Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park
PNN Bahía Portete – Kaurrele
Bahía Hondita, close to the park
Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park Location in Colombia
Location	Colombia
Nearest city	Uribia
Area	14,080 ha (54.4 sq mi)
Designation	National Natural Park
Established	20 December 2014
Administrator	SINAP

The Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park is a special protected area in Colombia. It's located in Uribia, a region called La Guajira. This park is the northernmost national park on the mainland of South America! It sits right on the Caribbean coast, between two important points: Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas.

This park was created on December 20, 2014. It's one of Colombia's newest national parks, designed to protect amazing plants and animals both on land and in the sea. Colombia has many protected areas, and this park helps keep its natural treasures safe.

About the Park
- Amazing Animals and Plants
  - Animals
  - Plants
Other Protected Areas in La Guajira
Images for kids
See also

About the Park

Bahía Portete Park is located in the northern part of the municipality Uribia

Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park covers about 14,080 hectares (that's like 34,800 football fields!). It's in the very north of Colombia, on the La Guajira peninsula. The park is part of the Uribia area.

The weather here is usually hot and dry. This is because it's close to the desert of La Guajira. Temperatures are often between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius (82-86°F). But near the coast, it feels more humid because of winds coming from the sea. The bay itself is about 9 meters (30 feet) deep on average, but some parts can be as shallow as 3 meters (10 feet) or as deep as 20 meters (66 feet).

Long ago, when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, this bay was known as El Portichuelo. It was a place where people were brought into Colonial Colombia. Today, about 500 Wayuu indigenous people live in this area. They are the native people of this land.

The Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park was created to protect the ocean and coastal areas of the La Guajira peninsula. The idea for the park started in 2003. The local Wayuu communities helped a lot in planning and setting up this protected area. When the park was officially announced, the president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, said something important: "Biodiversity is to Colombia, what oil is for the Arabs." This means that Colombia's amazing variety of life is as valuable as oil is to other countries. To keep the park safe, activities like mining and large-scale fishing are not allowed.

Amazing Animals and Plants

Crested caracara in La Guajira desert

The park is home to many different kinds of life. Scientists have found 25 types of reptiles and amphibians here. There are also many marine animals, with 217 different species recorded in Bahía Portete. The park is truly rich in biodiversity.

Animals

You can find many interesting animals in Bahía Portete – Kaurrele Park. Here are just a few examples:

Mammals: Look for the nine-banded armadillo, red-tailed squirrel, and the crab-eating fox.
Reptiles: Keep an eye out for the American crocodile, green iguana, and different kinds of snakes like the brown vine snake.
Sea Turtles: This park is a very important home for several types of sea turtles, including the green sea turtle, loggerhead, hawksbill sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, and olive ridley sea turtle.
Birds: Many beautiful birds live here, such as the colorful American flamingo, brown pelican, cocoi heron, and the striking scarlet ibis. You might also spot the Crested caracara flying overhead.
Fish: The waters are full of fish like the slender seahorse, common snook, and different types of snapper.
Crabs and Shells: You can find the blue land crab, Caribbean spiny lobster, and beautiful shells like the queen conch.

Plants

The coastal areas of Bahía Portete Park have more plants than the dry desert around them. Some common plants you'll see on land include the cactus called Opuntia wentiana. In the water, you'll find mangrove trees like Avicennia germinans. The sea floor is covered with wide meadows of sea grasses, such as Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium. These sea grasses are very important for many marine animals.