Khenifiss

Khenifiss National Park is situated on the Atlantic coast of southern Morocco in the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region of Western Sahara, approximately 100 kilometres north of Tarfaya. The park, established to protect the Khenifiss lagoon (Oued Chbika) and surrounding coastal desert ecosystems, covers approximately 176,000 hectares including a large marine zone. The Khenifiss lagoon is one of the most important waterbird wintering sites on the Atlantic coast of Africa, supporting tens of thousands of flamingos, waders, and terns. The park lies within the Saharan coastal upwelling zone where the cold Canary Current generates exceptional marine productivity. The combination of a protected lagoon, open Atlantic coastline, coastal desert, and offshore marine habitat makes Khenifiss an ecologically extraordinary coastal protected area.