Ca Mau National Park

      It is said that in the past, people in the North who could not endure the exploitation of the feudal imperialists went Southwards and finally reached Ca Mau Cape, the Southernmost land of Vietnam, endowed with advantages by nature. They settled down and the more they lived there the more they understood their forefather’s saying “Forest is gold, sea is silver”. That area is home to Ca Mau National Park which still contains many mysteries yet to be discovered.
Located nearly 400km away from Ho Chi Minh City, Ca Mau National Park covering 41,862ha is a submerged area with a floral complex, mainly mangrove and Mam (avicenia, black mangrove) trees, very well-known domestically and internationally. This is an ecological system of natural salt-marsh forests with high values in terms of bio-diversity, landscapes, environment, culture and history. In the past the mangrove forest was rich in flora, but during the wars, most of primeval plants were destroyed and the situation deteriorated due to the conversion of forests to agricultural production and shrimp-raising. This has led to delegations of experts and scientists to come to the park to research its bio-diversity.
Doctor Dao Huy Giap, director of the scientists' research project told us its goal: "We prepare to inventory the bio-diversity, both in water and on land at Ca Mau National Park, define the threats to the eco-system, build a long-term bio-diversity supervising system and enhance the capacity of the cadres of the National Park via their direct participation in the bio-diversity surveys in the future".
We know that Ca Mau National Park is one of the important places in the national programme on preserving the bio-diversity of Vietnam where studies on water birds of the coastal areas in Vietnam and Asia-Pacific region have been undertaken. It has unique geo­graphical and geomorphologic characteristics to create an ecological area at river and sea estuaries, second-to-non in Vietnam. With a milestone, which marks the heroic feats of arm of Vietnamese people in the struggle for national salvation, historical relics and landscapes, the area has become an attractive tourist and entertainment site for domestic and foreign visitors.
It was very interesting to join the scientists in a survey trip. We took the motorboat to go through rivers and canals and made a trip to go through forests. With 22 categories of submerged trees which have been found, Ca Mau National Park is "a rare and precious source of genes". The typical submerged floral community includes natural regenerated forests of mangrove, bruguiera and Mam trees mingling with the date-palms, bear's breech and Rang trees. With special roots and high resistance to salt, Mam trees encroach on the sea with a high speed, first of all on the new mud ground, creating a density along the river mouth and strip of land adjacent to the coast.
The park also has a rich fauna. According to Dr. Nguyen Xuan Dang, an expert in the research team, there are 13 species of animals belonging to nine families, including two species listed in the Red Book of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). They are the long-tailed monkey (Panthera tigris) and Ca khu (Trachypithecus cristatus). The common species include otters, squirrels, polecats and monkeys. Every year, in August, flocks of birds migrate to the mangrove forests to make nests and live. According to the old data, Ca Mau National Park had 74 species of birds belonging to 23 families, including five species listed in IUCN Red Book, namely the Chinese stork (Egretta eulophotes), grey-legged pelican (Pelecanus philippinensis), Ibis leucocephalus, curved beak snipe (Numenius madagas­cariensis) and Threskisonis melanocephalus).
Only visiting Ca Mau Cape can visitors perceive the beauty of ranges of mangrove forests lying along the coastlines and river banks which serve as preventive walls against wind and erosion. The submerged trees are useful to promote the process of alluvial accumulation at sea. Each year the submerged flora on the western beach of the park extends nearly 100m into the sea, creating an ideal environment for the reproduction and development of shrimp, fish and mollusk..