Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island

Dungonab Bay is a large sheltered inlet on the Sudanese Red Sea coast north of Port Sudan, with Mukkawar Island lying across its mouth, and UNESCO inscribed it in 2016 together with the Sanganeb atoll for reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove that are among the least disturbed in the Red Sea. Dugongs graze the seagrass, manta rays aggregate seasonally and turtles nest on the island's beaches. A pearl oyster fishery operated in the bay through much of the twentieth century, and the remains of its installations are still on the shore.

Highlights

• The seagrass beds - the grazing ground the dugongs depend on.
• The manta aggregation - the rays that gather seasonally in the bay.
• Mukkawar Island - the island across the bay mouth with its nesting beaches.
• The 2016 inscription - the UNESCO listing with the Sanganeb atoll.

When to go

November to April has the best conditions. Manta aggregations are seasonal and vary year to year. Summer heat on this coast is severe.

Things to know

There is no infrastructure and access is by boat from Port Sudan on arrangement. Dugong sightings are uncommon. Travel in Sudan requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

Mesharifa is within the bay, and Port Sudan is south.

Key facts