Bubiyan Island

Bubiyan Island

Bubiyan Island is the biggest island in the Kuwaiti coastal island chain in the northwestern corner of the Persian Gulf. The island of Bubiyan is part of the Shatt al-Arab delta, it was formed by debris from the Tigris-Euphrates River. Archaeological evidence exists for the presence of humans between the Sassanid and early Islamic periods on Bubiyan, as shown by the recent discovery of torpedo pot sherds on a number of prominent coastal ridges. After Kuwait became the 169th signatory to the Ramsar Convention, the Mubarak al-Kabeer Reserve was designated the country's first Wetland of International Importance. The reserve, which covers 50 948 hectares and consists of small lagoons and shallow salt marshes, is an important stopover for migratory birds on two migration routes, from Turkey to India and from Eurasia to Africa. Among the breeding waterfowl is the world's largest breeding colony of Crab Plover, while the surrounding sea is a key nursery for many species of commercial fish. The water channels are breeding grounds for shrimps and sea snakes, like the Blue-Banded Sea Snake, which come here in summer to feed on mudskippers.