Watamu is a small town located approximately 105 km north of

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

and about 15 km south of

Malindi Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Sabaki River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi was 119,859 as of the 2019 census. It is the largest urban centr ...

on the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

coast of

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

. It lies on a small headland, between the Blue Lagoon and Watamu Bay. Its main economic activities are

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

. The town had a population of around 30,000 in 2020 and it is part of

Kilifi County Kilifi County is a County Located in the Kenyan coast. It was formed in 2010 as a result of a merger of Kilifi District and Malindi District, Kenya. Its capital is Kilifi and its largest town is Malindi . The county had a population of 1,45 ...

Overview

The shoreline in the area features white sand beaches and offshore coral formations arranged in different

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

s and beaches: Garoda Beach, Turtle Bay, Blue Lagoon Bay, Watamu Bay, Ocean Breeze, Kanani reef, and Jacaranda beach. They are protected as part of the

Watamu Marine National Park Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve is located in Kenya. Established in 1968, it was one of Kenya's first marine parks. It is located about north of Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city. Its coral gardens are from the shore and are home ...

. The

Marine Park A marine park is a designated park consisting of an area of sea (or lake) set aside to achieve ecological sustainability, promote marine awareness and understanding, enable marine recreational activities, and provide benefits for Indigenous peo ...

is considered one of the best

snorkeling Snorkeling (American and British English spelling differences#Doubled in British English, British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of human swimming, swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing ...

and

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), ...

areas on the coast of

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

. In order to assist the managing authorities namely the Kenyan Wildlife Service, in protecting the Park, local community groups, the tourist sector and environmental groups have formed a unique organisatio
Watamu Marine Association
Members of this group ar
Turtle BayHemingwaysOcean Sports
Arocha Kenya
Lonno Lodge
Mida Community Conservation group, Watamu Boat Operators, Safari Sellers and women's group. The ruins of Gedi (also known as Gede) are located near Watamu. File:Watamu Beach, Kenya 08.jpg Watamu Beach, Kenya Starfish.jpg Watamu Beach, Kenya 12.jpg File:Watamu Beach, Kenya 03.jpg Watamu Beach, Kenya 09.jpg

People of Watamu

According to archaeological findings, Watamu has been inhabited since the 13th Century. Watamu is home to the Bajuni people; who trace their origins to intermarriage between the local Giriama People and Arab traders. As of now, various tribes from inland Kenya such as the Luo, Kisii, Kikuyu, Kamba, Kalenjin, and Luhyas have all migrated to the area to work in the hotel industry. Notable people include: *

Masha Mapenzi Masha Mapenzi (born in Watamu, Kenya) is an African Gospel and Afro-fusion singer. Mapenzi performs in styles such as chakacha, taarab, bango and afrobeat. She was the winner on the first season of ''Pop Idol'' in Kenya, performing her own ren ...

, gospel singer.

In popular culture

's album which is titled ''Uhiko.'' Part of the events in the novel “Our Wild Sex in Malindi” (by

Andrei Gusev Andrei Evgenievich Gusev (, born 27 October 1952) is a Russian writer and journalist. He is the author of 10 inventions, 23 published scientific works. One of his co-authors is a winner of the Nobel Prize, a legend of the Soviet physics, the acad ...

) takes place in Watamu. The novel describes a few years living in the

's suburb of Russian writer Andy and his wife, Jennifer, who was born in Kenya.

Natural environment

A newly discovered species of the largest spitting cobra in the world (''

Naja ashei ''Naja ashei'', commonly known as Ashe's spitting cobra or the giant spitting cobra, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Africa. It is the world's largest species of spitting cobra. Etymology and taxo ...

'') was recently (2007) discovered in Watamu.Taylor, R
New Cobra Found in Watamu
/ref>

References

{{Authority control Swahili people Swahili city-states Swahili culture Kilifi County

Overview

People of Watamu

In popular culture

Natural environment

See also

References