Ashtum El Gamil Protectorate - Port Said Damietta

Ashtum El Gamil Protectorate - Port Said Damietta

Located in Egypt, at a distance of about 7 km from the Port Said, on the coastal road of Port Said Damietta, Ashtum el-Gamil is a protectorate. This protected area of Egypt lies at the eastern end of the sandbar separating the Lake Manzala from the Mediterranean Sea. Lake Manzala is known popularly as the most important wetland in Egypt where winter water birds come and also around a quarter million different birds visit the place every year. Some rare species of birds which visit this protectorate are Little Gull, Larus minuta, and Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybridus. Due to its natural setting this protected area of Egypt is often referred as a beautiful protectorate of the country.

Ashtum el-Gamil is touted to be a major stop for the migratory birds that come here to rest and eat after a long flying. Even after the area is being so polluted, birds still make use of the same as a breeding area. Some such birds that can be found here every year include the flamingoes, swans, seagulls and curlews. Referred as a natural reserve, Ashtum el-Gamil protectorate was established in the year 1988 with a prime objective of conserving migratory birds. The agency responsible for its management is the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA).

Climate at Ashtum El Gamil

The place has a typical Mediterranean climate with temperatures in winters usually ranging between 12 to 20 degree Celsius while in the summer it lies between 18 to 33 degrees Celsius. The annual rainfall is less than 150 mm and the winds seen here are mostly north eastern during summers and southeastern and western during winters due to the influence of the wind exchange between the sea and the lake. The temperature of the water is about 13 degrees in winters and 30 degrees in summers.

Flora and Fauna of the area

Most shallow areas at Ashtum el-Gamil are densely populated with rooted variety of plants like Phragmites, Potamogeton, Ceratophyllum: and Najas species. The protectorate is a place where many wintering and migratory birds come. Some species include Phalacrocorax carbo, Egretta alba, Ardea cinerea, Tadorna tadorna, Anas crecca, A. clypeata, Circus aeruginosus, Fulica atra, Recurvirostra avosetta, Charadrius alexandrinus, Calidris alba, C. minuta, C. alpina, Tringa totanus, Larus genei, Chlidonias hybridus, Alcedo atthis, Motacillidaes, Luscinia svecica.

In addition to birds there are a large species of fishes caught in the lake and at the entrance, freshwater fishes like Cichlidae (Tilapia), Siluridae, Cyprinidae and Serranidae, and euryhaline or haline fishes like Mugilidae, Anguillidae, Serranidae, Sparidae, Clupeidae and Pleuronectidae.

Why visit Ashtum El Gamil Protectorate

Visiting this protectorate can offer not just a treat of nature but there are many nearby attractions as well which can turn this visit into a perfect holiday. Such places include the Dream Park which is an amazing place. Another is an open air shopping Mall referred as II Mercato and also the Lake Burullus is a place worth visiting. Bird watching at the lake is an experience which cannot be just left alone when visiting this protectorate of Egypt.