Ras Mohammed National Park

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Jolanda and Shark Reef on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula

Ras Mohammed ( Arabic محمية رأس محمد, DMG Maḥmiyyat Raʾs Muḥammad ) is the name of a national park in Egypt . It is located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula and in the immediate vicinity of the tourist stronghold Sharm El-Sheikh . The Saudi islands of Sanafir and Tiran are also part of it.

history

By law, the Egyptian government established the national park in 1983, which is officially called Ras Mohammed Marine Protected Area .

Surname

Seen from the sea, the highest rock at the southern end of the cape shows a resemblance to a male head. The local fishermen then gave the rock the name Ras Mohammed, which means something like head of Mohammed. In ancient times the headland was called Poseidon by Roman sailors .

View from the rock of the Shark Observatory over the national park, in the background the Gulf of Suez
The barren landscape of Ras Mohammed

location and size

Ras Mohammed is the southernmost point of the Sinai Peninsula. Ras Mohammed represents a small peninsula, which is connected to the Sinai by a headland. This has a width of approx. 800 m and a length of approx. 3.5 km. The small peninsula itself has a length of approx. 5.1 km and a maximum width of approx. 3.5 km. The area is a single block of fossil coral that has been raised. The highest point has a height of 73 m. Ras Mohammed divides the Gulf of Aqaba from the Gulf of Suez and thus divides the Red Sea. By land, the distance from the southernmost point, Shark Reef , to the tourist stronghold of Naama Bay is 37 km.

Flora and fauna

Due to the low amount of precipitation and the year-round high air temperatures, the vegetation is extremely sparse. Nevertheless, there are 80 plant species in the national park. The dominant plants are acacias and doum palms. Mangroves grow in the Mangrove Channel on the southwestern tip of Ras Mohammed. These are the second northernmost on earth. The mangrove is an ecosystem that has adapted to life in the tidal range of tropical coastal landscapes. Only at Nabq , a little north of Sharm El-Sheikh , there are more northern deposits. The national park is inhabited by 220 bird and 14 mammal species. At the southern end of the park, the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) can often be seen in the evening . The osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) is a species of bird that is also common in the national park. In late summer, thousands of white storks make a stopover on their way to East Africa .

  • Mangrove Channel

Marine life

Typical underwater reef in Ras Mohammed

Ras Mohammed has the greatest biodiversity of marine life in Sinai . Large schools of fish can be seen especially on the southern tip of the headland. Parrotfish can be found permanently on the reefs . One of the most common representatives are the rust parrotfish ( Scarus ferrugineus ) and the long-nosed parrotfish ( Hipposcarus harid ). Other common reef inhabitants are surgeonfish ( Acanthurus sohal , Zebrasoma veliferum and Naso hexacanthus ) and tilefish ( Anthias scuamipinnis ) and soldier fish , the largest representative of sargocentron spiniferum ( Sargocentron spiniferum is). It can reach a length of approx. 50 cm. The big fish among the reef inhabitants are the giant moray ( Gymnothrax javanicus ), which can reach a length of 3 m and a weight of 30 kg, and the napoleon fish ( Cheilinus undulatus ), which can weigh almost 200 kg. The lionfish ( Pterois volitans ) and the ray lionfish ( Pterois radiata ) are particularly graceful reef inhabitants . Both move slowly and elegantly through the reef in search of food. The lionfish show little escape behavior because they are armed with poisonous spines on the dorsal fin. The poison is said to be extremely painful. The giant triggerfish ( Balistoides viridescens ) is feared by divers because of its aggressiveness. During the breeding season, the fish will attack anything that approaches its clutch. The bite of the powerful jaw can cause serious injury. On the western side in the Gulf of Suez and in the Marsa Bareika one can often find blue- spotted rays ( Taeniura lymma ) and sea ​​turtles (Cheloniidae). Among the pelagic fish one can find barracudas , eagle rays , tuna fish (Thunnus). Sharks (Selachii) are rarely seen in the national park.

  • Blue spotted rays

  • Hunting ray lionfish seen from behind

  • Big thorn hussar fish

  • Reef with Anthias

  • The crown of thorns is a predatory starfish that can cause lasting damage to the reefs

  • Napoleon fish

  • Sea turtle

environment

The Ras Mohammed National Park is relatively heavily polluted despite its protection status. Above all, the underwater flora and fauna suffer considerably from the ever increasing diving tourism. In the past, anchor buoys were installed to protect the reefs so that the submersibles would not anchor on the reef. However, the sheer amount of divers and the sometimes inappropriate behavior damage the reefs. In order to compensate for this burden, the administration has introduced restricted areas. The Mangrove Channel and the small island facing the sea is one such, two more are further north in the Bay of Marsa Bareika . Furthermore, no anchor buoys were installed at several dive sites - but they can be dived from land. However, in times of package tourism in the region, this has become increasingly unpopular, which means that these areas are automatically protected. In addition, the government commissioner for South Sinai allowed local fishing in the national park again in May 2011. This constitutes a violation of the legal regulations of the protected area. The reason for this measure is the frequent occurrence of a species of snapper (Lethrinus nebulosus) , which is highly valued by fishermen. In 2010, the region around Sharm El-Sheikh and Ras Mohammed was a frequent target of shark attacks on people. These attacks have already resulted in serious injuries and one death among vacationers. According to experts, the attackers are whitetip deep-sea sharks ( Carcharhinus longimanus ), which usually avoid coastal waters. The trigger for this unusual behavior is probably the illegal disposal of sheep carcasses in the Ras Mohammed National Park.

Diving

The national park's reefs have made it a popular diving destination for divers from Sharm El-Sheikh and the surrounding resorts.

Camping areas
Aqaba Beaches

Well-known dive sites are:

  • Shark Reef (shore and boat dive)
  • Shark Observatory (shore and boat dive)
  • Jolanda Reef (shore and boat dive)
  • Old Quay (shore dive)
  • Aqaba Beaches (Shore Dive)
  • Camping Area (shore dive)
  • Jack-Fish-Alley (boat dive)
  • Ras Zatar (boat dive)

The Shark Reef and Jolanda Reef are located directly on steep reef walls that drop up to 800 m deep. Due to the particularly strong current at this point, you will encounter numerous species of fish and a unique coral world . The Jolanda Reef was named after a cargo ship named, declined in 1980 here and its cargo - mainly toilet bowls - is still divided on the reef.

literature

  • Shlomo Cohen: Red Sea Diver's Guide, SeaPen Israel, 3rd edition 1991
  • Shlomo Cohen: Red Sea Diver's Guide Volume 2, SeaPen Israel, 1994
  • Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency: National Parks of Egypt - South Sinai Sector
  • Helmut Debelius : Fish Guide Indian Ocean, 1993

Web links

Wikivoyage: Raʾs Muḥammad National Park  - Travel Guide

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.wikivoyage.org/de/Ra%CA%BEs-Mu%E1%B8%A5ammad-Nationalpark
  2. ^ Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency: National Parks of Egypt - South Sinai Sector
  3. ↑ Helmut Debelius: Fish Guide Indian Ocean, 1993
  4. ↑ http://www.dive-hive.com/aktuelles/2011/05/fischen-im-nationalpark-ras-mohammed-wieder-erlaubt-entteilung-des-regierungs-vertreters-im-sud-sinai/
  5. ↑ http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/haiangriff-im-roten-meer-das-war-eine-toedliche-kettenreaktion-a-733096.html
  6. ↑ Shlomo Cohen: Red Sea Diver's Guide. Volume 2, SeaPen Israel, 1994

Coordinates: 27 ° 45 ′ 0 ″  N , 34 ° 14 ′ 0 ″  E