Hara Mangrove Forest

The Hara forest fills the shallow channel between Qeshm and the mainland with grey mangrove, growing in salt water and exposed mudflats, covering an area of several hundred square kilometres and protected as a biosphere reserve and Ramsar site. Small boats run through the tidal channels between the trees, which is the only way to see it, and the timing matters entirely: at high tide the boats can move among the canopy, at low tide the mudflats are exposed and the roots stand clear. It is important for birds, with herons, egrets, flamingoes, waders and terns, and the mudflats support a fishery and traditional collection of shellfish. The trees drop their leaves in a way that feeds the whole system.

What you actually see

• Tidal channels through mangrove - boat routes between the trees.
• Exposed root systems at low tide - the structure holding the mud.
• Herons, flamingoes and waders - the birds the reserve is protected for.
• Local fishing and shellfish collection - the working use of the flats.

When to go

November to March for temperature; birds are most numerous in winter. Half a day, timed to the tide, which determines what you can see. Boats are arranged at Laft or Khamir and prices are negotiated.

Honest expectations

Boat operators vary and some run engines fast through the channels, which is bad for the birds and for the experience; agree a slow trip. Timing to the tide is essential and easy to get wrong. There is no shade on the boats. Litter in the channels is visible.

Nearby

Laft village is on the Qeshm shore; Bandar Khamir is on the mainland side.