It is common knowledge that Abu Dhabi is an arid desert area with a hot climate and very little rainfall. However mangroves occurring in coastal bays and creeks provide a rare and cooling green cover along the coastal lagoons and narrow waterways.
Among the mangroves that dot the coastline is the 8 km stretch of green of the Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park, a rare sight in the arid landscape, astonishingly close to the city centre. Recognising the important role that mangroves play in climate change mitigation and against coastal erosion, five mangrove forests in the country are now being treated as high priority ecological areas. The sheltered waterways of the Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park harbours a dense growth of vegetation where the low wave activity encourages their growth and sustain salt marshes and mudflats that are among the most important links in the marine food web. The mangroves harbour populations of sponges, mollusks, crustaceans, worms and algae and function as spawning grounds for shrimp and 200 species of fish. Migrating and resident bird populations depend on them as do crabs, turtles and fish. The depth of water varies from extremely shallow to 7 meters.
While serving an important environmental function the Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park also provides recreational opportunities for city dwellers right on their doorstep. Paddling through the tree lined waterways on a guided tour, enjoying the silence, the aquatic and bird life is a wonderful way to relax and appreciate this fragile eco system. Birders will be rewarded with views of egrets, crab plovers, herons, cormorants and sandpipers that are among the 50 species that frequent the area. Some lucky kayaker may also catch glimpses of an Arabian red fox and even a pink flamingo. Kayaking trips also take place at sunrise and in the moonlight. They provide two totally different experiences; one when the mangroves are at their busiest at the beginning of the day and when it is quieting down with the birds coming in to roost. However some life beneath the water may be just beginning to stir.
Prior to setting out on kayaking trips it is best to do some planning as high and low tides change the nature of the mangroves. At high tide it may be a challenge to paddle through the narrow waterways gorged with water and at low tide these same channels can turn into mudflats making them inaccessible.
Enjoying a unique environmentally important location, Eastern Mangroves, Abu Dhabi provides not only elegantly crafted spaces but access to an onsite marina and retail areas that adds another dimension to the hotel experience. This hotel in Abu Dhabi while known for its many excellent facilities and services boasts some of the most well appointed accommodation Abu Dhabi that definitely complements the experience provided by the location and the hotel design.
Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.
