See also : "La Méduse" Shipwreck

Banc d'Arguin National Park is on the Atlantic desert-coast of Mauritania, midway between Nouakchott in the south and Nouadhibou in the north, approximately 150 km south-south-east of Nouadhibou.
The park extends from Cap Timiris in the south, includes the Ile de Tidra, Ile d'Arguin and Cap d'Arguin to Pointe Minou in the north.
There is an isolated extension at Cap Blanc. The boundary extends a maximum of 60 km into the shallow sea and inland by 35 km into the Sahara desert.
Situated in Nouadhibou and Azefal provinces. 19°21'-21°51'N, 16°00'-16°45'.

The Park was created on June 24th, 1976 by Decree No. 74 176/P/G and established in 1978.
The wetland area was designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1982.
Two outlier satellite reserves, Baie du Lévrier Integral Reserve on Cap Blanc and Cuevecillas Integral Reserve on the Côte des Phoques, were added in 1986. The national park decree provides all protective, legal and administrative mechanisms for the region. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1989.

Area : 1,200,000ha ; 50% marine and 50% terrestrial (the Ramsar site covers 1,173,000 ha).
Land Tenure : Government
Altitude : 5 m below sea-level to 15 m

Physical Features : The park provides a unique example of a transition zone between the Sahara Desert and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a vast area of islands and coastline, largely composed of windblown sand of Saharan origin, together with a large expanse of mudflats, with particularly well developed tidal flats in the vicinity of Tidra Island.
Of the 15 named islands there are several up to 1 km wide and 5 km long, the largest, Isle of Tidra is 8 km by 35 km.
The coastal waters between Cap Blanc and Cap Timiris are very shallow, and only reach 5m deep at low tide even up to 60 km offshore . Maximal tidal range at spring tides is 2 m and at some neap tides is 0.6 m.
The arid inland component mainly comprises areas of sand hills and cliffs rising to 15 m.
The 3,100 ha mangrove swamp in the park is a relict of a previous humid geological period when Banc d'Arguin was a vast estuary mouth for rivers flowing from the Sahara. A marsh of 7,400 ha runs for 37 km along the eastern shore of the Isle of Tidra and other expanses are found next to Cap Timirist and either side of the mouth of the bay of Saint-Jean.

Climate : Extrapolations from the weather stations at Nouakchott and Nouadhibou are difficult due to the large difference in latitude. The area is of great meteorological interest with a contrast between the coastal, 'desert cold' and hot continental climates. Strong winds up to 8 m/sec, have been reported. Rainfall is irregular and very low with an average of 34 mm-40 mm per year. Temperatures are fairly similar all year, with a mean monthly minimum in December of 8°C and maximum in September of 34°C (Monod, 1977).

Vegetation : The park lies at the junction between the Afrotropical and Palaearctic biogeographic realms. The vegetation of the sandy coastline, mudflats and islands is represented by halophytic species such as Salsola baryosma, Salicornia senegalensis and Suaeda fruticosa.
The dunes are dominated by Stipagrostis pungens, Cornulaca monacantha, Euphorbia balsamifera and Calligonum comosum.
The terrestrial component of the park is represented by a Saharan vegetation with a limited Mediterranean influence. Tree species include Acacia raddiana, Balanites aegyptiaca, Maerva crassifolia and Capparis decidua.
Herbaceous species include Panicum turgidum, Cassia italica, Pergularia tomentosa and Heliotropium bacciferum.
In total there are some 1,400 ha of mangrove swamp Avicennia africana on emergent mud-banks and a further 1,700 ha in bays on the mainland.
These are the most northerly stands of mangrove on the eastern shore of the Atlantic and represent relicts from the period when the coastal oueds carried fresh water from the Sahara.
There are also a few specimens of Conocarpus erectus mangrove.
Shallow water vegetation comprises extensive seagrass beds of Zostera noltii, Cymodocea nodosa, Halodule wrightii and various seaweeds, covering a total area of between 600 to 800 sq.km and favourable habitat for the reproduction and development of fish.

Fauna : Of the estimated seven million wading birds which use the Atlantic flyway, approximately 30% spends the winter at Banc d'Arguin, which hosts the largest concentration of wintering waders in the world and one of the most diversified communities of nesting piscivorous birds in the world.
At least 108 bird species have been recorded, representing both Palaearctic and Afrotropical realms.
Wintering shorebirds number over three million and include hundreds of thousands of black tern Chlidonias nigra and flamingo Phoenocopterus ruber, ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula, grey plover Pluvialis squatarola, knot Calidris canutus, redshank Tringa totanus and bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica.
The area is one of the most important wintering grounds for European spoonbill Platalea leucorodia leucorodia.
Breeding birds include white pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus, reed cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus, gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica, Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspian, royal tern Sterna maxima and common tern Sterna hirundo, together with several species or subspecies with an African distribution, such as endemic heron Ardea cinerea monicae and spoonbill Platalea leucorodia balsaci and western reef heron Egretta gularis.

Mammals include Dorcas gazelle Gazella dorcas, jackal Canis aureus, fennec fox Fennecus zerda, sand fox Vulpes rueppelli, sand cat Felis margarita, ratel Mellivora capensis and striped hyena Hyaena hyaena.
Marine mammals regularly recorded include killer whale Orcinus orca, Atlantic hump-backed dolphin Sousa teuszii, common dolphin Delphinus delphis, rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis, bottle-nosed dolphin Tursiops truncatus, and Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus. Fin whale or common rorqual Balaenoptera physalus and common porpoise Phocoena phocoena have also been sighted.
A small population of about 150 monk seal Monachus monachus is found at Cap Blanc, near Nouadhibou.
Four species of turtle frequent the area : green turtle Chelonia mydas, loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta, Hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata, and leatherback Dermochelys coriacea.
Fish are one of the most important components of the fauna. The shallow tidal flats act as important breeding and nursery areas.

Cultural Heritage : Archaeological sites of the Neolithic period and vestiges of the Almoravide civilisation are found on a number of the islands.
The local people, the Imraguen or Amrig, relate many of their customs to the natural environment. Even their name literally means 'the ones who gather life'.
Imraguen tribesmen still maintain their age-old life styles, based almost exclusively on harvesting the migratory fish populations using traditional sailing boats.
Fishing techniques, unchanged since first recorded by 15th century Portuguese explorers, include the unique symbiotic collaboration with wild dolphins to catch schools of grey mullet.

Local Human Population : The 500 or so Imraguen tribesmen live in seven villages within the park, but are dependent on water supplies collected outside the boundary. They base their economy on subsistence fishing using traditional methods. Use of the area by nomads is decreasing due to the area becoming more desertified. The "Baie du Levrier" and the harbour of Nouadhibou have become important bases for international fishing fleets.

Visitors and Visitor Facilities : The area was closed for access up to 1986 and considered unsuitable for large-scale tourism.

Scientific Research and Facilities : The earliest research dates from the 1950s. Past research has focused on ornithology and oceanography, including inventories of species, study of the phytoplankton biomass, and studies of the reproductive biology of white pelican.
The Netherlands Ornithological Mauritanian Expedition of 1980 gathered comprehensive data on waders, crustacea, and other fauna.
Surveys of the monk seal population were undertaken by D. Marchessaux for the WWF/IUCN from 1985 until his death in 1988.
Publication of the results of flora collections by Monod have been proposed.
A field station is based at Cap Iouik (Iwik). It is equipped for six persons and has three Zodiacs, one motor launch, and a radio station for both broadcasting and receiving. It is accessible by four-wheel drive, motor launch or light aircraft.
The Netherlands authorities, already supporting a major research programme, may supply the park with a sea-going vessel to act as a fishery patrol boat and a research vessel, a request which had been addressed to the Ramsar Secretariat. Bilateral co-operation exists with both French and Dutch authorities.

Conservation Value : The park's vast expanses of mudflats provide home for over two million migrant shorebirds from northern Europe, Siberia and Greenland.
The region's mild climate and absence of human disturbance make the park one of the most important sites in the world for these species.
The nesting bird population is also noted for its great numbers and diversity : between 25,000 and 40,000 pairs belonging to 15 species, making the largest colonies of water birds in West Africa.

Conservation Management : The park was established to protect both the natural resources and the valuable fisheries, which make a significant contribution to the national economy, as well as scientifically and aesthetically valuable geological sites, in the interests of and for the recreation of the general public.

According to the Article No. 2 of the establishment decree, the following are prohibited within park boundaries :
- all forms of hunting,
- low-altitude aircraft,
- forestry,
- agricultural and mineral exploitation,
- pastoral activities,
- unauthorised removal of stones, sand, earth, leaves and all forest products.

Article No. 4 prohibits the following, without authorisation of the relevant service :
- all forms of fishing,
- prospecting and construction,
- work which could modify the landscape or vegetation,
- all activity which could pollute the water,
- introduction of zoological or botanical species,
- access by individuals other than tourists or visitors and any activity which could disturb flora and fauna.

A preliminary management plan was published in 1984 by WWF and IUCN in collaboration with the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences ; a revised management plan being proposed in November 1986 (under the Comité Exécutif de la Fondation in Paris) for implementation during the period 1988-1992.
The international foundation of Banc d'Arguin National Park was subsequently founded with assistance from international conservation organisations.
A separate management plan for the monk seal satellite Baie du Lévrier Reserve was completed in 1986.
The park administration places major emphasis on patrolling the area to prevent illegal fishing and disturbance to nesting waterfowl.
Further park proposals aim to fully integrate the Imraguen populations with park policies, aid them in their socio-economic development and ensure maintenance of traditional customs.
Permanent entry points have control of access into the park and are used survey work. The wardens will be based at Iwik, undertake maritime patrols and control access to the isles.
Temporary bases will also be established at Oued Chibka.
Other proposals include a mounted camel patrol and the erection of boundary markers. There are also proposals to liaise with national park authorities in Senegal.
Since 1985, WWF and the Mauritanian government has worked to implement management plans for the area, notably for the monk seal reserve.
As part of this work a number of recommendations, including implementation of the management plan, have been proposed for the next stage of development.

Justification for the national park establishment includes its outstanding example of man's interaction with his natural environment.
The Imraguen maintain ancient traditional fishing. There are outstanding examples of ongoing geological processes.
Banc d'Arguin lies in tropical currents which supply organic material providing a rich and diverse marine and littoral environment able to support important communities of fish, birds and marine mammals.
The park contains perhaps the only viable and largest colony of monk seals (the 150 seals represent 25% of the world population).
The littoral zone represents one of the major humid coastal zones in the world and is reported to be the most important area on the Atlantic seabord for West African breeding birds.
Other factors include extensive seagrass meadows which are of major importance for fish nurseries, the coastline is the nesting sitefor four threatened species of marine turtle and the islands harbour relict populations of dorcas gazelle.

Management Constraints : The most significant deficiency is the lack of effective protection or supervision as yet.
Overfishing by international fleets in the waters just off Banc d'Arguin, outside the park, is depleting fish resources and may cause a decline of the breeding colonies of fish-eating bird species.
However, the local inhabitants, and Mauritanians in general, do not hunt birds.
An invasion of black rats Rattus rattus is also threatening the seabird colonies. Overgrazing by camels belonging to nomadic herdsmen has been reported, although this has become less common as the area becomes increasingly subject to desertification.
Illegal hunting of gazelle from motorcycles has been reported, access being made easier by the Nouakchott-Nouadhibou route which crosses the park. There is also illegal collecting of marine turtles for tourist demand in Dakar.
The status of the monk seal population is critical after the collapse of their breeding caves in 1982 and by potential threat from fishermen.
Fishing nets could interfere with the monk seals, but this has not yet been adequately studied.

Staff : Approximately fourteen Mauritanians and three French scientists. In recognition of the site's national importance, ten Meharists (camel corps) have been assigned to patrol the terrestrial sector (undated information).

Budget : Seven million UM (ougiyas) from the government.
Equipment has been supplied by the WWF and the French Ministry of Cooperation.
Revenue from tourist entry fees goes toward park management costs.

The park is administratively autonomous, but dependent on the Presidency of the Republic. Parc national Banc d'Arguin, BP 124, Nouadhibou.

See also : "La Méduse" Shipwreck