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The delta of the Moulouya represents a wet zone of primordial importance to the health, economy and future of the inhabitants of Oriental Morocco. From its springs high in the Middle Atlas Mountains to its outlet into the Mediterranean Sea, the Moulouya is a source of life and energy, and home to a rich and preserved fauna and flora.
With the influence of both the desert to the south and the sea to the north, the region of Saïdia is a privileged environment where all the elements for a balanced ecosystem come into place.
Fauna and flora The diversity of the fauna is a genuine treasure. Among the numerous exceptional species found in this environment are: Barbary deer, Atlas squirrel and hedgehog, camel, vulture, dolphin, coyote, lynx, antelope, fennec and osprey. Species of snakes are also quite numerous.
The Atlas lion is extinct and the elephant is a distant memory. But the bird population is quite healthy and diverse.
Particularly present in the Moulouya outlet area, several species of birds can be found: Great Osprey, Purple Crowned Crane, Red-breasted Merganser, Melanocephala and Herring Gulls, forest and meshed turtledoves… Morocco hosts an exceptionally diverse and dense flora as well with more than 4500 species. Climate and terrain variations are the principal reasons for such green wealth.
The region is a botanical hot spot and one of many such points of great interest is the 6 million acres of forest cover where are found: Cedar, Date-Palm trees, Almond and Olive trees, Acacia, green and cork Oaks, Pine trees, Eucalyptus, Arbutus, Alfa and the famous Argan tree.
Natural Diversity
• Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is an almost completely closed off body of water located between Europe, Africa and Asia.
Its sole opening to the Atlantic Ocean through the Gibraltar Strait is only 9 miles wide. The Mediterranean climate is split between a wet and mild winter and a dry and hot summer. Low rain fall and river outflow cause a higher salinity and warmer water temperature than the Atlantic Ocean.
The Mediterranean Sea allows exceptional access to Europe, the Maghreb and the Eastern world.
With waters where fish abound, the fishing related industry is varied and prosper. The Mediterranean Sea presents to you all its beauty so you can experience unforgettable moments while gently rocked by the mellow rhythm of the waves and dazzled by the sun sparkling on the sea.
• Mountain The Middle Atlas is a mountain range spreading over 220 miles, located north-west of Morocco, between the Rif and the High Atlas Mountains and covering a total area of 2.3 million hectares. The climate is hot and dry in summer and cold in winter. It is a territory of unique beauty, exceptionally rich fauna and flora. In the heart of this mountain range, the cities and villages offer stunning scenery admired by trekkers and nature enthusiasts who come to marvel at the beauty of the mountains and lakes. The lake trail crosses wild landscapes, high lush uplands and sprawling forests inhabited by Magot monkeys.
The Middle Atlas offers varied scenery: rich, lush, dry, rocky that will enchant the visitor.
• Desert The desert is an expanse of dry sand and rocks, hostile to life where daytime temperatures can exceed 113°F. Nevertheless, travelling in the desert brings a sense of serenity and harmony.
Discover burning dunes, abysmal canyons, lush oasis perched on a rock formation overlooking emerald lakes, sumptuous Kasbahs, open bone-dry landscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see in a myriad of golden and ocher hues, and peaceful green oasis where Date-Palm trees and Pomegranate trees welcome you in their cool shade.
Take a stroll on the trails running through the fields and experience an atmosphere that hasn’t changed from time immemorial: an old Berber man travelling on his donkey, an old man bent under the weight of a huge load of fodder. |
