Mombasa Marine National Park

This is a marine park and the national reserve in Mombasa Kenya. The park is 10km while the reserve is 200km. it’s located on the coast near tourist areas and is a popular beach because of the snorkelling and diving. It’s the most heavily visited of Kenya’s marine parks. It has got coral reefs in its waters. The park was established as a marine park in 1989, and encloses part of the lagoon back reef and reef crest habitants of the Bamburi Nyali fringing reef. The park is characterised by warm tropical conditions varying at the surface between 25 and 31 degrees during the year, stable salinity regimes and the moderate nutrient levels.

There are the warm azure ocean, swaying coconut palms on white sandy beaches are to be found in the Mombasa Marine National park and the reserve. The park lies between the Mtwapa and Tudor creeks and its blue waters are ideal for wind surfing, water skiing, snorkelling, and diving. These provide a home to a colourful variety of marine species including crabs, starfish, stone fish, cucumbers sea urchins, corals, turtles, sea grasses and the interesting migratory birds including crab plovers.

Located in the city of Mombasa about 487 km from Nairobi, the park that can be reached by road from Mombasa city center , and then connected by boat from the various points along the beach which includes; Serena Gate on beach of serene Hotel, the severin Gate on beach of severin Hotel, travellers gate on beach of travellers hotel, Nyali Gate at Mombasa Marine park headquarters and Voyager gate at Voyager water sport area.

Sun bathing

This activity is mainly carried out at the beach and it’s mainly during summer time when the sun is out and people get to enjoy it.

Diving

The up close and personal adventure of diving on the reef is so exceptional. The running parallel to the shore for approximately two thirds of the park is the primary reef known as the North reef and at the southern end of the reef, you will find a large inlet coral Gardens. Just at the edge of the reef, you follow a drop that takes you to a depth of 30 to 40 feet were you find the sand covered once bottom that continues to slope gradually to the deeper waters of a channel.

Water skiing as well as wind surfing

Attractions

Vegetation

These include sea grasses and the Marine algae

Marine life

This includes crabs, corals, sea urchins, jerry fish, sea stars, and the sea cucumbers. The different varieties of the coral species comprise of Acropora, Turbinaria and porities.

Bird species

There are many sea birds in large nesting colonies and internationally significant numbers of crab plover and the roseate tern.