Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve

Watamu National Park is part of a complex of marine and tidal habitats on Kenya’s north coast stretching from Malindi town to beyond the entrance to Mida creek. It is enclosed by the Malindi Marine National Reserve which also encloses Malindi Marine National Park.

Habitats include inter-tidal rock, sand and mud; fringing reefs and coral gardens; beds of sea grass; coral cliffs, platforms and islets; sandy beaches and Mida Creek mangrove forest.

The park was designated as a Biosphere reserve in 1979. Mida creek is a large, almost land-locked expanse of saline water, mangrove and inter-tidal mud.

Watamu National Park

Its extensive forests are gazetted as forest reserves and the extreme western tip of Mida Creek is part of the Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve.

Contact detailsPO Box 4, Hola Tel: +254 (0)46 2035 www.kws.go.ke

Contact person

Senior Warden

Location

Coast Province

Distance from Nairobi

350 km east of Nairobi and 240 km north of Mombasa

Size

171 square km

Park fees

Go to www.kws.go.ke or contacttour operator.

Climatic conditions

The climate is generally hot and dry

Major attractions

Tana River Primate National Reserve

River Tana; Tana River Primate National Reserve is a mixtureof savannah and riverine forest; game viewing; bird watching;endangered primate watching

Wildlife

Grevy’s zebra, the Maasai and reticulated giraffe, oryx, buffaloand lesser kudu. The river hosts plenty of crocodile and hippo,and the variety of water birds is not to be missed. Endemicred colobus and mangabey monkeys are found here.

Access

Road: The reserve is accessible via the Malindi-Garissa road. Located 250 km north of Mombasa on the Malindi to Garissaroad.

Accommodation

Campsites, Bandas, Trails

Best time to visit

All year round

Activities

Walking, game viewing, bird watching, primates watching

Grevy’s zebra,

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