Terraba River Mangroves

First classified as "Forest Reserve" in 1977 and then later registered as a Wetlands International RAMSAR site in 1995, the Terraba River mangroves encompass 30,654 ha. The site is entirely state owned and managed by the Ministry for the Environment and Energy.

Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes 25° N and 25° S. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater (30 to 40 ppt), to water of over twice the salinity of ocean seawater, where the salt has become concentrated by evaporation. Mangroves form a characteristic saline woodland or shrubland habitat called mangrove swamp, mangrove forest, mangrove or mangal. Mangals are found in depositional coastal environments where fine sediments (often with high organic content) collect in areas protected from high energy wave action. They occur both in estuaries and along open coastlines. Mangroves dominate three quarters of tropical coastlines.

There are many resident and migratory bird species often found in Terraba Sierpe including herons, egrets, cotingas, and pandion haliaetus. Common mammals include agouti paca and lutra annectens; and reptiles caiman crocodilus, crocodylus acutus and tree boas. 
Many of these species depend on this ecosystem for their complete life cycle; reproduction, growth and feeding.

The Terraba-Sierpe wetland is characterized by a woodland ecosystem with periodically flooded swamps and mangrove forest, palm swamp forest, sandy beaches and cliffs and covers the mouths of the Terraba and Sierpe Rivers and adjacent lagoons of Sierpe and Porvenir. The Terraba River is the main source of freshwater into the estuarine system and it drains a basin of approximately 5,000 square kilometers. Its main tributary is the General River along with its tributaries.

The wetland is also used by tour operators as a bird and nature tour attraction, to promote the beautiful landscape, flora and fauna. Very few people live in the Terraba Sierpe Mangroves and the main human settlements are in the surrounding communities of Sierpe, Palmar and Cortes.