Protected Areas of the Bay Islands National Marine Park
Created for marine managers, environmental educators, tourists and residents: an interactive map tour of MPAs in coastal Honduras.
The Bay Islands National Marine Park (BINMP) encompasses water surrounding three islands, governed by four municipalities off the north coast of Honduras. The marine park was created in 1997 after the Bay Islands were declared as a Tourism Zone in 1982 (and later as an Ecological Conservation Zone in 1989). The area encompasses over 260 square kilometers of marine area on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. It is comprised of multiple different types of zones that help natural resource managers ensure sustainability of important marine resources. The color-coded zones in the map below indicate the type of protection afforded to each marine area within the area called the "special marine zone" of the park, which extends from the high tide line on the three islands out to the 60 meter depth contour.
Protected Areas of the Bay Islands National Marine Park. Colors indicate the type of protection afforded to each area, and the green buffer line delineates the extent of the marine park.
Hawksbill turtle in Utila. Gil Sassi Photography.
Whale Shark in Utila's special marine zone. Shaun Doyle Photography.
Divers over a reef in Utila. Gil Sassi Photography.
