Parks

Parks

17
Ramsar wetland / Sousse

Sebkhet Kelbia

Ramsar wetland
Sousse
Area
87.32KM2
Protected
2007

A shallow inland sebkha west of Sousse fed by the Nebhana and Merguellil wadis, historically one of the two great freshwater wetlands of Tunisia. In wet winters it fills and can hold very large numbers of waterbirds; in dry years it is a cracked plain.

Rules

A PERMIT IS NEEDED TO VISIT

PERMIT
No permit for the shore tracks; it is a declared nature reserve, so organised visits go through the forestry service.
SEASON
Winter and early spring after rain, when the sebkha holds water and birds.
RULES
No hunting, no vehicles on the bed of the sebkha.

Good to know

Habitat
Seasonally flooded inland sebkha with tamarisk and halophyte fringe
Wildlife
In flood years it has held on the order of 200000 waterbirds, including ducks, flamingos and waders
Status
Ramsar site 1710, designated 7 November 2007, 8732 ha; also a national nature reserve
Getting there
Near Kondar, about 30 km west of Sousse

Photographs

Sources

Photos: Astiosaurus (CC BY-SA 4.0), Denis Barthel (CC BY-SA 3.0)