Mombasa Marine National Park

It is situated in Kenya’s second largest city (Mombasa) whereby the park covers an area of 10 square kilometers (2,500 acres) well as the reserve is 200 square kilometers (49,400 acres) by total area.

It is located on the coast near tourist areas and is a popular beach consisting of coral reefs in its waters and offers various amazing activities such as snorkeling and diving, and it is therefore the most heavily visited marine Park in Kenya.

It is situated about 485 kilometers southeast of Nairobi (Kenya’s capital) with a vegetation of mangroves, sea grasses and sea weeds.

It was established as a Marine Park in 1986 and encloses part of the lagoon, back reef and reef crest habitats of the Bamburi-Nyali fringing reef.

The Marine Park is characterized by warm tropical conditions varying at the surface between 25°C and 31°C throughout the year, stable salinity regimes and moderate nutrient levels.

The park lies between the Mtwapa and Tudor Creeks and its blue waters are ideal for wind surfing, water skiing, snorkeling, swimming and diving.

The waters also provide a home to a colorful variety of marine species including crabs, starfish, stone fish, cucumbers sea urchins, corals, turtles, sea grasses and interesting migratory birds including crab plovers.

Kenya’s reef and lagoons also prove popular with the endangered green, hawksbill, loggerhead, Ridley and leatherback sea turtles. Dolphins too are regular visitors to the area (spinner, humpback and bottle-nosed) and can be encountered singly or in schools, above and below the waves.