Reserva de Producción Faunística Marino Costero Punta Santa Elena, Coastal wildlife reserve in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador.
The Reserva de Producción Faunística Marino Costero Punta Santa Elena is a coastal protected area encompassing beaches, rocky cliffs, and dry forests along the shoreline. The space combines marine and land environments that support different forms of wildlife.
The Las Vegas Culture, the earliest known human settlement in Ecuador, inhabited this peninsula and depended on ocean resources for survival. Archaeological remains found in the Santa Elena Peninsula document this ancient relationship with the sea.
Fishing families in the area rely on these waters for their traditional livelihood and daily sustenance. Their practices shape how the coastal communities interact with the ocean and its resources.
The reserve can be visited during daylight hours through several access points in the surrounding area. Public transport options connect nearby towns to the reserve zone.
The marine waters are home to sixteen species of aquatic mammals, including two sea lion species and multiple whale and dolphin species. These marine mammals depend on these waters as their natural habitat and feeding ground.
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