protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
in
French Guiana
French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The protected area is a wetland, and as of 2008, also a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
mudflats
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal ...
,
mangrove
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...
s, freshwater swamps and seasonally flooded savannahs. Crique et Pripri Yiyi is located on the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
coast in the communes of
Iracoubo
Iracoubo (; ) is a commune on the coast of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France, located in South America.
Geography
The settlement of Iracoubo, seat of the commune, is located between the settlement of Sinnamary and th ...
and
Sinnamary
Sinnamary (; ) is a town and commune on the coast of French Guiana, between Kourou and Iracoubo. Sinnamary was the second French settlement founded in French Guiana: the town was founded in 1664.
Sinnamary lies on the Sinnamary River and is ...
. The protected area is delimited by the and
Sinnamary River
The Sinnamary () is a river in French Guiana. It is long. It rises in the center of the country, flowing north until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, ocean ...
s.
Name
The word Pripri means
marsh
In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...
in
French Guianese Creole
French Guianese Creole (Kriyòl; also called variously Guianan Creole, Guianese Creole in English and Créole guyanais in French) is a French-based creole language spoken in French Guiana, and to a lesser degree, in Suriname and Brazil. It re ...
, and Yiyi was the nickname of Sylvain Sophie who lived in the village of
Trou Poisson
Trou Poisson is a village in the commune of Iracoubo in French Guiana. The village is near abandoned, and has a cemetery for priests deported during the French Revolution.
Overview
Trou Poisson was founded in the 1850s by Théodore Golitin. Arou ...
during the 19th century.
Flora and fauna
Crique et Pripri Yiyi is home to
West Indian manatee
The West Indian manatee (''Trichechus manatus''), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the Eastern United States to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it ...
s,
bush dog
The bush dog (''Speothos venaticus'') is a canine found in Central and South America. In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru; it was first described by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossils ...
s,
Capybaras
The capybara or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'') is the largest living rodent, native to South America. It is a member of the genus ''Hydrochoerus''. The only other extant member is the lesser capybara (''Hydrochoerus isthmiu ...
and
common squirrel monkey
Common squirrel monkey is the traditional common name for several small squirrel monkey species native to the tropical areas of South America. The term common squirrel monkey had been used as the common name for ''Saimiri sciureus'' before gene ...
s. The wetlands attract many migratory birds. The population of
semipalmated sandpiper
The semipalmated sandpiper (''Calidris pusilla'') is a very small shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific ''pusilla'' is Latin f ...
s can reach up to one million birds. Other birds include
masked duck
The masked duck (''Nomonyx dominicus'') is a tiny stiff-tailed duck ranging through the tropical Americas. Taxonomy
The only member of the genus ''Nomonyx'', it is intermediate between the rather primitive black-headed duck (''Heteronetta'') a ...
s,
Muscovy duck
The Muscovy duck (''Cairina moschata'') is a duck native to the Americas, from the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Mexico south to Argentina and Uruguay. The species has been Domestic Muscovy duck, domesticated, and feral Muscovy ducks can b ...
scarlet ibis
The scarlet ibis, sometimes called red ibis (''Eudocimus ruber''), is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven ex ...
es. The beach is a nesting and foraging area of the
green sea turtle
The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exte ...
The site can be accessed from RN1 near the town of
Sinnamary
Sinnamary (; ) is a town and commune on the coast of French Guiana, between Kourou and Iracoubo. Sinnamary was the second French settlement founded in French Guiana: the town was founded in 1664.
Sinnamary lies on the Sinnamary River and is ...
, and is called Maison de la Nature (House of Nature). A footpath has been constructed through the marshes. There are two observatories within the protected area and an observation tower near the entrance. There is an ecological museum on the site which can be visited free of charge.