THE MANGROVE SWAMP OF QESHM

Shared between the island and the opposite coast, the Hara mangrove extends over 20 km2, paradise of the Avicennia marina, a small tree known locally as the living hara, with branches and roots immersed in water. This mangrove is the natural habitat of migratory birds, reptiles and fish as well as some arthropod and shellfish species. Herons, flamingos, pelicans, eagles, turtles and aquatic snakes can be observed. It is a major breeding site for fish in the Persian Gulf. Due to the presence of the rare species Bunopus tuberculatus lizard and Eremias brevirostris, as well as rare birds living in the Hara mangrove and the Mehrakan Salt Sea, part of the island is classified as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. The Khuran Strait is a Ramsar classified site (wetland protection).

Fishermen's boats take you for a walk to a site where a fisherman's habitat has been restored. As you scan the shores, you will see many endemic or migratory species as well as walking fish that inhabit the muddy shores of the mangrove swamp.