These Mangroves are located in an ecoregion also known as “Gulf Guayaguil-Tumbes Mangroves”, which is in the border between the northern Peru and the southern Ecuador, on the shores of Pacific Ocean.
The portion of mangroves that is in Peru is in the Peruvian region of Tumbes near Puerto Pizarro area to 24 Kilometers from Tumbes city. The mangroves occupy an area of 3300 square kilometers (1273.8 square miles). It is the only mangroves sweeps area of Peru, because this region is the only zone that offers the particular climate that mangroves need to survive.
The Climate in this region is sunny most of the year, with average temperatures of 25ºC (77ºF) and sporadic rainfalls between December and March.
In front to the coasts that have mangrove communities, there are often offshore islands, which originate from banks of mud and sand moved and deposited by rivers and tides. These Islands may be colonized by mangroves and with passage of time become joined to the continent or to other larger islands.
There are five kinds of mangroves in the region: red mangrove sweep (Rhizophora mangle and Rizophora harrisonii), the salty mangrove sweep (Avicennia germionans), the white mangrove (Laguncu araia racemasa) and the mangle boton (Conocarpus erectus). The mangroves’ region is an ecosystem full of wildlife.
It is thought that Tumbes’ mangroves host around 33 kinds of sea shells, 34 types of crustaceans and around 105 species of fish. Besides, the mangroves are also home of 120 bird species such as the fragata, the Ibis, pelicans, storks, amongst other. It highlights the American crocodile, an endangered species that can still be found in the mangroves’ ecosystem.
The mangroves are very important to the Tumbes region; since, they are an important source of incomes, because of the tourism and the great quantity of resources that provide to the local population. Besides, the mangroves have also been a natural barrier against the erosion produced by the waves and tides.
The zone of the mangroves is a restricted area; nevertheless there are several small ships that offer guided tours through the natural sanctuary.
The best time to visit this amazing natural wonder is between April and November. The mangroves of Tumbes are one of the most beautiful places of Peru and a place that worth visiting, if you are in the north of this country.
The Mangroves of Tumbes were known and exploited by the ancient Peruvians since several centuries ago. They did fishing in this zone and used the wood of the mangroves trees as fuelwood.
When Spaniards arrived in Peru, one of the first places that they saw was the forest of mangroves. During the colonial period, the mangroves ecosystem was also an important source of resources for the population of the Tumbes region.
Unfortunately mangroves are damaged by the pressures of the human development. Large areas of mangroves have been destroyed because of the construction of shrimp pools, which is the main threat for the mangroves ecosystem. It estimated that nearly the half of the mangroves area of Tumbes has been deforested between 1945 and 1985.
Besides, the organic and chemical waste discharged by the population and the mining of gold and silver, is another great menace to the mangroves. Since, Peruvian mangrove region is quite small compared to other mangrove regions of the planet; authorities have done little efforts to preserve the fascinating ecosystem of the mangroves. This is the main cause of its destruction.
The Tumbes Mangroves Sanctuary was established on March 2, 1988 by the Peruvian Government with an extension of 2972 hectares (6896 acres). It is also one the places listed in the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for national and international actions to preserve the wetlands and their resources.
The preservation of the Mangroves is responsibility of the INRENA (National Institute of Natural Resources) and the mangroves are monitored by the Peruvian Navy. Currently the Peruvian legislation forbids the cutting of mangrove trees and the construction of shrimp pools in the sanctuary. Nevertheless, these efforts are not yet sufficient to stem the disappearance of the mangroves
Therefore, it is necessary the creation of new laws and rules that allow to this magnificent ecosystem to survive. The development of the ecotourism is also an important step in the preservation of the mangroves; since, a competitive tourism industry would replace the jobs generated by the shrimp pools, decreasing the destruction of mangroves.
The preservation of this natural wonder is not only of local importance; it is a task of global interest.