Dennis Great 
MY ADVENTURE TO MANGROVE SWAMP AT IBEJU TOWN
Although it wasn’t easy to locate this place, with the help of Mr Mofu, who was the tour guide of mangrove swamp, gave me directions to where it was located. Mr Mofu is the tour guide to Mangrove Swamp, the way he answers my questions and talks how he developed this place into a tourist site and how he wants the world to come see it and explore on the swamp show’s he knows what tourism is all about. Mr mofu is a learned man who loves Tourism so much and also he’s a man who has the community at heart.
Anyways my journey begins at villarica beach resort where I was hosted to come explore and stay a day which was on Tuesday, from there I left there down to mangrove Swamp but I missed my way. At first I thought the mangrove swamp was located or closer to the fish market, then I entered a cab going to epe market. Immediately I got there I put a call across to Mr Mofu that I was already standing at the front of the fish market but he said to me don’t worry. Take your time to explore the fish market and once I’m done I should call him and he will give me the location of the mangrove Swamp. After exploring the fish Market, I called him and he said I should enter a cab going to ajah and drop at ibeju junction. Immediately I got to ibeju junction and called him telling him I was already standing at the junction. After some minutes, I got the call again which I picked up and I saw the person standing in the next street hanging a phone on his ear and I guess right he was the one. I looked at him and asked him are you Mr mofu and quickly replied me; no sir, he’s the son of Mr. mofu. Then we both rode a separate bike to his house. I sat down for a few minutes and had some discussion before I explored the mangrove Swamp.
When I got to the entrance of the mangrove swamp after a few minutes of work, I saw this local canoe that only had three (3) passengers seated. Very small canoe. At a point I was like my weight can make this canoe sink because it was so small and weak. Not until I entered inside the canoe then I realized in life do not underestimate whatever you see. That was where my journey to sail on the swamp began. Wow, it was really an adventure to explore the mangrove swamp or forest. Yes I will call it a forest because it has trees, shrubs and other plants growing in brackish trees that cover the water surface. At one point I was thinking if any deadly animal would attack us. But I have to bury my fear and Continue this journey because I wanted to see where this swamp ended. My canoeist was paddling the canoe carefully and we were passing through some narrow roads on the swamp where both left and right were covered with different plants and trees.
This mangrove swamp creates a sanctuary for an extraordinary range of creatures, three-fourths of all tropical fish are born here and countless reptiles and birds call this ecosystem home. They filter nutrients and toxins out of the water, provide protection in extreme weather, and are one of the most productive ecosystems. The moving plans and the rest were awesome.
We later sailed out from the narrow route and came out to a calm large water body. Where I saw different fishnet stages to trap fishes and very deep.
The surprising moment of my life at this adventure was when the tourguide told me when we got to the middle of the large water Bodies. The depth of the water will be 2ft but the rest is very deep and I was like he’s going to do some experiment, which we did and I discovered through the middle of the mangrove swamp not really deep in fact it didn’t pass the knees.
My tour guide said to me during the old times, this is where they come fetch water for drinking and cooking and you can also swim. I was now wondering how the villagers paddle their canoe here to fetch water and go back to the village. Even up till now, the village benefits from this swamp. Like fetching some firewood and selling it in the market, tapping palm wine and also going into hunting of aquatic animals such as fish, snake’s, crocodiles and many more.
I spent over 1hr plus sailing round the mangrove swamp. If you really want to enjoy mangrove swamp, go in the morning or evening but don’t go in the afternoon because I carry out an experiment and discover morning and evening is the best to explore the mangrove swamp but in afternoon, the sunlight radiates heavily at the surface of mangrove Swamp and it heat’s very hot that you will be uncomfortable on the canoe. your skin will be bombarded with sun rays.
That was my adventure at Mangrove Swamp.
Mangrove swamps are coastal wetlands found in tropical and subtropical regions. They are characterized by halophytic (salt loving) trees, shrubs and other plants growing in brackish to saline tidal waters.
If you are coming from the mainland , locate yourself at Ajah and enter a cab going to epe and drop at ibeju junction. Same if you are coming from epe drop at ibeju junction. Your journey from there will not be up to 5 minutes using a bike. But I will kindly advise you, go with a tour guide to avoid stories.
I explore their Free but if you are going, go with 5k Naira.
I’m Dennis Chukwuebuka Okeke AKA Onye-njem one of AFRICA your number one celebrity Tourist.
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