Mochima National Park ( ) is located in the States of

Anzoátegui ) , anthem = '' Himno del Estado Anzoátegui'' , image_map = Anzoategui in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_a ...

and Sucre (state), on the northeastern coast of

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. The park covers 94,935 hectares and is made up of an exclusively marine area in its western sector (Anzoátegui State), a coastal marine area that includes the Gulf of Santa Fé and Mochima Bay, and a mountainous area that covers the Turimiquire Dam watershed (Sucre State). Mochima Park was created to protect the montane forests of the Turimiquire Range and the country's eastern

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

marine landscapes. However, this is one of the most threatened parks in Venezuela. Recently two large construction projects have altered the park permanently. A new national highway is being constructed between Puerto La Cruz and Cumana running directly through the park deforesting a 70+ meter wide swath of parkland along its entire course. Adding to this dilemma is a new natural gas pipeline being built to the east running virtually parallel to the new highway. Other threats stem from the fact that when the park was created, many human settlements were included inside park boundaries and The National Park Institute (INPARQUES) has been unable to manage the situation properly. Even though educational policies have improved community relations, INPARQUES is highly deficient in terms of park management and administration.

History

Named after the town of Mochima, it is one of a number of national parks along Venezuela's northeast Caribbean coastline. Created in 1973 it was the second marine park in Venezuela and encompasses the entire shoreline between Puerto La Cruz and Cumaná plus 32 islands just offshore.

Geography

This coast is a mountainous zone with beaches, gulfs and inlets of extraordinary beauty. Because of various micro-climates, some areas have gigantic cliffs nearly devoid of vegetation dropping into the water while others are lush with jungle vegetation and sandy beaches. Many small towns have sprung up along the 50 km between the cities on either side (Puerto La Cruz and Cumaná).

Climate

Year-round temperatures range between 22 and 28 °C. Coastal climate has high temperatures and constant

trade winds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisp ...

from November until May, while it is a bit cooler with more humidity from June to October.

Size

The park is sizable 949 km².

Fauna and flora

Marine waters in the park are rich in cetacean diversities including such as

humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hu ...

s, bryde's whales, sperm whales,

pilot whale Pilot whales are cetaceans belonging to the genus ''Globicephala''. The two extant species are the long-finned pilot whale (''G. melas'') and the short-finned pilot whale (''G. macrorhynchus''). The two are not readily distinguishable at sea, ...

s, and several species of

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...

Gallery

File:Mochima.jpg, Beach in Mochima Park File:Danza en el mar.jpg, Long-beaked common dolphins nearby Isla de Plata File:Lanchas en el ambarcadero de Mochima II.jpg, Boats in Mochima Park File:Leguan im Wasser anagoria.JPG File:Venezuela - Mochima - Playa Manzanilla.jpg, Manzanilla Beach File:Playa Puinare, PN Mochima, edo. Anzoátegui.JPG, Puinare Island File:Mochima, Venezuela (12467569625).jpg File:Playa Punta la Cruz - Mochima - Venezuela.jpg File:Sol y palmeras.jpg File:Peñon en el Parque Nacional Mochima.JPG File:Parque Nacional Mochima2.JPG File:Rayos de Sol en Mochima.jpg File:Orilla de Playa en Isla del parque Nacional Mochima..jpg File:La Piscina The Pool (2935982391).jpg File:Parque Nacional Mochima pequeña Isla.jpg File:Mochima paraiso Venezolano 4.jpg File:Piedras en Isla el faro Parque Mochima.jpg

External links

* http://www.parkswatch.org/parkprofile.php?l=eng&country=ven&park=monp {{authority control National parks of Venezuela Marine reserves Protected areas established in 1973 Geography of Anzoátegui Geography of Sucre (state) 1973 establishments in Venezuela