Sudan Marine Parks, represented by SUDIA – Sudanese Development Initiative were in attendance at Africa’s inaugural Protected Areas Congress (APAC) which was held in Rwanda from 18 – 23 July. Under the theme “For People and Nature” the Congress identified priority actions to strengthen Africa’s protected and conserved areas in a manner that is just, […]
Read MoreSince its designation as a marine protected area in 2004, Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island have been recognized as significant sea turtle habitats, but little research has been done. To help fill some data gaps relating to sea turtles in the marine park, Abdel-Rahman El Mahdi from Sudan applied for – and was awarded a […]
Read MoreThe Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay – Mukkawar Island Marine National Park will be benefiting from a US$23.6m project to improve protection of three national parks in Sudan. US$4.6m of the financing has been allocated from the Global Environmental Facility and the remainder will be coming from the UN and national contributions, and […]
Read MoreThe Management Authority of the Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay – Mukkawar Island Marine National Park – Wildlife Conservation General Adminsitration (WCGA) and the Sudanese Development Initiative (SUDIA) convened a two-day workshop to develop their joint work plan for the Sudan marine parks for the year 2021. This joint planning workshop between SUDIA […]
Read MoreConcerns are being raised about an increasing number of foreign dive operators causing damage to coral reefs and disturbance of wildlife in Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay – Mukkawar Island Marine National Park. The 2018 State of Conservation Report has identified financial resources and management systems/plans as main factors affecting the property in […]
Read MoreDo You Know About the Richness of Sudan’s Marine Life ? Launching the Sudan Red Sea ‘DID YOU KNOW? Campaign. Raising awareness about the wealth of marine life found in Sudan and the importance of its conservation, to inspire support and collective action. Khartoum, 21 December , 2017-Today marks the official launch of the Sudan Red Sea ‘Did […]
Read MoreNew York, NY – On June 8, two children from the local community living in Dungonab, Red Sea State of Sudan will join other children from more than 12 UNESCO marine World Heritage Sites to call upon world leaders to sign a pledge to protect our ocean for future generations. The children will launch a […]
Read MoreThe Wildlife Conservation General Administration (WCGA) was joined by the Ministry of Tourism Antiques and Wildlife to celebrate World Wildlife Day at Dal Group’s Excellence Center, Khartoum on 7 March, under this year’s theme ‘Listen to the Young Voices’. This year, the World Wildlife Day event highlighted the inscription of Sudan’s newly declared UNESCO Natural […]
Read MoreThe extensive sandy beaches on the eastern side of Mukkawar Island is a turtle nesting site of regional and possibly international significance. All species of marine turtle are globally threatened and listed on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).In recognition of their conservation status, turtles and turtle eggs […]
Read MoreBrigadier Mohammed Younis was an exceptional individual dedicated to the conservation of the wealth of marine and terrestrial biodiversity in his home country of Sudan. He was the driving force and champion for the marine protected areas in Sudan, and led the process to get Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island National Park legally gazetted […]
Read MoreIstanbul, Turkey – The World Heritage Committee, at the last meeting of its 40th session which opened on 10th July 2016, inscribed eight new Natural Heritage sites on the World Heritage List including: Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay–Mukkawar Island National Park, Sudan. This is the first marine World Heritage site in the Red […]
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The world’s largest rays have been tagged and measured in the first phase of a conservation project off the coast of Sudan. Staff from Hull-based aquarium The Deep and exploration organization Equipe Cousteau spent four weeks installing acoustic monitors and tagging giant manta rays in the Red Sea.
Read MoreAt the present time, it is extremely rare to hear reports that shark and ray populations in a given region are in good health. Sudan remains one of the unique global hotspots on earth where this statement holds true. ; specifically a large aggregation of manta rays within the pristine Dungonab Bay marine protected area and large schools of scalloped hammerheads sharks on nearly all the main offshore reefs.
Read MoreDungonab Bay –Mukkawar Island National Marine Park’s extensive beaches, islands and coastal plains support a large population of seabirds , which have granted the entire area the international recognition as an ‘Important Bird Area’ (IBA) by Bird Life International (2001) due to the presence of near threatened species e.g. Sooty Falcon Falco concolor and white-eyed Gull Larus leucophthalmus .
Read MoreAbout the Project The Shark and Rays Programme aims to increase global recognition of Sudan as a marine biodiversity hotspot and to raise awareness on the threatened status of sharks and rays, and their potential economic importance for the local community. This multi-faceted programme has been developed by Cousteau Society in partnership with international and […]
Read MoreAs top predators, sharks play a vital role for maintaining the balance of our oceans. However, more than 90 million sharks and rays are removed from the ocean each year, killed for their fins or caught as by-catch by fisheries targeting other species. At the present time, it is extremely rare to hear reports that shark and ray populations in a given region are in good health. Sudan remains one of the unique global hotspots on earth where this statement holds true. Sudan borders the Red Sea, one of the most diverse tropical seas. The architecture of the marine environment supports a large aggregation of manta rays within the pristine Dungonab Bay and large schools of scalloped hammerheads sharks on nearly all the main offshore reefs. However, Sudan's shark and ray populations remain under threat from human impacts and could very quickly follow the way of other regional populations – from healthy to endangered in a matter of years. Their conservation and management is therefore of both a regional and a global priority.
Read MoreOne of the most effective means of protecting marine and coastal biodiversity is through the establishment and effective management of marine protected areas, a protected area “is a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.”-IUCN
Read MoreSudan’s Sanganeb Atoll Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay-Mukkawar National Park have been inscribed on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO). The decision was taken by the World Heritage Committee, at the last meeting of its 40th session which opened on 10th July 2016.This is the first marine World Heritage site in the Red Sea, and wider Arabian region.To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. Sudan's Marine World Heritage Site meets criteria (vii)(ix)(x) .According to UNESCO, when a site is inscribed on the World Heritage List “the resulting prestige often helps raise awareness among citizens and governments for heritage preservation. Greater awareness leads to a general rise in the level of the protection and conservation given to heritage properties.
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Built in 1906 by the British, the Lighthouse is a historic and iconic feature of Sanganeb Atoll Marine National Park, located approximately 25 km east of Port Sudan. Standing 54m high with a base diameter of 10 m, Sanganeb's Lighthouse is one of the most important lighthouses for navigation in the Red Sea and offers the best lookout point overlooking the remarkable Sangeneb Reef.
Since Port Sudan used to be one of the most important ports in the world, there are numerous exciting wrecks waiting to be discovered. The "Umbria" is one of the best preserved wrecks in the Red Sea and considered one of the most famous sunken ships in the world.
Sudan’s Red Sea coast offers some of the best diving sites in the world- with amazing coral formations and underwater marine life, to unforgettable shipwrecks, big schools of fish, and some of the healthiest shark and ray populations globally.