Star-fish, Angelfish, Wrasses, Moray Eels, Sea-urchins, Anemones and Lobsters.

The Turtles-The beaches of the Watamu National Park are not only great for people to enjoy but are also an extremely important breeding ground for Turtles.  The beaches are very well patrolled and there are several programs in place to protect this national treasure. One of these is an incentive scheme to persuade fishermen who accidently catch Turtles in their nets to release their catch so that volunteers can measure and tag the endangered creatures.  In addition there is a Nest Monitoring Program and a Rehabilitation Centre for sick or injured Turtles as well as a Community Education System.  The area is chiefly a haven for nesting Green Turtles but there are increasing numbers of Olive Ridley and Hawksbill Turtles venturing into the area.

The Mida Creek Mangrove Forest-The Mida Creek Mangrove Forest is an important birding area and forms an essential habitat for many migrant waders from Palearctic areas such as North Africa, Europe and Asia.  The Mangrove swamps also function as a breeding and nursery ground for various fish species and are home to extensive sea grass beds.

Activities in Watamu marine national park

Big-game Fishing-Although big-game fishing is not allowed inside the Watamu National Park, the waters of the protected area form the perfect breeding grounds for numerous species  The waters off Watamu are one of the prime spots for big-game fishing along the African coastline and several types of Marlin, Sailfish, Swordfish and Spearfish can be found here.  There are several deep-sea charter companies to choose from and the conditions are perfect for both beginners and seasoned fishermen.  Several annual fishing competitions are held here during the December to March prime fishing season.

Bird Watching-The Watamu/Malindi area has five IBA’s (Important Bird Areas) for you to enjoy, including Mida Creek, Whale Island, Sabaki River Mouth and Dakatcha Woodland. The emphasis is on water birds and many Egrets, Terns, Sandpipers and Plovers can be seen as well as many more migrant birds such as Sunbirds, Warblers, Orioles, Shrikes and Flycatchers.

 Turtle Watch-If you would like to know more about the Turtles you can visit the Turtle Watch Centre and see the great work they are doing to protect these threatened creatures – if you are lucky you may see some hatchlings make their way to the ocean or a rehabilitated Turtle being released back into the sea.

The beaches at the Watamu National Park also offer plenty of activities for non-divers, including water-skiing in the Mida Creek, wind-surfing (including lessons), kite-surfing and sailing.  Or just do nothing at all but lie on the beautiful clean sand and soak up the African sunshine.  You can also enjoy Dolphin-watching, Horse-riding, cycling and golf near-by or enjoy a sunset cruise on a traditional Arabic Dhow

Accommodation in Watamu.

There is a good selection of accommodation options close to the National Park, including Hemingway’s Lily palm resort, jumbo hotel among others which is right on Watamu Bay, within the Marine Park