Mayumba National Park
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| Mayumba National Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
| Location: | Gabon |
| Nearest city: | Mayumba |
| Area: | 870 km² |
| Established: | 2002 |
| Governing body: | Gabon National Parks |
Mayumba National Park is a national park dedicated to the protection of marine life located at the southwestern tip of Gabon. It is a thin tongue of sand in the extreme south of the country, between Mayumba and the Congo border. Mayumba National Park shelters 60 km of leatherback turtles nesting beach and coastal vegetation, and stretches for 15 km out to sea, protecting important marine habitat for dolphins, sharks, and migrating humpback whales.
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[edit] Mayumba National Park
Mayumba National Park was created in 2002 by Gabon's president, Omar Bongo Ondimba. A network of 13 national parks protects nearly 11% of the country's land and waters.
Mayumba National Park protects an area of coastal sea of approximately 900 km², and a narrow 1 km x 60 km strip of beach and coastal vegetation. The Mayumba coastline is characterized by long exposed sandy beaches and extensive freshwater, tidal or brackish lagoons. The beaches support a rich shoreline fauna including monitor lizards, genet, mongoose, ghost crabs and shore birds. Buffalo, elephant and other forest animals are frequently found on the beaches and amid the dense dune vegetation that fringes the coast. Mandrill, gorilla, chimpanzee, and other primates inhabit the forest-savannah mosaic behind the dunes. The lagoons, several of which are extensive and extend for many miles inland, laced with islands, channels and rivers, are immensely productive systems supporting a wealth of fauna and flora, much of which takes advantage of major mangroves, flooded forests and swamplands. Hippopotamus and crocodile are found here, as well as the rare and threatened West African manatee. Mangroves are critical developmental habitat for a wide range of coastal fish species and are important for many bird species.
Gabon is likely to play host to the single largest population of nesting leatherback turtles in the world each year between November and April. Upwards of 550 females may come ashore in a single night in the 80 km from Mayumba town to the border with Congo; in places a density of over 20 females per kilometre. The protection of critically endangered leatherback turtles is one of the main reasons the Park was created. Research has estimated that approximately 30,000 nests were laid just along Mayumba’s beaches during the 1999 – 2000 nesting season.
In addition to its notable turtle population, Mayumba sees almost 10% of the world’s humpback whales pass through or remain in its waters each year on their annual breeding migration; rare and little-studied humpback dolphins have been found close to the coast, sharks and rays appear to be abundant in the area, and bony fishes are also found in large numbers.
[edit] Geography and physical features
The town of Mayumba is about as far as it is possible to get from the Gabonese capital of Libreville. Nestled in the south-western corner of Nyanga province, in the Department of Basse Banio, the park is a two and a half hour drive from the region's capitol, Tchibanga, and four hours from the oil town of Gamba to the north. Mayumba has a small airport, and is served by a weekly flight to Libreville by the Avirex line. Flight time is about one and a half hours with one stop in Port Gentil. Flights to Gamba are twice daily through the week, and to Tchibanga three times a week. Local transport can be found to bring tourists to Mayumba from these points.
Coming to Mayumba from Tchibanga, the road crosses open savanna before climbing steeply into densely forested hills. This is the Mayombe chain of hills that stretches well into Gabon from northern Congo and separates Mayumba from the rest of the country. Your first view of Mayumba is across the Banio Lagoon, a 70 km ribbon-like lagoon that acts as another natural barrier between the town and the interior. A free car-ferry service finally delivers you to the town, which sits on the tip of the peninsula formed by the lagoon, overlooking the broad sweep of Panga Bay. Mayumba town is the gateway to the southern coastline and the Mayumba National Park, which begins about 19 km to the south of the airport. To the north of the park, the land is characterized by wild surf-pounded beach, pioneer vegetation on the dunes, and then a series of bands of shrubs, narrow coastal savanna, seasonally flooded forest and swamp, before meeting the lagoon. The lagoon itself boasts important mangrove forest at its lower reaches, while further up, extensive raffia swamps take over the fringes, stretching for miles into the interior – a land of freshwater turtles, crocodiles, birds, otters, and the West African Manatee. To the south, the thin peninsula of land broadens out. No longer bound by the Banio Lagoon, the forest here becomes drier, and is home to a full complement of rainforest animals: monkeys, gorillas and chimps, elephant, pangolin, forest antelope and so forth. The coastline here is punctuated with small seasonally tidal lagoons, mangrove stands, island savannas and forest. Hippo and leopard tracks are found equally on the beach, bird life is abundant, and the density of nesting leatherbacks and Olive Ridley turtles at its highest. It is a remote land without roads, and further cut off by lagoon mouths.
[edit] Marine turtles
Once a year, a miraculous invasion takes place on the beaches of Gabon.
Out in the vast expanse of the mid-Atlantic, adult leatherback turtles spend most of their lives swimming in surface waters, feeding on jelly-fish. However, once a year some of these animals begin a migration towards breeding grounds, the only place where the sexes ever interact. After breeding, male turtles are free to return to the open ocean. Female leatherbacks however, turn themselves to face land and swim towards the shore, beginning one of the most astonishing and mysterious life-cycles in nature.
By early November, the rainy season is well under way in Gabon. The days are hot and sticky and the nights are punctuated with thunder storms. The changing weather brings an explosion of energy and production from wild plants and animals following the dry-season. At about this time, female leatherback turtles, heavy with eggs, approach the coast of Central Africa. Leatherbacks nest on both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coasts of Africa; however, of all the nesting sites on the African continent, it is Mayumba that attracts the greatest numbers. Like a magnet, Mayumba appears to draw leatherbacks along the equator until they reach land. This feat of navigation remains a mystery to scientists, although it is believed that turtles are sensitive to the earth's magnetic field.
Female leatherbacks are thought to nest between 3 and 6 times per season. However, they are only likely to breed once every 2 to 4 years. Females select exposed beaches lacking in reefs and other obstacles. Crawling ashore at night to avoid dangerous day-time temperatures, they lumber up the beach and dig their nest chambers in the sand.
Dark, moonless nights with a rising tide are the best times to see nesting turtles, but any time during the peak months should reward the visitor with a wonderful nocturnal experience.
[edit] Whales, dolphins, and other marine life
Whales and dolphins are members of the taxonomic group called cetaceans. Mayumba is the best place in Gabon to see cetaceans, and the unquestioned stars of the cetacean show are the humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). It is thought that up to 10% of the world's humpbacks migrate into the Gulf of Guinea from 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 as they head back south after their dry season stay in our waters. Some animals continue up the coast towards Cameroon, Nigeria and even as far as Ghana, but a large number remain in Gabonese waters. During their stay, the adult females either give birth to their young, or mate in preparation for a calf in the following year's migration. The males, in time-honored fashion, come for the females. Many parts of the globe may boast the presence of whales, but off the Gabonese coast, the frenzy of mating ensures that these whales are among the most active to be seen anywhere on earth. Any female found to be receptive is likely to find herself courted by several amorous males at a time, and a long, drawn-out game of push and shove ensues as the males jostle for prime position alongside the female. In the general melee of fins and tails, the whales appear to be oblivious to the research boat following a short distance behind them. Other excited males engage in what is perhaps the most spectacular of all nature’s wildlife displays. In order to execute a perfect "breach", a male swims powerfully up towards the water surface and erupts like a 30 ton missile into the clear air. The display appears as if in slow motion, and literally takes the breath away. After hanging in the air for implausible seconds, gravity takes a hand and the whale crashes side-on back into the water sending huge explosions of spray in all directions. Research teams use these impossibly spectacular displays as a means of locating whales, but they can regularly be witnessed from as little as 30 meters away! Another remarkable behaviour witnessed at Mayumba is the "tail up". Everyone is familiar with the image of a whale's tail moments before it sinks below the waves. In Mayumba whales are known to hang in the water column with their tails in the breeze for over fifteen minutes at a time. Explanations include thermoregulation, and even a means of locomotion: whale tail sailing! One thing is known, when a "tail up" is spotted, or whale disappears from view and does not reappear, there is usually a "singer" in the vicinity. Hydrophones are dropped, and immediately the boat crew is treated to that most haunting and magical of sounds: whale song. During the dry season, the apparently placid waters off Mayumba are in fact awash with the song of umpteen whales, the clicks of dolphins, and even the grunting of certain fish species.
The dry season of 2005 was the first experience for Wildlife Conservation Society scientists of the Mayumba whales, having previously worked further to the north. The team was delighted to find that whale numbers were as high or higher than those encountered elsewhere, and as a bonus, the near shore produced many more sightings of mother and calf pairs than had been seen elsewhere on the coast. The relative ease of access to the ocean (via the Banio Lagoon mouth) also makes a trip to sea a safer experience 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 of the research team, representing 245 individuals (An average of almost 3 groups per day, or 9 individuals. Only 2 days yielded no observations, and the highest number seen per day was 9 groups, or 18 individuals). Over 7500 identification photographs were taken, any of which would make a professional wildlife photographer envious.
The research underway at Mayumba includes the identification of individual whales by photographic recognition and genetic fingerprinting. This effort is helping scientists to describe the size and structure of the migratory population, which in turn is of vital importance in efforts to adequately protect the whales at an international level. Analysis has also been underway to determine levels of toxic hydrocarbon build up in whales. Visitors can expect to be accompanied at sea by an experienced researcher or guide who will describe what is going on, point out individuals, and give you the chance to help out with data collection. Joining the research team or following a little behind in a support vessel will give the visitor a unique up-close experience of this most charismatic and awe-inspiring of Mayumba's natural wonders.
Being at sea affords the visitor other exciting experiences, such as making contact with groups of bottle-nosed or common dolphins. Common dolphins are the acrobats of Mayumba and frequently leap high above the waves, apparently for the sheer delight of it. Atlantic Humpback Dolphins (Sousa teuszii) can sometimes be spotted from the beach, feeding just beyond the waves. Other marine life that includes the manta ray, leatherback or Olive Ridley turtle.
[edit] Terrestrial wildlife
Although Mayumba National Park was created to protect the stunning marine life of the Gabonese coast, the narrow strip of land between the ocean and the Banio Lagoon has some pretty extraordinary wildlife stars of its own. The most ubiquitous of all is the Sitatunga antelope (Tragelaphus spekei). This usually shy animal lives in and around swamps and flooded forest, and can be found in high numbers grazing between the coastal savannas and the beach. It is even possible to see mother and calf pairs strolling quietly up the beach in the early mornings. Sitatunga are well designed for wetland life and have long splayed hooves that leave a distinctive track that can be seen almost anywhere within the park. Females and young are a gorgeous chestnut red colour, while the adult males tend towards a dark chocolate pelage. Greater protection in the park has emboldened forest buffalo (Sincerus caffer nanus), and it not unusual to see small groups grazing in the savanna, or to pick them out in the headlights during a night drive along the coastal strip. Forest buffalo seem to love walking on the beach and dipping their hooves in the waves. Another sea lover is the hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious) whose tracks can often be seen exiting the lagoons in the southern sector of the park and leading into the sea. It is thought that dips in the salt sea help to remove skin parasites.
The coast attracts a surprising number of animal beach-lovers. The easiest to see is the marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosa) who takes to the sand each evening to cover his beat of crab holes, turtle nests, and whatever the tide may have thrown up to interest him. Another animal that gets fat on turtle eggs is the monitor lizard (Varanus ornatus), and some individuals in Mayumba can become extremely large on this rich diet. Their tracks are everywhere and it is not unusual to surprise one as he feeds with his head buried in a disturbed nest. They can also be seen sunning themselves on branches overhanging the Banio Lagoon.
A stunning resident of the coastal forest strip is the multi-colored mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx). Large single males can be seen crossing savanna patches, or you may have the chance to spot a mixed group travelling through the trees behind the beach in search of the nuts and insects that form a large part of their diet. Other primates seen in the park include western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes), although their presence in the northern sector of the park seems be more seasonal. Moustached and Spot-nosed monkeys (Cercopithecus cephus and nictitans), are present throughout the year and often chatter at visitors passing below. Elephants generally frequent the southern heavily forested section of the park, although they do occasionally come out onto the beach. On the inland side of the lagoon however, elephants have become a nuisance to villagers, frequently breaking into plantations and devouring crops.
[edit] Birds
Little bird work has been done in the area, and as such, there are many discoveries waiting for bird enthusiasts. With a range of habitats from inland swamps, through freshwater, brackish, and salt water lagoons, to coastal flooded forests, savannas and dunes, there is ample opportunity add considerably to life-lists, or discover a new record for the region or even the country. Discoveries in 2005 included several rare migrant species. The european turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) was confirmed as a new record for Gabon, and the African Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus senegallus) and the Greater Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) had only been seen once or twice in the country prior to being identified on the Mayumba coastal strip. Residents that animate any walk or drive through the park include large groups of hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) and Woolly Necked Storks (Ciconia episcopus). Solitary black-headed herons (Ardea melanocephala) lift lazily from the beach head and perch with palmnut vultures (Gypohierax angolensis) and a range of raptors in deadwood trees beyond the dunes. Kingfishers flash blue through the mangroves. Darters (Anhinga rufa) dry their wings in the sun, and an occasional osprey (Pandion haliaetus) can be seen swooping down on a fish in the lagoon, or carrying its prize back toward shore from the ocean. Shorebirds include Common and Arctic terns on migration from Northern Europe and the Arctic, and the astonishing African Skimmer (Rhynchops flavirostris) flying low over the water with its lower mandible skimming beneath the surface until contact with a fish causes it to snap fast shut. In October, hundreds of rosy bee-eaters (Merops malimbicus) can be seen excavating their nests in the sand of the coastal savanna, or hawking in the golden light of late afternoon.
