The Qulaan Mangrove Beach & How To Be a Better Tourist

Hello Everyone! It's been a really long time ... 

Some of you might remember that I started this blog when I first moved to Egypt in June of 2012. At first, it was just my way of dealing with all the new experiences and the emotions related to living in this mad place. As time went by, it became a kind of hobby of mine - a travel diary of sorts, where I covered everything from my day-to-day life in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, to politics (as we were going through two revolutions, two presidents, weeks of curfew and socio-cultural turbulences), to larger and smaller trips around the country and the many adventures on the way ... And then... life started getting in the way, I would write less frequently, until I stopped completely. But this is Egypt we are talking about! Om el donya - the Mother of the World! A country that gets deep under your skin and gives you goosebumps every time you cross the street! It knocks your socks off and also makes your stomach turn ... "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave"... as the song lyrics go ("Hotel California," Eagles).... So, despite the fact that it's been quite a number of years ... Here we are again and there's still so much to write about! Are you with me? If so, I'd like to propose a tour of one of my absolute favorite parts of the country - the Deep South and the Qulaan Mangroves! 

Fot. Amr El Sawah (2013)

The Deep South 

The Qulaan Mangrove Beach (or "Mangrove Forest," as it is also sometimes called) is located in the south of Egypt, in the protected area of the National Park of Wadi El Gemal (which translates to "Camel Valley"), Hamata (some 100km from the city of Marsa Alam). We like to call this area "the Deep South." This is where the 3alganoob Festival takes place in the Spring ("3alganoob" translates to "the south") and where the Deep South Diving center and camp are located as well. 3alganoob was the very first music festival in Egypt and many famous musicians from around Egypt the Middle East performed here. It traditionally takes place in an ecolodge built atop of a hill overlooking Tondoba Bay and the diving center, which is right on the beach. 

The entrance to the Deep South camp in Tondoba Bay, Marsa Alam. The Sign says "3alganoob" in Arabic. Source: Facebook

I attended the 3alganoob music festival four times, starting with the very first edition in 2013, and visited the Marsa Alam area five times in total. I can say with confidence that it is my favorite part of Egypt for so many reasons!

Official poster of the 2016 edition of the 3alganoob Festival. Source: Facebook

Karim Noor, better known as Kiki (right), founder of the 3alganoob Festival and owner and manager of the Deep South Diving center and the adjacent ecolodge. Source: Facebook

The Qulaan Mangrove Beach 

The Qulaan area covers several islands, which stretch over a bay that is divided into four pieces of land with freely-growing mangrove trees. It is an incredible eco-system with rich marine life, various bird species and hermit crabs running all around. It is a little paradise, so incredibly beautiful, that it will take you at least three visits to believe it is real! Get ready for white sandy beaches and awe-inspiring mangrove trees overlooking  a coral reef and the open sea. 

Fot. Amr El Sawah

Fot. Amr El Sawah

Fot. Amr El Sawah

Local Community

This striking landscape is also home to the Ababda and Bashareya tribes, which live in the area. Calling such a unique and remote part of the country their home is certainly beautiful, but it also quite difficult to make a living around here. As a result, the community rely mostly on tourists and support from developmental agencies for their livelihood. They sell handmade beaded jewelry (of which I have drawers full at home in Alexandria, after having visited them so many times!) and cater to the tourists in their own local way - they offer lunch and a very special kind of spiced coffee called Gabana, which they make in a tent, directly on the beach. There is also a campsite run by the local community. You may choose to stay there or in one of the picturesque eco villages around the area. If you decide to make it a day-trip from Deep South, don't forget to pre-order the lunch at least a day in advance or else you will go home hungry! 

Gabana Coffee typical to the Ababda and Bashareya tribes. Source: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/qulaan-islands.htm

What Are Mangroves

Never heard of mangroves before? Don't worry, you're not alone! I actually hadn't either, before visiting Qulaan, although, as it turns out, this kind of ecosystem is found in many parts of the world, including in my home town of Warsaw Poland - on the Vistula River bank. I've also visited them in Mexico - in the state of Veracruz, as well as on the Yucatan Peninsula (of course, as it is Mexico, they have crocodiles living there, among the trees, not just hermit crabs... so we stayed on the boat ;)). But, how does this crazy thing work? Trees growing directly in salty sea water? "What sorcery is this?," - you might ask. 

In general, mangroves are primarily found along the Atlantic coast of tropical America and along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, and in Southeast Asia. The two main species are the common mangrove, which grows to about 9 meters and the black mangrove, which can reach the height of 18 to 21 meters! The trees produce adventitious roots, which travel down to the ground around the parent and eventually grow into new trees (quite adventurous, you might say!).  

Mangroves are shrubs and trees which grow in dense thickets or forests along tidal estuaries, in salt marshes, and on muddy coasts. They have characteristic exposed supporting roots (prop roots). Many species also have respiratory or knee roots, which project above the mud and have small openings through which air enters, passing through the soft spongy tissue to the roots beneath the mud. 

Fot. Amr El Sawah

They are extremely important to the coastal ecosystems they inhabit. What they do, is serve as a buffer between marine and terrestrial communities. This way they protect shorelines from damaging winds, waves, and floods. Mangrove thickets generally improve water quality by filtering pollutants and trapping sediments from the land - and they reduce coastal erosion! How incredible is that? Ecologically, they provide habitats for many different terrestrial organisms, and multiple coastal and offshore fish and shellfish rely exclusively on mangroves as their breeding, spawning, and hatching grounds. Because of their high salt tolerance, mangroves are often among the first species to colonize mud and sandbanks flooded by seawater. Sadly, increased coastal development, altered land use and the timber industry has led to a decline in global populations. In addition, studies conducted specifically in the Red Sea area (where Qulaan is located) show that human activity, including tourism and fishing have also led to a change in the distribution patterns of heavy metal sediments, which can - in the long run - lead to unprecedented disruptions in this fragile ecosystem. As a result, many species of mangroves are quickly becoming endangered.

Qulaan is located near Marsa Alam within the Wadi El Gemal Protected Area, Hamata

This map shows how "deep south" this place actually is!

How to Be a Better Tourist

It is mind-blowing to realize how massive an industry tourism actually is! It's scale can only be compared to drug trafficking and prostitution... As such, it's impact, not only on the environment, the people affected by it and the services involved, but on the entire planet is virtually unmeasurable. This meant that as tourists we have enormous power to shape the world. But we musn't forget that with power comes responsibility... Responsibility towards the economies we are part of, the local communities, we come into contact with and the natural environments we so admire and also alter (often without realizing so). 

So, what can each of us do to help protect such places like Qulaan, so that they are preserved for the birds, crabs, marine life, and for the local community - who all depend on it for their livelihood - and also future generations? Here's a few things to remember on your next vacation in Marsa Alam:

1. Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footsteps... You've heard that one before, right? Would it surprise you if I said, that when you post photos from endangered places on social media, you are also responsible for the future of these places? So, make sure you post mindfully and do your research about the places you visit! Stay on the designated trails - "off-road" pics in protected areas are not cool.

2. Don't walk on coral reefs. In fact, don't touch them at all!

3. Be mindful of the natural environment. Loud music, e.g. may disturb wildlife (not to mention the humans around you).

4. Don't take seashells home from the beach. They are homes for hermit crabs, who are essentially born  "naked" and need to change shells several times during their lives, as they grow. We need to make sure there are enough shells for them to use!

5. Don't pee in the sea, especially near coral reefs. This one might come as a surprise. It sure did for me! Turns out that pee, when concentrated, alters the local environment and leads to destruction of these fragile ecosystems. So, pee on land!

6. Don't litter. This one might be a no-brainer, but somehow there's still tons of garbage on every beach. Many people don't realize how far trash actually travels around the world, eventually always ending up in the oceans, killing marine life and littering beaches. Also, pick up the garbage you find on the beach and throw it away where it belongs. 

7. Don't fish around coral reefs.

8. Be a conscious consumer and support local communities in a mindful way. 

9. Avoid sunscreen when snorkeling and diving. Its extremely harmful to the reef ecosystem. Cover up with clothing instead!

10. Be mindful of the way you travel and where your food comes from when you do. Avoid soul-less resorts, cruise ships and any kind of all-inclusive vacation packages. These kinds of holidays don't benefit anyone - they pollute the environment, deprive local communities, and leave you clueless about the places you visit.

Beach clean-up during the 3alganoob Festival. Fot. Amr El Sawah

Beach clean-up during 3alganoob Festival. Fot. Amr El Sawah

Further watching and reading on this topic:

Atmax69. "MARSA ALAM - Qulaan Mangrove Bay Forest." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcTS510ltVw.

Counterpart's Study on Mangroves Calls for an International Presence in Future Mitigation Strategies. (2013). Counterpart International. https://www.counterpart.org/stories/counterparts-study-on-mangroves-calls-for-an-international-presence-in-futu/.

Dar, M.A., El-Metwally, M.E.A. & El-Moselhy, K.M.I. Distribution patterns of mobile heavy metals in the inshore sediments of the Red Sea. Arab J Geosci 9, 221 (2016). https://doi-org.ezproxy.its.uu.se/10.1007/s12517-015-2205-9.

El Shimi. R. "Qulaan Islands: Paradise in the Deep South." http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/qulaan-islands.htm. 

Haupt, G. "Qulaan Mangroves Wadi el Gemal Marsa Alam Egypt 2019." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LrcCbgKpvs.

Mandrove. Britannica Academic. 

https://academic-eb-com.ezproxy.its.uu.se/levels/collegiate/article/mangrove/50530.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.  https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=mangrove&searchType=species.

Fot. Daria Ofman

3alganoob Festival (2013). Fot. Amr El Sawah

A drumming circle on the beach at the 3alganoob Festival (2013). Fot. Amr El Sawah

Naizak - a natural pool formed by a meteor on the edge of a coral reef near Marsa Alam. 3alganoob Festival (2013).. Fot. Amr El Sawah