Travel With Tamara | Kenya's Marine National Parks

Kisite Mpunguti Marine National Park and Reserve

The southernmost of Kenya’s marine parks, Kisite Mpunguti is known as home of the dolphin, with 70 resident dolphins and recorded sightings of over 140. The park has coral gardens, and three small coral islands surrounded by reef, making snorkelling and diving here particularly rewarding. Over 250 species of fish have been recorded here, as well as sea turtles, whales, octopus, clams, starfish and sea cucumbers. Kisite Island, designated an Important Bird Area, is vital for the conservation of habitats favoured by birds, and is particularly known as being a breeding site for roseate and sooty terns.

Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve

Stretching from Mombasa up the coast to Mtwapa, Mombasa marine national park is known for its popular beaches and water sports. Wind surfing, water skiing, jet skiing, kite surfing, snorkelling and scuba diving are all available here. The marine species found here are many and varied, and include crabs, starfish, stonefish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and turtles. Coral species include acropora, turbinaria and porites. Birds both nest here and pause here along the routes of their migrations; crab plover and roseate terns are frequently seen.

Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve

Best known for the bird species found here, Watamu marine national park has recorded sightings of over 100 species of bird. The most colourful birds frequently seen here are the bright yellow canaries, the Golden Palm Weavers, the Lizard Buzzard and the much photographed Lilac Breasted Roller. This small marine park lies within the perimeter of the larger Malindi marine national park. Marine life here includes the protected green turtles and the rare dugongs. Mida creek is fringed with the mangroves favoured by many species, particularly crab.

Malindi Marine National Park and Reserve

Known for its spectacular coral gardens, this large marine national park has a wealth of attractions. Fringing reefs, sea grass, mangroves and mudflats, while all lovely in their own right, have the added benefit of attracting a wide variety of marine species to them. Zebra fish, turtles and dolphins are all found here, as are many varieties of shorebirds. Trips in glass bottomed boats, diving, water skiing, wind surfing, snorkelling and bird watching are all popular here.

Kiunga Marine National Reserve

At 270km², this lovely marine national reserve is the largest in Kenya. The reserve includes around 50 islands, the best known of which are Lamu, Manda and Kiwayu. Extensive coral reefs and mangrove forests provide refuge for turtles, dugongs, lobsters, sea urchins, starfish and crabs amongst others. The dhows that cruise this attractive swathe of ocean look little different from those that plied the trade routes, passing through these waters over a millennia ago. Dhow cruises, wind surfing, water skiing and snorkelling are popular activities here.

Interview with two Kenya Wildlife Service officers in Kiunga Marine National Reserve:

What kind of habitat do you find in Kiunga Marine National Reserve?

• We have mangroves, coral and sea grasses. And a lot of fish species. The five species we’re trying to protect the most are dugong, shark, dolphin, tuna and turtle.
  

How do you protect such species?

• We patrol the reserve, and we don’t allow illegal fishing. People are allowed to fish with traditional gear, but they’re not allow to fish for the protected species, and they’re not allowed to trawl. And there’s no commercial fishing in the reserve. We also control the cutting of mangroves, so as to protect the marine habitat and the species that live in it.
  

What do you do, day to day?

• We’re based at Kokoni, on the mainland. Every day we patrol the marine reserve in a speedboat to make sure security is all right, and to protect the endangered species. Turtles nest on an island called Mongo Shariff, towards Kuinga; a group of KWS officers, funded by WWF, is stationed there. Together we protect the turtles. Tuna is also overfished, so we’re trying to control the fishing of tuna.
  

How did you get into this line of work?

• When we were kids, we wanted to go into conservation. You must have an interest in something to do it perfectly.