Scientists have raised alarm as the Indian Ocean waters surge to the beaches located south of the historic Vasco da Gama pillar in Malindi, which has prompted investors to construct buffer zones.
Walls, boulders and bags filled with sand have been put up by hotel and villa owners to protect their properties from sea erosion happening on beaches in Watamu.
Mariposa, Coral Key, Plan Group Hotel, Billionaire Resort, Turtle Bay, Medina Palms, Hemmingway Resort and Watamu Water Sports are among facilities that have put up the barriers.
The sea erosion has formed a beautiful land mass composed of sand dunes and silt towards the North of Vasco da Gama pillar beginning from Bunthwani to the mouth of River Sabaki.
The beautiful land mass has inspired Kilifi County government to construct a multimillion 9km Malindi waterfront similar to Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa.
Photographs seen by the Nation, which are stored at Malindi Museum, indicate that the Indian Ocean waves could hit the House of Column roofs in Bunthwani at high tides around 1970s.
Natural phenomena
Dr Mohamed Omar, a KWS wetland and marine reserves scientist, said although the Malindi Marine Park erosion might have resulted from natural phenomena, the agency is concerned about the situation.
“This is a natural phenomenon, that is why Physical and Land Use Act prohibits building at least 60 metres from the high water mark, to address the problem of erosion, but the policy has not been respected by most people,” he noted.
An Island composed of sand deposits famously known as Kadeina among locals and merrymakers has been formed in the Indian Ocean. It is accessed only during low tides through the Malindi Marine Park.
Next to the park is a hotel owned by Italian businessman and former Formula One boss Flavio Briatore whose Billionaire Resort is also at risk of destruction.
So far, Mr Briatore has erected walls, boulders and geotextile bags filled with sand to protect his property after the sea began encroaching into the hotel land.
Fishermen and boat operators at Marine park led by their chairman Twalib Ali have condemned the investor for building a buffer zone, accusing him of causing sea erosion to the park.
“Several years ago, we tried to stop the investor from building the sea wall but we did not succeed and now the sandy beach and over 200 trees at Marine Park have been swept away by the sea.” Mr Ali said their main source of income has been affected since tourists have begun shying away from the park since their boats are destroyed by strong waves.
However, Dr Omar, who is also the KWS wetlands and marine reserves assistant director, said the best way to protect Malindi Marine Park is to create water breaks and boulders instead of beach walls, which also destroy turtle nesting places.
“Naturally, the beach is not a static entity in the marine environment, so during the South East monsoon wind, you will observe erosion in all beaches along the Kenyan Coast and during the North East Monsoon, you will observe a lot of disposition of sediments,” added Mr Omar.
Save marine park
The Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC) chairperson, North Coast region, Ms Maureen Awuor, who is also the Ocean Beach Resort general manager, called for the construction of a long sea wall to save the marine park from erosion.
“Currently, there is no more Marine Park, the parking space has been eroded because of the wall that was built by the billionaire. If the government allows construction of a wall, it should build a wall along the whole Marine Park to stop erosion,” she said.
Already, the government is constructing Sh59 million sea wall around Vasco da Gama pillar built by the famous Portuguese explorer in 1498 after it developed huge cracks due to sea erosion.
The NMK Coast regional underwater archaeologist, Dr Caesar Bita, said there are many dynamics played by the ocean, which may lead to such kind of scenario, witnessed both on the North and South of Vasco da Gama pillar.
“River Sabaki could be the reason why there is siltation which brings in a lot of sand from upcountry. This is pushed back by the winds and strong ocean waves and deposited at the beach, forming a chunk of land on the northern side of Vasco da Gama pillar,” he said.
Dr Bita said they then discovered another shoreline extending into the mainland, towards Shela Old Town, dating to about 300 years ago with the beach lines having a difference of 100 years apart.
“This means that at 400 years ago, around 1400AD, where the Malindi Museum is located was in water going by the findings of archeological excavations carried out,” he said.
According to the underwater archeologist, by around 1700, the sea was receding, based on the findings of a shoreline dating 300 years ago and, around 1900, the Malindi Museum was located next to the beach.
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