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. Due to its natural setting, Ashtum el-Gamil became one of the most beautiful protectorates in the country.
Lake Manzala is the most significant wetland in Egypt. It’s winter, water birds come, and around a quarter-million birds visit yearly. Some rare birds visiting this Protectorate are Little Gull, Larus minuta, Whiskered Tern and Chlidonias hybridus. 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 use it as a breeding area. Birds that can be found here every year include flamingoes, swans, seagulls, and curlews.
There are three named mountains in the Ashtum El Gamil Protectorate. The highest and the most prominent mountain is Alawi al Gharaniq.
Ashtum el-Gamil protectorate was established in 1988 with the prime objective of conserving migratory birds. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) is responsible for its management.
Location of Ashtum el Gamil Protectorate
Ashtum el Gamil Protectorate is located on the coastal road between Port Said and Damietta, seven kilometres west of Port Said. The Protectorate stretches over 35 square kilometres; however, Tennis Island alone extends eight square kilometres.
The Climate at Ashtum el-Gamil
Ashtum el-Gamil protectorate has a typical Mediterranean climate, with temperatures in winter usually ranging between 12 to 20 degrees 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 wind exchange between the sea and the lake. The average water temperature is about 13 degrees in winter and 30 degrees in summer.
Ecology
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, many fish are 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.
Tourist Importance
Visiting this Protectorate offers an unfiltered experience of the beauty of nature, and there are also many nearby attractions which can turn this visit into a perfect holiday. Such places include Dream Park, which is a fantastic place. Another is an open-air shopping mall called Il Mercato, and Lake Burullus is worth visiting. Bird watching at the lake is an experience which will thrill you with beauty.
