Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge |
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Refugio de Vida Silvestre Punta de Manabique | |
III | |
Country | Guatemala |
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Region | Izabal |
Municipality | Puerto Barrios |
Landmark | Peninsula |
Location | Punta de Manabique |
- coordinates | 15°55′56″N 88°34′08″W / 15.93222°N 88.56889°WCoordinates: 15°55′56″N 88°34′08″W / 15.93222°N 88.56889°W |
Highest point | |
- elevation | 20 m (66 ft) |
Lowest point | |
- elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Area | 1,299 km2 (502 sq mi) |
Biome | Littoral/intertidal zone Mangrove forests Coral reef |
Plant | mangrove forest |
Founded | Decreto No. 023-2005 [1999] |
Management | CONAP / FUNDARY [1] |
Visitation | allowed |
Designated | 28 January 2000 |
Punta de Manabique is a small peninsula that separates Amatique Bay from the Gulf of Honduras. It is located on Guatemala's east coast, some 20 km north of Puerto Barrios (15°55′59″N 88°34′09″W / 15.933039°N 88.569088°W).
The peninsula was declared a wildlife reserve in 1999. The reserve is covered with tropical rain forests and mangrove forests. The higher parts of the peninsula have mahogany (Swietenia spp.), Manilkara spp., Chrysophyllum spp., kapok (Ceiba pentandra), while manicaria palms (Manicaria saccifera), and palosangre trees (Symphonia globulifera) are found in swampy areas.
There is a rich diversity of molluscs, crustaceans, fishes, amphibians, reptiles (crocodile, green iguana, turtles). Many species of seabirds are found in the reserve, from the orders of Charadriiformes), Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes. Mammals include Baird's Tapir (Tapirus bairdii, jaguar (Panthera onca), howler monkey (Alouatta palliata), spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi), collared Peccary (Tayassu tajacu) and white-lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari).