Mangroves Marine Park

The Mangroves Marine Park protects the estuary where the Congo meets the Atlantic: a system of mangrove channels, islands and mudflats covering around seven hundred and seventy square kilometres, designated a Ramsar site in 1996 and the only marine protected area in the country. Manatee are present in the channels, sea turtles nest on the outer beaches, and the mudflats hold large numbers of migratory shorebirds. Boats work in from Muanda through the mangrove creeks.

What you'll find

• The mangrove channels - a network of creeks and islands in the estuary, worked by boat.
• The mudflats - exposed at low water, holding migratory waders in numbers.
• The manatee - West African manatee present in the channels, rarely seen but resident.
• The turtle beaches - nesting sites on the outer shore, monitored by the park.

When to go

May to September is the dry season, calmest for the boats and best for the shorebird passage. Turtle nesting runs through the cooler months. Tides govern access into the channels more than the season does.

Practical notes

There is essentially no infrastructure and everything is arranged in Muanda with local boatmen and the park. Manatee sightings are rare and should not be expected. Pollution from the oil industry affects parts of the estuary.

Nearby

Muanda is the base town, and Boma is upriver.