![]() ![]() Fish are happy because there’s plenty of food for nurturing their young. Crabs are happy because of their mangrove deal. “They’re a hotspot for diversity,” he says. He describes the mangroves as “ecosystem engineers,” which not only build up their own habitats but create the perfect environment for scores of other species. ![]() This is an environmental success story, says John Burt, associate professor of biology at New York University Abu Dhabi, who can sometimes be found paddle boarding around the emirate’s waters as part of his team’s research to map the gray mangrove’s genetic data. For every tree lost to development elsewhere, three more are planted. Government and private planting programs have led to an expansion of mangrove areas in recent years, both at Jubail but also Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Mangrove Park. “The clarity of water, the natural wildlife. “There’s no other place in the UAE that can compare to here,” he says proudly. Dulawen and his fellow guides help, assiduously scooping up any stray trash and chasing off unwanted guests. The serenity of this corner of Abu Dhabi is partly down to the fact it’s off-limits to the jet skis and pleasure craft which buzz up and down other areas of coastline. The gray mangrove roots sprout mini-forests of tubes which poke above water allowing the plant to breathe. Dulawen says turtles are frequent visitors. In the clear water, upside-down jellyfish can be seen drifting over the swaying seagrass. Yet, with bathtub-warm waves splashing over the kayaks as Dulawen gently points out a roll call of plants and creatures, a dreamlike quality hangs in the air.Ĭrab plover birds and green herons flap here and there among the trees, landing to stalk across the soft sediment. In the unrelenting heat of an Arabian summer afternoon, out on the water, the mangroves should feel intolerable. He says local Bedouins have traditionally used it as a medicine for treating gassy camels or horses.Ī yellow flower blooming on the roots of the samphire is a desert hyacinth, a parasitic plant often harvested for medicinal uses including, says Dulawen, a natural alternative to Viagra. There’s green and stubby salt marsh samphire, similar to the plant often found as a kitchen ingredient. It’s part of the process that allows them to grow in seawater that would be toxic to other plants.ĭulawen points out some other plants that form the local ecosystem. Pulling the kayaks up onto a pristine sandy beach that only emerges at low tide – a perfect desert island – Dulawen invites closer inspection of mangrove leaves which appear to be sweating salt. How Abu Dhabi became the world's hottest cycling city Scientists say the hardy trees are also helping restore the planet, soaking up and storing away carbon dioxide, encouraging biodiversity and staying one step ahead of climate change. It’s not just humans who benefit from the restorative powers of the mangroves. “If you’ve had a very bad day, it’s a great place to relax.” ![]() “Being here is a healing process like yoga, especially at sunrise or sunset,” says Dickson Dulawen, a veteran guide who leads regular kayak or electric boat tours of the mangroves when the tides rise high enough to let small boats venture into the heart of the forest. Visitors can while away hours here, listening to the call of birds, the watery slap of leaping fish and the lapping of waves. It’s a tranquil world away from the shimmering skyscrapers and heat-hazed hustle of downtown Abu Dhabi, albeit just a short drive away. Opened as a tourist attraction just before the pandemic, the park now has a handsome wood-clad reception center and a network of inviting boardwalks that thread through the trees and over the water, offering close-up views of the flora and fauna of this stunning spot. Jubail Mangrove Park is a green expanse of gray mangrove trees on the northeastern edge of Abu Dhabi’s Al Jubail island, where shallow tidal waterways spill out into the clear blue Arabian Sea. Yet in one corner of Abu Dhabi, where briny waters lap sun-scorched shoreline, there’s a forest not only surviving, but thriving – creating a natural sanctuary for wildlife and an extraordinarily peaceful escape from the intensity of the UAE’s desert and cities. An intensely salty sea which warms to planet-beating temperatures at the height of summer is a hostile place for most vegetation to survive.
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