Watamu Marine National Park And Reserve Entry Fees

In this article, we will focus on Watamu Marine National Park And Reserve Entry Fees. The Watamu Marine National Park is 120 kilometres North of Mombasa. The park was designated as a protected area in 1968 and is a UN World Biosphere Reserve.

With an international reputation for its white sandy beaches and reef-protected lagoons with abundant fish life and spell-binding coral gardens, Watamu Marine Park and Reserve is an excellent example of a pristine, marine-protected area. Located on Kenya’s north coast, the Protected Area is home to some of Kenya’s famous “Marine Big Five”. These include; Whales, Dolphins, Sea turtles, Sharks and Rays. Watamu hosts the humpback whale migration, the marine part of the double natural phenomena, which occurs simultaneously with the annual wildebeest migration dubbed “The Twin Migration”.

Key attractions to this Marine Protected Area include; Sea turtles, dolphins, whales, coral gardens, Mida Creek, gede ruins, and the adjacent Arabuko Sokoke Forest, the largest coastal forest in East Africa.

The Mida Creek and Whale Island host over 200 species of local and Migrant birds, including the Osprey, Eurasian Golden Oriole, White-throated Bee-eater, Black Cuckoo-shrike, African Pygmy Kingfisher Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Grey Plover, Greater and Lesser Sandplover, Dimorphic Egrets and Roseate Terns. The Roseate and Bridled Terns nest on Whale Island between June and October, with 1,500 pairs of Roseate Tern having been counted. The Mida Creek is best explored and discovered by shows for the best sunset shots while gazing at flamingos and juvenile green sea turtles if you are lucky.

Watamu Marine National Park Activities

Visitors can enjoy sunbathing, diving, deep sea sport fishing, watersports, glass bottom boat rides, snorkelling, bird watching, canoeing, nature adventure, and dolphin watching. Whale watching is only available during the humpback whale migration. Dolphin watching is best from October to early April.

To access the Protected Area, visitors will be required to hire a boat(s) from Community and Private boat owners operating therein. The charges are determined by the boat owners depending on the excursion and the number of clients.

Watamu Marine National Park And Reserve Entrance Fees

High Season (July–February)

EAC Citizen/Resident (Ksh) Charges
Adult Ksh 300
Child/Student Ksh 150
Rest of Africa (US$)
Adult USD 15
Child/Student USD 5
International Visitors (US$)
Adult USD 25
Child/Student USD 10

Low Season (March–June)

EAC Citizen/Resident (Ksh) Charges
Adult Ksh 200
Child/Student Ksh 150
Rest of Africa (US$)
Adult USD 15
Child/Student USD 8
International Visitors (US$)
Adult USD 20
Child/Student USD 10

Watamu Marine National Park And Reserve Contacts

Park Contacts: +254 20 2335459, +254735789779, +254735786129

Email: watamumarinepark@kws.go.ke

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