Mombasa Marine National Park | |
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Coordinates | 4°4′S 39°47′E / 4.067°S 39.783°E |
Area | 10 km2 (3.9 sq mi) |
Established | 1986 |
Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve is a marine park and national reserve in Mombasa, Kenya. The park is 10 km2 (2,500 acres) while the reserve is 200 km2 (49,400 acres).[1]
It is located on the coast near tourist areas and is a popular beach because of the snorkeling and diving; other activities include taking a boat ride, recreational fishing, windsurfing, water skiing, and viewing the other wildlife on land and underwater.[2] It is the most frequently visited of Kenya's marine parks. It has coral reefs in its waters. The reserve also provide a home to a variety of marine species including crabs, starfish, stone fish, cucumbers sea urchins, corals, turtles, sea grasses and migratory birds including crab plovers.[3]
The Marine park is characterized by warm tropical conditions varying at the surface between 25 °C and 31 °C during the year, stable salinity regimes and moderate nutrient levels.[4]