Utría National Natural Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Utría National Natural Park
Parque Nacional Natural Utría
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Mangroves along the shore of the park
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Location	Chocó Department, Colombia
Nearest city	Tribugá
Area	54,300 ha (210 sq mi)
Designation	National park
Created	October 1987
Administrator	SINAP

The Utría National Natural Park (also called Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría in Spanish) is a special protected area in the Chocó Department of Colombia. It is a national park that protects amazing plants and animals.

This park has a very green, mountainous rainforest. It gets some of the most rain in the world, up to 10,000 millimeters (about 394 inches) every year! The park also protects the ocean environment along the coast. It is famous for humpback whales that come here to have their babies in a special lagoon. Sea turtles also come to the beaches to lay their eggs. Visitors can stay here, and local people from the area help provide fun and educational tours.

Where is Utría Park?

Utría National Natural Park is located on the Pacific coast of Colombia. It is in the Chocó Department. The park covers parts of several towns like Bahía Solano and Nuquí.

The park is home to the Emberá indigenous group. They have kept their old traditions alive. There are also fishing villages along the coast where Afro-Colombian people live. Both groups care deeply about protecting nature.

The park is named after the Ensenada de Utría, which means Utría Cove. This is a huge saltwater lagoon at the park's entrance. It is surrounded by gray beaches and mangrove trees. The park was created in 1987. It covers about 54,380 hectares (134,375 acres) of both land and sea. The land in the park goes from sea level up to 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) high. It includes part of the Baudó mountains. Several rivers and streams start in the park, like the Condoto River.

The weather here is warm and wet. Temperatures usually range from 23 to 30 degrees Celsius (73 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit). At sea level, the average temperature is 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit). This part of Chocó is one of the wettest places on Earth. It rains on more than 300 days each year! The most rain falls in October, and the least in February.

Ocean Life in Utría Park

The park's coast has beautiful coral reefs. These reefs are home to 11 different types of coral found in the Pacific Ocean. Some corals look like branches, while others are flat.

About 81 types of mollusks live here. These include the giant conch and ark clams. Local communities often eat these. There are also over 180 kinds of fish. They range from tiny goby fish to the giant whale shark, which is the biggest fish in the world!

Sea Turtle Nesting

Sea turtles come to the beaches in Utría Park to lay their eggs. The olive ridley sea turtle is the most common one seen nesting on Cuevita beach. Other turtles like the leatherback sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, and green sea turtle also visit sometimes.

Dolphins and Whales

You can see common bottlenose dolphins and other oceanic dolphins all year round. Sometimes, larger visitors like sperm whales and killer whales also pass by.

One of the most exciting things is when humpback whales visit. They come from June to November. They use Utría Cove as a safe place to give birth to their calves. This usually happens from August to October.

Forest Life in Utría Park

The forest in Utría Park has many types of trees. Some are used for timber, like cohíba, which is a symbol of the Chocó Department. Other trees, like caracolí, are used to build boats. There are also trees like oquendo that local people use to make crafts.

Many palms grow here, such as chontaduro and mil pesos. These are important food sources for the people living nearby. The iraca palm is used to make crafts. The park also has many medicinal plants. Seven out of ten types of mangrove trees found on Colombia's Pacific coast grow here.

Forest Animals

The forest is full of amazing animals. You might see a jaguar or a cougar. There are also different kinds of deer, wild pigs called peccaries, and monkeys like the mantled howler and black-headed spider monkey. Other animals include the giant anteater, brown-throated sloth, and lowland paca.

The park has many reptiles and amphibians. It is also a birdwatcher's paradise! About 380 different kinds of birds live in the forest. This is a huge number of bird species in one place.

Visiting Utría Park

Utría Park is open for visitors! You can fly from Medellín to Bahía Solano or Nuquí. From Bahía Solano, you can take a road to El Valle village. Then, it's about a three-hour walk through the rainforest to the park.

You can also take a boat from Buenaventura to Bahía Solano, Nuquí, or El Valle. This boat trip takes about 26 hours. From there, it's a shorter boat ride (30 to 50 minutes) to the park.

The park has a visitor center called Jaibaná. It has an information center, a restaurant, and cabins where up to 31 people can stay.

A local group called Corporación Mano Cambiada helps with eco-tourism services. There are several walking trails in the park that are easy to moderate in difficulty. The park has beautiful beaches where you can swim, snorkel, or scuba dive.

When you visit, you need to bring your ID and medical insurance. You also need to have had tetanus and yellow fever shots at least ten days before your visit. To help protect the park, please remember:

• Do not bring alcohol or pets.
• Do not bring firearms.
• Do not make loud noises that could disturb the animals.
• Do not make fires.
• Do not use sprays or soaps that are not good for the environment.
• Always take all your trash with you when you leave.

Sources

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional natural Ensenada de Utría para niños