Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park

Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park (Spanish: PNN Bahía Portete – Kaurrele) is a national natural park in Uribia, La Guajira, Colombia. The northernmost national park of mainland South America is located at the Caribbean coast of the La Guajira peninsula in Bahía Portete, between Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas. Established on December 20, 2014, it is the most recently designated national park of the country. As of 2017, 59 nationally defined protected areas are incorporated in Colombia. The park hosts a high number of marine and terrestrial species.

Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park
PNN Bahía Portete – Kaurrele
Bahía Hondita, close to the park
Map showing the location of Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park
Map showing the location of Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park
 PNN Bahía Portete – Kaurrele
Location Colombia
Nearest cityUribia
Coordinates12°07′00″N 72°02′00″W / 12.11667°N 72.03333°W / 12.11667; -72.03333[1]
Area14,080 ha (54.4 sq mi)
DesignationNational Natural Park
Established20 December 2014
AdministratorSINAP
Official website

Description

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Bahía Portete Park is located in the northern part of the municipality Uribia

Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park, with an area of 14,080 hectares (34,800 acres), is located in the extreme north of Colombia, at the northern coast of La Guajira peninsula between Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas, Colombia's mainland northernmost point. The park is within the boundaries of the municipality Uribia. The climate is hot and arid, due to the desert of La Guajira. Average temperatures range between 28 and 30 °C (82 and 86 °F). The coastal area is characterised by humidity caused by the inland winds.[2] The marine bay area has an average depth of 9 metres (30 ft), ranging from 3 to 20 metres (9.8 to 65.6 ft).[3]

At the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century, the bay was known as El Portichuelo, an area where slaves were brought into Colonial Colombia. The sparsely populated area is inhabited by approximately 500 indigenous Wayuu.[1][4] On April 18, 2004, approximately forty paramilitaries tortured and assassinated six people, four of which were women. They burned various houses and dishonoured their cemeteries. More than 600 Wayuu fled to Venezuela.[5]

Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park was designated number 59 of the National Natural Parks of Colombia to protect the marine and littoral ecosystems of the La Guajira peninsula on December 20, 2014.[3] The declaration of the park as a protected area was initiated in 2003. The indigenous communities of the Wayuu, Kamushiwoü, Alijunao, Yariwanischi, Puerto Portete, Ian, Youlepa, Kayuuswaarraaloü and Punta Cosos Espacios contributed in the planning of the establishment of the protected area.[6][7] At the declaration of the park, president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos said "Biodiversity is to Colombia, what oil is for the Arabs".[8] Mining and industrial fishing are prohibited.[9]

Biodiversity

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Crested caracara in La Guajira desert

Bahía Portete – Kaurrele Park comprises 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, relatively few mammals and marine fauna of 217 species have been registered in Bahía Portete.[10] The biodiversity of the park is rich in various other species.[11][12]

Fauna

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Name Species Image
nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus
 
southern long-nosed bat Leptonycteris curasoae
 
red-tailed squirrel Sciurus granatensis splendidus
 
crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous aquilus
 
white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari
 
brown hairy dwarf porcupine Coendou vestitus
American crocodile Crocodylus acutus
 
green iguana Iguana iguana
 
rainbow whiptail Cnemidophorus lemniscatus
 
brown vine snake Oxybelis aeneus
 
South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus
 
green sea turtle Chelonia mydas
 
loggerhead Caretta caretta
 
hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata
 
leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea
 
olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea
 
Mastigodryas pleei
Phimophis guianensis
Rivero's toad Bufo granulosus humboldti
Guayaquil dwarf frog Physalaemus pustulosos
American flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
 
anhinga Anhinga anhinga
 
bicolored conebill Conirostrum bicolor
 
brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis
 
cocoi heron Ardea cocoi
 
Crested caracara Caracara plancus
 
magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens
 
maguari stork Euxenura maguari
 
Neotropic cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus
 
roseate spoonbill Platalea ajaja
 
scarlet ibis Eudocimus ruber
 
American white ibis Eudocimus albus
 
American yellow warbler Dendroica petechia chrysendeta
 
Wilson's plover Charadrius wilsonia
 
slender seahorse Hippocampus reidi
 
common snook Centropomus undecimalis
 
hogfish Lachnolaimus maximus
 
striped mojarra Eugerres plumieri
 
cubera snapper Lutjanus cyanopterus
 
lane snapper Lutjanus synagris
 
mutton snapper Lutjanus analis
 
red porgy Pagrus pagrus
 
itajara Epinephelus itajara
 
Nassau grouper Epinephelus striatus
 
rainbow parrotfish Scarus guacamaia
 
Atlantic tarpon Tarpon atlanticus
 
Atlantic wreckfish Polyprion americanus
 
bonefish Albula vulpes
 
Tayrona blenny Emblemariopsis tayrona
Lebranche mullet Mugil liza
Cotuero toadfish Batrachoides manglae
crucifix sea catfish Arius proops
Jenny mojarra Eucinostomus gula
blue land crab Cardisoma guanhumi
 
Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus
 
Atlantic seabob Xiphopenaeus kroyeri
queen conch Strombus gigas
 
mouse cowry Muracypraea mus
 
Atlantic triton Charonia variegata
 
magpie shell Cittarium pica
 
Cassis madagascariensis
 
Haematopus palliatus
Penaeus notialis
Anachis coseli
Ancilla glabrata
Carpilus carallinus
Cassis flamea
Litopenaeus schmitti
Penaeus brasiliensis
Penaeus schmitti
red cushion sea star Oreaster reticulatus
 
spiny flower coral Mussa angulosa
 
elkhorn coral Acropora palmata
 
staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis
 
blushing star coral Stephanocoenia intersepta
 

Flora

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The coastal Bahía Portete Park is richer in flora than the surrounding desert. Common land plants are the cactus Opuntia wentiana and the mangrove tree Avicennia germinans.[13] Meadows of sea grasses of Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium are widely distributed in the marine portion of the park.[14][15]

Other protected areas in La Guajira

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Los Flamencos Sanctuary, west of Bahía Portete in La Guajira

La Guajira contains eight protected areas, three national and five regional.[7]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Gutiérrez Moreno et al., 2008, p.191
  2. ^ (in Spanish) Bahía Portete – Colparques
  3. ^ a b (in Spanish) En esquina norte de la Guajira, Bahía Portete – Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia
  4. ^ (in Spanish) Nueva reserva de Bahía Portete aumenta áreas protegidas en el paísEl Espectador
  5. ^ (in Spanish) Bahía Portete, regalo de NavidadEl Espectador
  6. ^ (in Spanish) Parque Nacional Natural Bahía Portete – Kaurrele – Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia
  7. ^ a b (in Spanish) Bahía Portete: parque natural tiene aval wayuuEl Heraldo
  8. ^ (in Spanish) Nuevo Parque Nacional Natural de Colombia Bahía PorteteMinisterio de Ambiente, Colombia
  9. ^ (in Spanish) La bahía sagrada que se volvió parque nacionalEl Tiempo
  10. ^ (in Spanish) Biodiversidad Parque Nacional Natural Bahía Portete – Kaurrele
  11. ^ Gutiérrez Moreno et al., 2008, p.199
  12. ^ Díaz Pulido, 1997, p.138
  13. ^ Díaz Pulido, 1997, p.89
  14. ^ Díaz Pulido, 1997, p.48
  15. ^ Díaz Pulido, 1997, p.52

Bibliography

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  • Gutiérrez Moreno, Carolina; Alonso C., David; Segura Quintero, Carolina (2008), "Diseño de un área marina protegida para Bahía Portete – La Guajira, Caribe Colombiano" (PDF), Boletín Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, INVEMAR, 37: 189–212, retrieved 2017-01-30
  • Díaz Pulido, Guillermo (1997), Informe nacional sobre el estado de la biodiversidad en Colombia – Ecosistemas marinos y costeros (PDF), INVEMAR, pp. 1–151, retrieved 2017-01-30