Khnifiss National Park, an oasis in the middle of the Sahara

Khnifiss National Park is a paradise in the middle of nowhere. It is an oasis in the middle of the desert, especially for migratory birds that come to stop over or hibernate there. Morocco’s largest national park is rich in biodiversity, and officials are working to make it a renowned destination for ecotourism. Immersion.

Khnifiss National Park seems to come out of nowhere, after miles and miles of desert as far as the eye can see. The place emerges, the cacophony of birds, the infinite blue lagoon, the desert hinterland, the wild animals surprise at first sight. We could forget ourselves and believe that we are in another country, yet we are indeed in Morocco, 180 km northwest of the city of Laayoune, between Tarfaya and Tan-Tan, opposite the Canary Islands.

A myriad of colors

Here nature is generous in colors. Khnifiss at low tide turns green, further you can see the blue of the ocean and the lagoon, and finally the yellow of the desert. The bay is one of the first in Morocco (in 1980) to have been listed on the ramsar convention (international treaty adopted on February 2, 1971 for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, which aims to halt their degradation or disappearance, by recognizing their ecological functions as well as their economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value). In 1998, the direction of cultural heritage in Morocco inscribed the lagoon of Khnifiss, or lagoon of Naïla, to the indicative list of Unesco.

“Khnifiss Park is the extension of a wetland. The reserve is a site of biological and ecological interest (SIBE). The park is set up in three ecosystems, an oceanic, lagoonal and desert part,” says Salek Aouissa, president of the Khnifiss association network in Yabiladi. The organization has been working since 2000 to “organize tourism, minimize the impact on the lagoon ecosystem and the development of eco-tourism”, adds the same source. In 2006, Khnifiss became a national park, one of the largest in the kingdom. “It is also a site of biological and ecological interest (SIBE)”, adds the president of the NGO.

A diversity of landscapes can be observed at the Naila lagoon. /DR

Many titles for a rich but fragile heritage. The site is nearly 185,000 hectares, the diversity of landscapes that unfold before the eyes of tourists are exceptional. The wild area is protected by a building ban. The goal is to preserve the ecosystem and the biodiversity present.

“According to important studies carried out since 1985, we denote an important biological diversity. The results show that nearly 20,000 birds, including many migratory birds, come to Khnifiss National Park, with a breakdown of 212 species. There are also desert birds, lots of falcons, golden eagles, etc.”

Gazelle de Cuvier, fennec foxes, foxes…

In addition to the ornithological richness, the marine fauna is diversified. “The desert part is characterized by an incredible fauna. We can observe fennec foxes, porcupines, foxes, red foxes”, details the same source. Moreover, in Khnifiss, Cuvier’s gazelle can be observed in its wild state. To preserve this species, the High Commission for Water and Forests and the Fight against Desertification (HCEFLD) has built a reserve to “reintroduce the species and develop the fact of releasing it into the wild”, specifies the person in charge, who says the project is “essential” for the region.

“If the Khnifiss reserve did not exist, and there was no stopover for migratory birds, there would have been no wealth in Dakhla, nor in the wetlands in Senegal. It is a continuity of biodiversity from North Africa to West Africa. It is a protected area which represents an African wealth.”

Same story with Sidi Imad Cherkaoui, ornithologist and professor at Moulay Ismail University, the latter told Yabiladi that “the whole area of ​​Tarfaya is a very vast wetland, over a wide and arid area”. “The place becomes a particular attraction for migratory birds that pass between the two continents, Europe and Africa, this is called the East-Atlantic axis (East Atlantic Fly Wing) popular during stopovers for migratory birds,” adds the scientist.

“To cross the Sahara, which represents a barrier for migratory birds, they find Khnifiss, rest there, feed there to migrate. It is an oasis in the middle of the desert, to allow them to accumulate the necessary fat to continue their journey towards the southern zones.

The birds that stop at Khnifiss are diverse and varied. Flamingos, Eurasian Spoonbills, Black or Red-tailed Godwits, Red Knot, Oystercatcher, but also “several species of shorebirds and Laridae, such as Gulls and Gulls”. According to the scientist, important species are present on the Naila lagoon, such as Shelduck Casarca, Marbled Teal, etc.

The desert and the lagoon coexist in a perfect whole. / Ph. Ali Ettalbi

The multitude of habitats enjoyed by the site, such as shallow arid zones, virgin sands, denote its environmental importance. “It’s a spawning area for fish (where they breed, editor’s note). As a result, many predators are attracted to the place,” says the ornithologist. The area has mudflats (coastal or underwater expanse covered with mud) subject to low and high tides. “When the mudflats are clear at low tide, they attract a lot of waders – a group of birds that like shallow wetlands and feed on the mudflats – they bury their beaks in the mud to feed”, explains the professor at Moulay Ismail University.

Winter birds spend every winter there. As for long-distance migrants, they can “stay a few days, like several weeks, to then continue south”. Migratory birds, on the other hand, are passing through in autumn and spring.

“Since the pacification of the Sahara, many tourists, ornithologists, wildlife researchers, come to Khnifiss to see the birds. But also, tourists come in caravans, stop in the national park and stay there for a few days, on their journey to Dakhla. Others come to fish.

Fragile space to preserve

The Khnifiss association network has been working for many years to ensure that the destination is not damaged by the influx of tourists. “The site has been known for three decades, we were afraid that it would become a tourist destination, unorganized and unsupervised,” recalls Salek Aouissa. Studies and steps have been taken so that there is a framework, an organization so as not to threaten biodiversity.

At the very beginning, investors moved to Akhfennir (a few kilometers from Khnifiss) to “market the site as a fishing ground”. This direction, taken by entrepreneurs, is far from the objectives of Salek Aouissa’s NGO. The association then gradually began to learn “eco-gestures”, then strengthened local capacities. “We grouped the fishermen in a cooperative, we limited the number of boats to 11. If we have 200 boats like Merja Zergawe will threaten the ecosystem”, adds the president of the NGO.

The Naïla lagoon is an obligatory passage for many migratory birds. / Ph. Ali Ettalbi

The reception facilities have been improved by the creation of a path for visitors, a landing stage which leads directly to the boats to be able to do the maritime circuit.

“We are working closely with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), to create an ornithological map of the circuits on the Khnifiss lagoon.”

Several types of excursions are possible, depending on the level of expertise and the affinities of the tourists. The first is for amateur fishermen, where the boats take them to the mouth of the wadi to fish at their leisure, then another circuit towards the interior of the lagoon “to observe the fauna”. This tour is reserved for specialists, ornithologists and photographers. Finally, for hiking enthusiasts, a circuit on the cliff is organized with guides, with “observation points and binoculars for bird watching”.

At the end of the day, tourists leave the national park, heading for Akhfennir, 17 kilometers away, where hostels are available to spend the night there.

“We recently signed an agreement with the Laayoune-Sakia region to promote this natural heritage, in partnership with the association. It will be effective in 2018. We have four partners, the HCEFLD, our association, the region and the province of Tarfaya.”

Nature lovers can observe flamingos off the lagoon. /DR

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