Regional Park of The Salt Flats of San Pedro del Pinatar

1. Regional Park of The Salt Flats of San Pedro del Pinatar The Regional park “Las Salinas y Arenales of San Pedro del Pinatar”

2. Region of Murcia Mediterranean Sea

3. Special Protection Area for birds

4. Specially Protected Area of ​​interest for the Mediterranean.

5. Area: 856 Hectares

6. The Regional park “Las Salinas y Arenales of San Pedro del Pinatar” is a resting area for many migratory birds. Every year flocks of flamingos and other migratory birds nest here and use this national space as their connection between Africa and Europe.

8. The salt flats in San Pedro del Pinatar form the most important wetlands in the entire region. They were declared National Park in 1985.

10. There are many bird species, although the most spectacular ones are flamingos, who arrive in flocks at the end of the summer to spend the winter here. They are between 47 and 57 inches (1.2 to 1.5 meters) long from bill tip to tail, and they weigh between 4.6 to 9.0 pounds (2.1 to 3.4 kilograms). The males are larger than the females.

11. Flamingo adults are white with a little pink in color (the color depends on the food they eat).

12. Diet: Flamingos sweep their heads upside down in shallow water and pump the water in and out of their bills with their tongues. Small water organisms get sucked into their mouths between the comblike bristles in their bills. Their food includes insects, brine shrimp, snails, seeds, algae, and diatoms.

13. It seems to prefer areas with plenty of mud and water, such as salt lakes, freshwater lakes and other lagoons. This park is a haven not only for the flamingos but also for many other birds

14. Gaviota picofino Cigüeñuela Gaviota común Zampullín Gaviota reidora Gaviota audoin Garceta común Aguja colinegra Vuelve piedras

15. Gallineta Tarro blanco Canastera común Chorlitejo patinegro Cerceta común Aguja colipinta Avoceta Ánade friso Ostero

16. Also mammalian Delfín mular Comadreja

17. Eslizón ibérico Also reptilian Lagartija colirroja Tortuga boba

18. A also, sadly, endangered species Fartet Caballito de mar

19. In the sea ​​floor we can find The “poseidonia oceanica”

20. We can find plants in saline environments

21. Plants in saline environments

22. Interesting places: The Regional Park of Salinas de San Pedro is a unique Mediterranean coastal landscape where in a small area you can see several morphological formations such as salt flats, salt marshes, reedbeds, beaches and dunes.

24. Beaches and dunes

25. marsh

39. Salt flats

40. Documents from the 14th century already mentioned them. The two windmills that are still standing were used for many years to extract the water from the Mar Menor into the storage lagoons. Today they have been replaced by electric pumps, but their silhouette is still an important element of the landscape.

42. Salt ponds

49. Two curiosities Mud Baths Encañizadas for fishing

50. "encañizadas" Traditional fishing system typical in the Mar Menor used to capture the fish entering the lagoon from the Mediterranean thanks to a complex network of logs and reeds.