Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park was established basically to protect the scenic Islands and the habitats of a variety of endemic marine animals.
The Park is situated on the southern coast of Kenya near Shimoni and south of Wasini Island in Kwale District near the border with Tanzanian covering an area of 11 square kilometers well as the Mpunguti reserve covers an area of 28 square kilometers.
The Park reveals a beautiful landscape and it is one of the most rewarding snorkeling destinations at the coast however from the Park, visitors will still get involved in many other luxurious and interesting activities that will make your stay in Kenya an unrivaled one such as; boat cruises where you will get spectacular views to the nearby surrounding beautiful Islands, diving, sunbathing, bird watching and many more others.
The Park covers an area with beautiful small Islands surrounding it such as; Mpunguti ya Juu Island, Mpunguti ya Chini Island, and Liwe la Jahazi Island of which they lie close to the larger Wasini Island and the surrounding waters have well developed coral gardens and a large variety of fish.
Marine life is in abundance such as; trigger fish, moray eels, angelfish, butterfly fish, groupers, parrotfish, wrasses, scorpion fish, puffer fish, damselfish, rays, snappers, green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles, and dolphins.
Humpback whales and whale sharks are seasonal which can be best spotted during their migration time from July to October.
There are currently around 250 varieties of marine fishes and over 40 varieties of coral species documented in Kisite-Mpunguti.
The dolphins at Kisite-Mpunguti are usually very playful and they often come quite close to the dhows and also visit the marine park almost on a daily basis and it’s possible to jump in from an engine powered boat and take a swim with the dolphins for a limited amount of time.
However though in Kisite – Mpunguti Humpback whales and whale sharks are seen seasonally (July to October), but in the nearby Shimon caves and Nyuli reef large marine life such as sharks are common sights.
Therefore, for visitors who will visit the Park in other months where sharks and humpback whales are not present, they can opt for those nearby places to enjoy their marine safari perfectly.
However, fishing is not allowed in the marine park but deep sea fishing lovers can travel further out into to the Pemba channel to catch large barracudas, marlin, sailfish and kingfish.
For the visitors who are not fans of diving and snorkeling can also visit Kisite-Mpunguti marine national park because the surroundings are so beautiful and it is indeed wonderful to spend a day on the sea and maybe see some dolphins playing in the Indian Oceans deep blue waters.
There are good self catering accommodations within the Park such as; Mpunguti special campsite honeymooners, and Shimoni bandas among others.
