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Jinack Island (also spelt Jenack, Ginak &
sometimes known as Paradise Island) is located off the north bank of the
estuary of The
Gambia River, separated from the mainland by the Niji Bolon and is part of the
National Park of Niumi which is a
marine protected delta area and is aiming to be an eco-tourist holiday
destination. The park was established in 1986 and has an
area of just over 4,900 hectares (49 sq. km) with (geographical coordinates:
13.30°N 16.30°W) and its boundaries start from
Barra Point right up to
the Senegalese border at the National Park of Saloum in Senegal
then east to the tributary of Masarinko Bolon. The island itself has over
11 kilometres of unspoilt, fairly shallow beaches which are often
visited by dolphins.
To get to the island you take a
ferry
from the port of
Banjul to Barra which costs less than 50 pence. From
Barra you then take a local taxi heading towards Fass then go left at Kanuma into the park. There are a couple of villages in the area:
Jinack Kajata and Niji. It is possible to make a day-trip excursion
there from Kololi resort if you set out fairly early in the morning.
A major part of the park encompasses several habitat types such as dry savannah grasslands,
coastal scrub, and woodland which is on an elevated rocky plateau
which has the Masarinko . Bolon tributary dividing it. The park itself
is riddled with wetlands, thick vegetation, fresh-water marshland,
tidal mud flats, mangrove swamps, farmland and lagoons.
Fauna
The resident
wildlife in the
area includes hump-backed and bottle-nose dolphins, green turtle, Nile crocodile, West
African manatee, hyenas, primates, duiker, snakes and lizards.
Bird Life:
There has been over 290
woodland and wetland bird species have been recorded here such as the
painted snipe, green pigeon, warblers, banded snake eagle and the
white fronted plover. There are also European migrant species who use
Jinack's
feeding grounds before heading south to other parts of Sub-Saharan
Africa.
Travel Information Guide:
Go
with plenty of personal supplies.
Places to Eat:
Camara Sambou Beach Bar
- Tel: 7789295
Note:
Another name for Jinack is "Treasure Island".
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