Kisite Marine National Park/font |
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Kisite Marine National Park
At the southernmost point of Kenya's 500-km coastline lie some of East Africa's most colourful coral gardens. Located 4-8 km. out to the sea from Shimoni and next door Wasini Island, noted for its coral gardens, the Kisite Marine National Park is beautiful and intact.
The entire Marine Park is in shallow water. It can be reached easily, by motor boat or traditional dhow, from Shimoni. The Kisite coral reefs are estimated to be 3-4 km. long running along the near and outer edges of the reefs from Mpunguti Islands to the tiny coral island of Kisite itself. The reefs at Kisite and Mpunguti Marine National Park are scientifically important habitats, one of the most complex eco-systems on this planet.
A large number of coral varieties have so far been identified including: staghorn, brain, mushroom and pencil species which are easy to goggle over but deep enough to avoid damage from human contact. The sheer numbers of fish (more than 250 species recorded) feeding around the coral is an amazing sight. Kisite is a feast of colour and movement with eye-catching coral fish including butterfly, parrot, rockcod, angel fish and rays.
Dolphins are common, as are big shoals of bonito and frigate mackerel. Nearby, Shimoni is home to many families of porpoises which cruise in and out of the Kisite Marine Park and are frequently seen in the channel between the mainland and Shimoni. "Shimo" means hole or cave in Kiswahili and historically these caves were used by smugglers and slavers. Some caves have freshwater springs flowing into the sea reputed to come from Kilimanjaro, 100 miles inland.
National Parks & Reserves at Kenya's Coast
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