Ras Mohamed National Park (RMNP) was established in 1983 as the first National Park in Egypt. It is located at the Southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula at the northern end of the Red Sea. It is bordered to the West by the shallow waters of the Gulf of Suez (around 300 m), and to the East by the deep waters of the Gulf of Aqaba and Red Sea proper (up to 2000 m). RMNP is a marine park (80%) with a coastal and terrestrial zone. The town of Sharm-El-Sheikh is 12 km away.
Due to its position, strong currents prevail throughout the year thus relatively enriching the waters. This attracts huge numbers of schools of pelagic and reef fish. RMNP contains extensive coral reefs which provide some of the best diving spots in the world. The area is noted for its extensive, luxurious, and sharply defined fringing reef platforms. Only 12 percent of the RMNP is accessible to visitors. Terrestrial tourism, some boat tours, and all camping, is managed by the local Bedouin community through a concession for traditional rights-holders, and exclusive management of tourism in Bedouin cultural zones.
About 220 hard coral species and about 120 soft coral species have been recorded, including some endemic ones. Coral cover in RMNP is an astounding 60–80%, with 20–25% on exposed fore-reef slopes, and in some places soft corals dominate up to 80%. Coral cover along the Gulf of Aqaba in general ranges from 11% to 63%, with the higher cover being within the protected area of RMNP which highlights the success of conservation efforts over the past 35 years.
Conservation
Good governance
Community benefits
Ras Mohamed National Park is located at the Southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula at the northern end of the Red Sea. In itself a peninsula, it is bordered to the West by the relatively shallow waters of the Gulf of Suez of around 300 m, and to the East by the deep waters of the Gulf of Aqaba and Red Sea proper where the water reaches depths of up to 2000 meters that compiles the beginning of an enormous cleavage in the earth’s crust that separates the, African and Eurasian continental plates.
Ras Mohammed National Park (RMNP) is classified into two parts: the marine part (part from Gulf of Suez and part from Gulf of Aqaba and Red Sea proper) and the remaining representing the terrestrial part. RMNP coasts contain sandy and rocky beaches along the two gulfs. The east coast of Gulf of Suez is very wide and may exceed 1 km at some areas, which gives the chance to migratory and resident birds to rest and feed without disturbance. On the other hand the Western coast at Gulf of Aqaba is narrow and representing a typical sea cliffs and fringing coral reefs.
In the North-East of Ras Mohamed lies the world recognized town of Sharm-El-Sheikh which is about 12 km away. Directly to the South lies the vast expanse of the Red sea which is bordered to the West by the North East African coast and by the Arabian Peninsula to the East.
RMNP was declared in 1983 by the Prime Ministerial Decree 1068 including only the tip of South Sinai Peninsula of almost 96 km2 in addition to Tiran and Sanafir Islands. The park itself has been expanded in its size in 1989 by the Prime Ministerial Decree 2035 to incorporate much of the surrounding waters and territory.
The West side has two deep fissures in its center and on the Southeastern side is a sandy – called the Mangroves Island from which it is separated by a shallow channel running northwest to southeast, called the Mangroves Channel. In the North, large dunes are interspersed with outcroppings of Miocene limestone in which are embedded an astonishing number and variety of marine fossils. The peninsula itself is made up of a fossil coral reef that emerged during the Quaternary period about 75,000 years ago and as a result of changes in the coastline caused by variations in sea levels. Due to its position, strong currents prevail throughout the year thus relatively enriching the waters around it. This attracts huge numbers of schools of pelagic and reef fish. Only 12 percent of the park is accessible to visitors.
Ras Mohamed Peninsula is fringed by coral reefs which provide some of the best diving spots in the world. The reefs at Ras Mohamed are some of the most magnificent in the whole world. They are unrivalled in their beauty and diversity of life. Amongst and alongside them live thousands of colorful fish and other marine creatures, which together with the reef form a complete ecosystem. Here they seek refuge from predators and look for food. Within the crevices and caves lives the minuscule to the very large reef fish. However the coral reefs here are not just shelter and food for the different reef and pelagic fish. They are in fact living creatures which breathe, eat and reproduce. They also come in many different forms, shapes and colors ranging from the largest colonies of hard corals to the tiniest swaying soft ones.
In the north of the Red Sea where Ras Mohamed is located, coral reefs grow on the continental shelf, and which is a narrow strip here ranging from 15 to 30 km wide. The area is noted for its extensive, luxurious, and sharply defined fringing reef platforms, on either sides of Ras Mohamed-whether in the Gulf of Aqaba or that of Gulf of Suez. About 205 hard coral species and about 120 soft coral species have been recorded here, with the western side facing the Gulf of Suez having about 45 coral species, including some endemic ones. Coral cover around the islands and Ras Mohamed is an astounding 60–80%, with 20–25% on exposed fore-reef slopes, and in some places soft corals dominate up to 80%. Coral cover along the Gulf of Aqaba in general ranges from 11% to 63%, with the higher cover, of course, being at Ras Mohamed.
These reefs are made up of both fossil and live corals. The fossil reefs are those that are made up of the fossilized bodies of ancient corals which have long gone but whose bodies have fossilized together for more coral to attach to. In fact these fossil reefs can also be seen on land as the water level had dropped from previous periods.
On the whole, these reefs range in age between 15,000 to 2 million years and many of the descendants of these ancient species are still alive today among the abundant living coral colonies. The reef structure here also varies from the vertical walls where coral can be found at depths of up to 100 meters, such as at Shark Observatory, Shark Reef, and Yolanda Reef, to the very shallow secluded Sha’ab El Talaba on the northern end of Marsa Bereika.
SITE INDICATORS KEY EVIDENCE LINKS:
Reef sensitivity and zoning plan 2017
Site visit report: compiled by the EAGL member responsible. Visit took place between 6 and 11 November 2018. Summary of evaluation and recommendations shared with EAGL ahead of their full evaluation call on 12th November.
EAGL consensus and vote: UNANIMOUS support and consensus on RMNP.
EAGL statement
The EAGL appreciated the added insight into the operations and context of Ras Mohammed National Park that was gained through the site visit. Despite challenging times associated with the Revolution, which had an impact on park operations, the site’s world class marine ecosystems appear to be healthy and evidence suggests that values are in excellent condition. Many stakeholders agreed that the park’s marine values were in excellent condition. Overall, it is proposed that the site be recommended to the IUCN Green List Committee, but with the following conditions that would help the site to maintain full compliance and continue to improve over the 5-year certificate period: Indicator 3.1.1: The park and/or Nature Conservation Sector should clarify the levels and types of plans for national parks and protected areas. It should determine how to address this challenge and risk of coherency and consistency. At a minimum, the park should have the marine management plan officially signed by the Governor and Minister of Environment, as soon as practicable, by March 31, 2019. Their signature page should include a statement to indicate the lifespan of the plan and a commitment that it will renewed at that time; Indicator 3.7.1 and 3.7.2: An enhanced research and monitoring strategy should be developed in collaboration with academic institutions, by December 31, 2020, to address:
Reviewer statement (Mounia Essefiani)
The Reviewer validates Ras Mohammed’s Green Listing process as being in conformity with the User Manual’s rules and procedures. The late involvement of the site in the GL process did not prevent the EAGL from conducting a thorough and evidence-based assessment of the site’s submitted self-assessment and MoVs, as can be seen in the Indicators verifications prior to the visit and in the site visit report. This deserves a particular mention, especially given the short period allocated before the site visit took place. The Reviewer confirms that all this has been done in full compliance with the User Manual. Recommendations made by the EAGL are transparently mentioned in the EAGL’s statement. The EAGL voted unanimously for the recommendation of the site to be added into the Green List, under the conditions stated in the EAGL statement. Based on the above-mentioned process, Marnie Bammert’s feedback and the EAGL statement following the discussion, the Reviewer confirms that the site is compliant with the User Manual’s rules and procedures and submits the site to the Green List Committee for their final decision
