Anhatomirim Environmental Protection Area

Anhatomirim Environmental Protection Area is a protected area to the north of Florianópolis on the coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Formation

The coastal marine reserve, with an area of, was created on 20 May 1992.
It is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.
The name comes from the island of Anhatomirim, on which a fortress was built by the Portuguese in 1735, later used as a political prison in the time of Floriano Peixoto.
It comprises an area of land opposite the Fortaleza de Santa Cruz de Anhatomirim and the surrounding water up to from the land.
It lies in the municipality of Governador Celso Ramos, Santa Catarina.
The area is IUCN protected area category V.
The purpose is to protect biological diversity and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources.
Specific goals include protecting the feeding and reproduction area of the resident population of Tucuxi freshwater dolphins, and protecting remnants of the Atlantic Rain Forest and water sources needed for survival of local fishing communities.

The terrain is generally flat or undulating, with the highest point at
Most of the forest is secondary Atlantic Forest in different stages of regeneration, but there is some preserved dense forest, mainly on the slopes of the Serra da Armação.
There are also small mangroves and sandbanks.
Migratory species include southern right whale, common bottlenose dolphin, La Plata dolphin, swallow-tailed kite, South American tern and rufous-thighed kite.
Protected species include loggerhead sea turtle, green sea turtle, La Plata dolphin and restinga tyrannulet.
The numbers of tourists visiting the waters by boat for dolphin watching has disturbed these animals, and some researchers have suggested limits if not an outright ban on this activity.