Mombasa Marine National Park is one of the national parks in Kenya that is visited by several visitors especially those who are interested in beautifying aqua life species that most of you think don’t exist on the whole of the African continent. Kenya is one of the eastern African countries with a coastline and therefore it features popular water species in Africa. The Mombasa National Park features several attractions such as palm trees, coral reefs, the marine line, the ocean especially the Azure Ocean, and many more species that international visitors who step into this park are wonderful how Africa could have such species of interest.
The park covers approximately 10 square kilometers while the reserve is about 200 square kilometers. the park is also close to one of the best and most beautiful beaches that provide the best grounds for diving and snookering experience. The Mombasa Marine Lake in Kenya is the most visited Marine Park because of the attractive coral reefs and its wonderful waters. These like Many other Kenyan parks are under the management and control of the Kenyan Wildlife Services. The park was established in the year 1986 and it is part and partial of the back reef, lagoon, and the reef crest habits of the Bamburi-Nyali fringing reef.
Climate
The Marine Park is characterized by warm tropical conditions varying at the surface between 25 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius during the year, stable salinity regimes, and moderate nutrient levels
Attractions found here
Marine life
There is a lot of marine life in the Mombasa National Park and these include Seagrasses, starfish, crabs, turtles, stone fish, sea urchins, sea cucumber, octopus, shark, dolphin, angelfish, butterfly fish, bottlenose dolphin, green sea turtle, parrot fish, hawksbill, humpback dolphin, leather black turtle, zebra fish, damselfish, spinner dolphin, and loggerhead fish are just a few of the marine life species that can be seen and enjoyed in the national park.
Beautiful coral reefs
Mombasa Marine National Park is home to breathtaking coral reefs that stretch across about 230 kilometers of the Kenyan coastline. Some of these beautiful beaches include Acropora, Turbinaria,and Porites. These coral reefs are food and shelter to cover millions of different marine species and thus play a precious rolein boosting the marine ecosystem. The reef comes in various unique shapes, stroking colors as well as sizes which are so lovely to look at. They include; the Acropora coral, oand pen-branched stag’s horn coral among others.
Birdlife
Mombasa National Park or Marine National Park features a lot of birds that can be seen at the sea. Some of these birds are migratory and they are mostly called roseate tern and the crab plover. you can also spot some of the bird species such as Osprey, Lesser Crested Tern, Gull-billed Tern, and Sooty Gull among others
Beautiful beaches
The park is surrounded by stunning beaches such as Nyali, Shanzu, Bamuri and Kenyatta public beaches
Historical sites
The park is situated near historic sites including Jumba Ia Mtwana, Fort Jesus, Haller Park, and Shree Jain Temple among others.
Tourist activities to do at Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve
Marine life viewing
Mombasa Marine National Park offers an incredible opportunity to observe a wide range of marine life. During your marine life viewing tours, you’ll encounter various species that thrive in these rich waters. You will be delighted with the astonishing views of beautiful colorful marine life species such as octopus, shark, dolphin, angelfish, butterfly fish, bottlenose dolphin, green sea turtle, parrot fish, hawksbill, humpback dolphin, leather black turtle, zebra fish, damselfish, spinner dolphin, Seagrasses, starfish, crabs, turtles, stone fish, sea urchins, sea cucumber and many more bird species among other interesting species.
Diving
Diving in Mombasa Marine National Park is truly an amazing experience. This beautiful spot is packed with great tourist attractions, making it a popular choice for visitors. The park offers fantastic places to explore underwater, including fascinating wrecks that you can dive into during the day or even at night. The requirement for you to do the diving activity can be hired through recognized companies.
Snorkeling tours
Snorkeling at Mombasa Marine National Park is an incredible experience that captivates both onlookers and those who take a dip in the water. It has become a must-do activity for countless visitors. During snorkeling, you will have the chance to explore the vibrant underwater world, where you can spot colorful sea turtles, stunning coral formations, and many other fascinating marine creatures while using masks and breathing tubes. This is a wonderful experience provided you know best how to do it. Even if you don’t know how to do it, the guides will help you to go through this wonderful experience.
Fishing
Mombasa Marine National Park is one of the best fishing destinations in Kenya. the park’s marine waters are home to a variety of different fish species. During your sport fishing tours, you’ll have the chance to catch fish species such as Crabs, Sea urchins, Starfish, Jellyfish, sea turtles, sharks, and dolphins among others.
Boat cruise trips
This is one of the amazing safari activities that can be done through the waters or the blue waters of the seas. Boat cruises at Mombasa Marine National Park can be done in the midmorning where you will pack your lunch and then you enjoy the boat rides while sailing on the water boat seeing wonderful species including the water birds. While on your boat cruise trip, you will have the chance to spot a variety of aquatic life species such as Corals, fish, sea turtles, octopuses and many others.
Sunbathing
Visitors to the marine park can relax under the sun, feeling the warmth on their skin and enjoying the gentle ocean breeze as they soak up the rays on the sandy beaches along the Indian Ocean.
Birdwatching
Bird watching in the park is one of the most exciting safari activities offered to visitors while on a Kenya wildlife adventure trip in Mombasa Marine National Park. The park is home to various notable bird species, especially water birds like crab plover, seagulls, pelicans, Sooty Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Lesser Crested Tern and Osprey which can be watched while cruising on the boat.
When is the Best Time to visit Mombasa Marine National Park?
You can visit Mombasa Marine National Park any time during the year, but the ideal months are June to December when they are migrating. The months of August through October are ideal for avid fishers. For snorkelers and scuba divers, the greatest time to see marine life is from October to March.
Where to stay in Mombasa Marine National Park?
There are a lot of accommodation facilities where you can stay when visiting the Mombasa Marine National Park. The accommodations available range from middle range to budget, and luxury accommodation facilities. Some of the accommodation facilities here include Sarova White Sands Beach Hotel and Spa, Cowrie Shell Beach Apartments, Swahili Beach Resort, Baobab Beach Resort and Spa, Southern Palms Beach Resort, Voyager Beach Resort, Hotel English Point Marina & Spa, Azul Margarita Beach Resort, Tulia House Backpackers, Cingaki Hotel, Akogo House, Mali Guest House among others.
How to Access Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve
The Marine National Park can be accessed by both air and road transport. From the Mombasa city center, you will use the boat to link to some beaches that act as the entry gates to the park and these beaches include Nyali Gate at the Mombasa headquarters, Serena Gate on the beach of the Serena Hotel, Travelers Gate on the beach of Travelers Hotels as well as the Voyager Gate at the Voyager water sports arena.
