Can Gio Mangrove

Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve lies in Can Gio district on the coast of Ho Chi Minh City, about 40 km south-east of the city centre. It covers 75,740 hectares^[1] and in 2000 became Vietnam's first UNESCO biosphere reserve^[1].

Recorded species include 18 molluscs, 27 crustaceans, 45 fish and 3 amphibians, with migratory shorebirds on the mudflats^[1]. Threatened birds such as Spot-billed Pelican and Painted Stork have been reported, and the site is an Important Bird Area^[1]. Long-tailed macaques live on the monkey islands^[2].

About 20,000 hectares are planted mangrove, mainly Rhizophora apiculata, and about 7,000 hectares are naturally regenerating mangrove^[1]. Seagrass beds hold Halophila, Halodule and Thalassia species^[1].

The reserve sits in a recently formed estuary of tidal flats where the Vam Co, Saigon and Dong Nai rivers reach the sea. The land is low and cut by canals and rivers^[1].

Southern Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate with a wet season and a dry season. The best time to visit is December to March^[2].

The natural mangrove was almost entirely destroyed by herbicides during the Second Indochina War. Replanting ran from 1978 to 1986^[1].

Part of the area became a coastal protection forest on 29 May 1991, and it became a biosphere reserve on 21 January 2000. The reserve management board was set up on 30 August 2000^[1].

Visitors can see the Sac forest tourism area and the monkey islands^[2].

The reserve can be reached from Ho Chi Minh City by bus No. 20 from Ben Thanh Market to Binh Khanh Ferry and bus No. 90 after the crossing, or by car in about 1.5 hours^[2].

The mangroves protect the coast from erosion and storm surges. Threats include cutting for timber and fuelwood, conversion to aquaculture ponds, destructive fishing, and oil and sewage pollution^[1].