Khor Kalba

 

On the east coast just south of Fujairah lies Khor Kalba, one of the last large areas of mangrove swamp left in the area. While the fishermen shelter their boats from the open sea close to the entrance, fish move well inland on the incoming tide and can be observed in the clear water. Here, shoals of smaller fish attract predators such as barracuda and mangrove snappers, as well as large ray and even sharks. Turtles come inshore here too, and have been known to lay their eggs on the raised beaches nearby.

 

The many crabs attract the attention of not only the fish, but birds as well. The collared kingfisher of Kalba is a unique sub-species only found in this restricted area, and the small population depends on the mangroves for their supply of crabs and shelter. The European kingfisher is a colourful winter visitor but does not encroach on their local relatives’ life-style, since they feed exclusively on small fish and leave the fiddler crabs to their collared colleagues.