Ashtum El-Gamil Protectorate

Ashtum el-Gamil is a protectorate located about 7 km from Port Said on the coastal road of Damietta in Egypt. Ashtum el-Gamil lies at the eastern end of the sandbar separating Lake Manzala from the Mediterranean Sea. Lake Manzala is the most important wetland in Egypt. It's winter water birds come and it has around a quarter million different birds visit every year. Some rare species of birds which visit this protectorate are Little Gull, Larus minuta, Whiskered Tern and Chlidonias hybridus. Due to its natural setting, Ashtum el-Gamil is one of the most beautiful protectorates in the country.

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

The Climate at Ashtum el-Gamil

Ashtum el-Gamil protectorate has a typical Mediterranean climate with temperatures in winters usually ranging between 12 to 20 degree Celsius and 18 to 33 degrees Celsius in the summer. The annual rainfall is less than 150 mm and the winds here are mostly northeastern during summers and southeastern and western during winters due to the interactions of the wind exchange between the sea and the lake. The average temperature of the water is about 13 degrees in winters and 30 degrees in summers.

Flora and Fauna In The Area

Most shallow areas at Ashtum el-Gamil have a variety of plants like Phragmites, Potamogeton, Ceratophyllum and the Najas species. A 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 and Luscinia svecica.

In addition to birds, there are a large species of fishes caught in the lake including 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 offers an unfiltered experience of the beauty of nature and 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 Il Mercato and also Lake Burullus is a place worth visiting. Bird watching at the lake is an experience which will thrill you with beauty.