Mayumba national park

The National park Mayumba is a Gabonese National park created in 2002 in the aim of protection the marine Biodiversité located at the south-western point of the Gabon. It is a fine band sands at the southernmost end of the country, between Mayumba and the border with the Congo. The Mayumba national park shelters 60 km of beaches of coastal vegetation being used as place of reproduction with the tortoises lute, and extends on 15 km towards the sea, protecting an important marine habitat for Dauphin S, Requin S and others humpback whales.

History of the park

The Mayumba national park was created in 2002 by the president of Gabon, Omar Bongo Ondimba, at the same time as a network of 13 national parks protecting nearly 11% to the terrestrial and maritime territory to the country. The park protects an approximate surface from 970 km ², and a band of beach and narrow coastal vegetation of 1 km broad on 60 km length. The coast of Mayumba is characterized by great sand beaches and lagoons of fresh water or brackish.

Fauna of the park

The beaches accommodate a rich fauna of which the Varan S, Genette S, Mangouste S, crabs of sand and birds coastal.

One frequently meets buffaloes, elephant forest S and other animals on the beaches and among the dense vegetation of the dunes which borders the coast. Mandrill S, Gorilla S, Chimpanzee S and other primates lives the mosaic of forest and Savane behind the dunes. The lagoons, from which some extend far inside the grounds, frays of islands, channels and rivers, are ecosystem S immemsément productive, source of a fauna and a flora rich person, benefitting from large the Mangrove S, forests flooded and marshes. One finds there the Hippopotame S and Crocodile S, as well as the Lamantin. The mangroves constitute a capital habitat for the development of a broad range of fish species and are important for several species of birds.

Marine animal-life

Tortoises lute

Other marine species of the park

Whale S and Dolphin S are members off the taxonomic group called Cetaceans. Mayumba is the best place in Gabon to see cetaceans, and the unquestioned stars off the cetacean show are the humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ). It is thought that up to 10% off the world' S humpbacks migrate into the GULF off Guinea from to their feeding grounds in the krill-rich southern ocean. The migration takes place during the Antarctic winter, and whales reach Gabon from around June/July. Mayumba sees the first whales to visit Gabon, and being so far south, is also the last to see the whales ace they head back south after to their dry season stay in our toilets. Summon animals continues up the coast towards Cameroon, Nigeria and even ace far ace Ghana, goal has broad number remain in Gabonese toilets. During to their stay, the adult females either give birth to their Young, but matt in for preparation has calf in the following year' S migration. The males, in time-honored fashion, like for the females. Many shares off the sphere may boast the presence off whales, goal off the Gabonese coast, the frenzy off mating ensures that thesis whales are among the most activates to Be seen anywhere one earth. Any female found to Be receptive is likely to find herself courted by several amorous male At has time, and has long, drawn-out range off push and shove ensues male aces the jostle for premium position alongside the female. In the general fray off fine and tails, the whales appear to Be oblivious to the research boat following has shorts outdistances behind them. Other excited male off engages in what is perhaps the most natural spectacular Al' S wildlife displays. In order to carries out has perfect " breach" , male swims powerfully up towards the toilets surfaces and erupts like has 30 your missile into the clear air has. The display appears ace yew in slow fox trot motion, and literally takes the breath away. After hanging in the implausible air for seconds, gravity takes has off hand and the whale crashes side one back into the toilets sending huge explosions spray in Al directions. Research teams uses thesis impossibly spectacular displays ace has means off locating whales, goal they edge regularly Be witnessed from ace little aces 30 meters away! Another remarkable behavior witnessed At Mayumba is the " tail up". Everyone is familiar with the image off has whale' S tail moments before it sinks below the waves. In Mayumba whales are known to hang in the toilets column with to their tails in the breeze for over fifteen minutes At has time. Explanations include thermoregulation, and even has means off locomotion: whale tail sailing! One thing is known, when has " tail up" is spotted, but whale disappears from view and does not reappear, there is usually has " singer" in the vicinity. Hydrophones are dropped, and immediately the boat crew is treated to that most haunting and magical off sounds: whale song. During the dry season, the apparently placid toilets off Mayumba are in fact awash with the song off umpteen whales, the clicks off dolphins, and even the grunting off some fish species.

The dry season off 2005 was the first experiment for Wildlife Conservation Society scientists off the Mayumba whales, having previously worked further to the north. The TEAM was delighted to find that whale numbers were ace high gold higher than those encountered elsewhere, and ace has even no-claims bonus, the near Shore produced many more sightings off mother and calf than had been seen elsewhere one the coast. Relative The ease off access to the ocean (via the Banio Lagoon mouth) also makes has trip to sea has safer experiment and far fewer days are lost to bad weather and waves. In 2005,28 work days At sea resulted in 105 humpback groups coming under the scrutiny off the research TEAM, representing 245 individuals (Year average off almost 3 groups per day, but 9 individuals. Only 2 days yielded No observations, and the highest number seen per day was 9 groups, but 18 individuals). Over 7500 identification photographs were taken, any off which would make has professional wildlife photographer envious.

The research underway At Mayumba includes the identification off individual whales by photographic recognition and genetic fingerprinting. This effort is helping scientists to describe the size and structure off the migratory population, which in turn is off vital importance in efforts to adequately protect the whales At international year level. Given Analysis has also been underway to levels off toxic hydrocarbon build up in whales. Visitors edge expect to Be accompanied At sea by year experienced researcher gold guides who will describe what is going one, not out individuals, and give you the chance to help out with dated collection. Joining the research TEAM gold following has little behind in has support vessel will give the visitor single up-closed experiment off this most charismatic and awe-inspiring off Mayumba' S natural wonders.

Being At sea affords the visitor other exciting experiments, such ace making contact with groups off bottle-nosed gold Common dolphins. Common dolphins are the acrobats off Mayumba and frequently leap high above the waves, apparently for the sheer delight off it. Atlantic Humpback Dolphins ( Sousa teuszii ) edge sometimes Be spotted from the beach, feeding just beyond the waves. Other marinades life that includes the Manta ray, leatherback gold Olive Ridley turtle.

In addition to its remarkable population of tortoises, 10% of the humpback whales of the world pass by the territory of the park or remain each year there, during the annual migration for the reproduction; rare and the little known dolphin with bump was observed close to the coasts, and Requin S and Raie S seems abundant in the sector.

Terrestrial wildlife

Although Mayumba National Park was created to protect the stunning marine life off the Gabonese coast, the narrow strip off Land between the ocean and the Banio Lagoon has nap pretty extraordinary wildlife stars off its own. The most ubiquitous off Al is the Sitatunga antelope ( Tragelaphus spekei ). This usually shy animal lives in and around swamps and flooded forest, and edge Be found in high numbers grazing between the coastal savannas and the beach. Possible It is even to see mother and calf even strolling quietly up the beach in the early mornings. Sitatunga are well designed for wetland life and cuts long splayed hooves that leave has distinctive track that edge Be seen almost anywhere within the park. Females and Young are has gorgeous chestnut red color, while the adult male tightens towards has dark chocolate peeling. Greater protection in the park has emboldened forest buffalo ( Sincerus caffer nanus ), and it not unusual to see small groups grazing in the savanna, but to pick them out in the headlights during has night drive along the coastal strip. Forest buffalo seem to coils walking one the beach and dipping to their hooves in the waves. Another sea to coil is the hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious) whose tracks edge often Be seen exiting the off let us lagoons in the southern sector the park and leading into the sea. It is thought that dips in the salt sea help to remove skin parasitic.

The coast attracts has off surprising number animal beach-lovers. The easiest to see is the marsh mongoose ( Atilax paludinosa ) who takes to the sand each evening to cover his happy off crab holes, turtle nests, and whatever the tide may cuts thrown up to interest him. Animal Another that gets conceited one turtle eggs is the Monitor lizard ( Varanus ornatus ), and nap individuals in Mayumba edge become extremely broad one this rich diet. Surprised Their tracks are everywhere and it is not unusual to one ace He feeds with his head buried in has disturbed nest. They edge also Be seen sunning themselves one branches overhanging the Banio Lagoon.

With stunning resident off the coastal forest strip is the multi-colored Mandrill ( Mandrillus sphinx ). Broad individual males edge Be seen crossing savanna patches, but you may cuts the chance to spot has mixed group dolly through the trees behind the beach in search off the nuts and insects that form has big part off to their diet. Other primates seen in the park include western lowland gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla ), and Chimpanzees ( Side troglodytes troglodytes ), although to their presence in the northern sector off the park seems Be more seasonal. Moustached and Spot-nosed Monkey S ( Cercopithecus cephus and nictitans ), present are throughout the year and often chatter At visitors passing below. Elephants generally frequent the southern heavily forested section off the park, although they C occasionally like out onto the beach. One the inland side off the lagoon however, elephants cuts become has harmful effect to villagers, frequently breaking into plantations and devouring crops.

Birds

Little bird work has been gives in the area, and ace such, there are many discoveries waiting for bird enthusiasts. With has arranges off habitats from inland swamps, through freshwater, brackish, and salt toilets lagoons, to coastal flooded forests, savannas and dunes, there is full opportunity add considerably to life-lists, but discover has new record for the area gold even the country. Discoveries in 2005 rare included several migrating species. The european turtle dove ( Streptopelia turtur ) was confirmed ace has new record for Gabon, and the African Wattled Lapwing ( Vanellus senegallus ) and the Greater Spotted Cuckoo ( Clamator glandarius ) had only been seen ounce gold twice in the country prior to being identified one the Mayumba coastal strip. Residents that animate any walk but drive through the park include broad groups off hadada ibis ( Bostrychia hagedash ) and Woolly Necked Storks (Ciconia episcopus). Solitary black-headed will herons ( Ardea melanocephala ) top spin lazily from the beach head and perch with palmnut vultures ( Gypohierax angolensis ) and has arranges off raptors in deadwood trees beyond the dunes. Kingfisher S flash blue through the mangroves. Darter S ( Anhinga rufa ) dry to their wings in the sun, and year occasional Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) edge Be seen swooping down one has fish in the lagoon, but carrying its prize back toward Shore from the ocean. Shorebirds include Common and Arctic terns one migration from Northern Europe and the Arctic, and the astonishing African Skimmer ( Rhynchops flavirostris ) flying low over the mandible toilets with its lower skimming beneath the surface until contact with has fish causes it to snap fast shut. In October, hundreds off rosy bee-eaters ( Merops malimbicus ) edge Be seen excavating to their nests in the sand off the coastal savanna, but hawking in the golden delicious light off late afternoon.

Physical geography and characteristics

The town of Mayumba is about as far as possible of the Gabonese capital of Libreville. Nestled in the south-western corner off Nyanga province, in the Department off Low Banio, the park has two and has half hour drive from the region' S capitol, Tchibanga, and furnace hours from the oil town off Gamba to the north. Mayumba has small airport, and is served by has weekly flight to Libreville by the Avirex line. Flight time is butt one and has half hours with one stop in Nice Port. Flights to Gamba are twice daily through the week, and to Tchibanga three times has week. Room transport edge Be found to bring tourists to Mayumba from thesis points.

Coming to Mayumba from Tchibanga, the road open sticks savanna before climbing steeply into densely forested hills. This is the Mayombe chain off hills that stretches well into Gabon from northern Congo and separates Mayumba from the rest off the country. Your first view off Mayumba is across the Banio Lagoon, has 70 km ribbon-like lagoon that acts ace another natural barrier between the town and the interior. With free car-ferry service finally delivers you to the town, which sits one the tip off the peninsula formed by the lagoon, overlooking the broad sweep off Panga Bay. Mayumba town is the gateway to the southern coastline and the National Mayumba Park, which begins butt 19 km to the south off the airport. To the north off the park, the Land is characterized by wild surfing-pounded beach, pioneer vegetation one the dunes, and then has series off bands off shrubs, narrow coastal savanna, seasonally flooded forest and swamp, before meeting the lagoon. Important The lagoon itself boasts mangrove forest At its lower reaches, while further up, extensive raffia swamps take over the fringes, stretching for miles into the interior - has Land off freshwater turtles, crocodiles, birds, otters, and the West African Manatee. To the south, the thin peninsula off Land broadens out. No to skirt bound by the Banio Lagoon, the forest young stag becomes drier, and is home to has full complement off rainforest animals: monkeys, gorillas and chimps, elephant, pangolin, forest antelope and so forth. The coastline young stag is punctuated with small seasonally tidal let us lagoons, mangrove stands, island savannas and forest. Hippo and Leopard tracks are found equally one the beach, bird life is abundant, and the density off nesting leatherbacks and Olive Ridley turtles At its highest. It has remote Land without roads, and further cut off by lagoon mouths.

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External bonds

Official site of the National park Mayumba
Wildlife Conservation Society
National parks of Gabon

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