Essentially unspoiled and entirely different in terms of culture and landscape from the mainland, this peaceful island invites exploration. It features a picturesquely sculptured rocky coastline, low rag coral forest cover, numerous baobab trees and two small villages. Once below the waves, but now merely washed by the incoming tide, the surreal grey-white coral gardens in Wasini Village are run by the friendly ‘Wasini Women’s Boardwalk’. They offer guided walks, cold drinks and a handicraft shop. The two and a half acres of petrified coral gardens and mangrove swamps have a meandering boardwalk through the circuit.
Kissed by the lethargic strikes of the hot sunrays, Kisite oozes breathtaking beauty. Located in the south coast, Shimoni, Kwale County, this marine park was established to protect the scenic islands and special habitats of a wide range of endemic marine animals and breeding migratory birds. It lies in the coral gardens south of Wasini Island and encompasses three small coral rag forest islands, each with considerable areas of fringing reef.
The coral reefs are estimated to be 3-4kms long, running along the near and outer edges of the reefs from Mpunguti islands to the tiny coral island of Kisite itself. The reefs at Kisite are scientifically important habitats, one of the most complex ecosystems on the planet.
Apart from the signature dolphins, nearby is Shimoni, home to many families of porpoises that cruise in and out of the marine park frequently sighted in the channel between the mainland and Shimoni. ‘Shimo’ means hole or cave in Swahili. Historically, smugglers and slavers used these caves. Some caves have freshwater springs flowing into the sea reputed to come from Kilimanjaro, 100 miles inland.
