Guadeloupe National Park

Guadeloupe National Park, established on 20 February 1989 on the French Caribbean island of Basse-Terre, protects two-thirds of the island's tropical rainforest across a core area of about 173 square kilometers, with an additional buffer zone of roughly 162 square kilometers and a marine reserve of about 37 square kilometers. Its terrain ranges from about 250 meters up to 1,467 meters at La Soufriere, an active volcano, and includes Carbet Falls, the twin peaks known as Les Mamelles, and the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve, which holds nearly half of Guadeloupe's mangrove swamps. Designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1992, the park supports 17 mammal species, 33 bird species including the endemic Guadeloupe woodpecker, sea turtles, and an especially rich insect life that includes Hercules beetles and black witch moths.