PARKS AND TRIBES

WILDLIFE REFUGE ISLAS CORAZON AND FREGATAS

ISLAS CORAZON AND FREGATAS WILDLIFE REFUGE

Read all about the Corazón Fregatas Islands Wildlife Refuge, a cool reserve 15 minutes from Bahía de Caráques on the other side of the Chone River. It is managed by an NGO that organizes very nice excursions with its members, who are local fishermen.

TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES

When it is high tide, you can paddle through a channel through a tunnel of mangroves

GETTING THERE

You get to the refuge ifrom the beach town of Bahía by crossing the Chone River; its located about 5 minutes from the bridge on the right side of the road to Manta.

Hidrología

These mangrove-clad estuarine islands are located at the mouth of the Chone River and are joined further upstream by the Carrizal River (Chone River Estuary), near the city of Bahía de Caráquez, Manabí Province (Hilgert and Luque 2003). They are young, recently formed islands, created from the deposition of sediments and which, as the years go by, increase in size due to the increase in sedimentation within the estuary. They began as large tidal flats that were later populated with mangroves, which is why they are a good example of recent colonization (PMRC 1993). This Refuge is relatively small; together the two islands have an area of ​​800 ha when the tide is low: Fragatas has an area of ​​approximately 300 ha and Corazón 500 ha. The sector is characterized by a dry tropical climate, with rainfall less than 500 mm/year, mainly between the months of January - April. It includes mangrove ecosystems and is directly influenced in the upper part of the estuary by the La Segua wetland, declared a Ramsar site in 2000 for its importance in the management and proper use of water resources in the area, as well as for the conservation of birds and the application of sustainable productive activities. For this reason, emphasis is placed on the management of the Corazón and Fragatas Island Wildlife Refuge.

Estado de conservación

The Corazón Fregatas Islands Wildlife Refuge was declared on October 3, 2002 by Ministerial Agreement A-133 Official Registry December 27, 2002 r.o. # 733. The area is 800 ha, 500 ha of which correspond to Corazón Island and 300 ha to Fragatas Island. Its altitudinal range is 0 - 3 masl.

Clima

The climate of the Corazón Fregatas Islands Wildlife Refuge is typical of the central Pacific coast with seasonality. The seasonal tropical climate of Ecuador predominates with a dry season and a rainy season with a tendency for humidity to increase from South to North. The average annual temperature ranges between 25 - 28 degrees C; annual precipitation is less than 500 mm (January - April).

Flora y Fauna del Refugio De Vida Silvestre Islas Corazón Fregatas

The flora and fauna of the Islas Corazón Fregatas Wildlife Refuge is typical of estuarine mangroves, with estuarine fish in the aquatic part and different species of mangrove in the intertidal and dry zone.

Flora OF THE Islas Corazón Fregatas WILDLIFE RESERVE

According to the Vegetation Classification System proposed by Sierra (1999), the Refuge is located in the Central Subregion in the Lowlands Sector of the coast and has only one formation: the mangrove. Mangrove: It is located in a dry area, so the environment is less humid than in the mangroves of the north. Littoral and riverine mangroves can be differentiated (Sierra 1999). Additionally, two species have been identified: red mangrove (Rhizo phora mangle) as the dominant vegetation and black mangrove or iguanero (Avicennia germinans).

Fauna OF THE Islas Corazón Fregatas WILDLIFE RESERVE

Biological research is limited and there is only scant information on birdlife. Birds Ninety-nine species of birds have been reported associated with the mangroves of these islands. There are large populations of water birds such as the white ibis (Eu docimus albus) and anhinga anhinga, among others. In addition, there is an unconfirmed record of the bumblebee hummingbird (Acestrura bombus), a globally threatened species (Freile and Santander 2005).

MamMALS

There are no mammals living on the islands themselves, but in the Chone River, which is an estuary, you can find dolphins.

BIRDs

The refuge is a nesting site for birds: This place is particularly interesting during the mating season of the frigates, as the red membranes of the males can be seen.

OtHER CRITTES

Most of all, there are different species of crabs, some with a deep red color. There are also different species of seashells, some of them collected by the fishermen of the area.

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ISLAS CORAZON & FREGATAS WILDLIFE REFUGE