view ▁Its ▁location ▁in ▁the ▁open ▁waters ▁of ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico ▁makes ▁it ▁vulner able ▁to ▁h urr ican es . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁sever ely ▁affected ▁by ▁H urr icane ▁Ivan ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁and ▁H urr icane ▁Wil ma ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁Gu an ah ac ab ib es ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁Cuba ' s ▁first ▁forced ▁labor ▁camp , ▁started ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁ ▁Conserv ation ▁The ▁Gu an ah ac ab ib es ▁National ▁Park ▁on ▁the ▁pen ins ula ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁largest ▁natural ▁res erves ▁and ▁is ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁by ▁white - s and ▁pla ins ▁where ▁one ▁of ▁Cuba ' s ▁largest ▁la kes ide ▁areas ▁lies . ▁ ▁A ▁relatively ▁small ▁area ▁holds ▁some ▁ 1 0 0 ▁la kes , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁largest ▁and ▁pur est ▁fields ▁of ▁sil ica ▁sand , ▁which ▁is ▁ 9 9 . 8 % ▁pure . ▁Nature ▁tour ism ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁att raction ▁in ▁the ▁ ▁National ▁Park . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁is ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁ 1 7 2 ▁species ▁of ▁birds ▁belonging ▁to ▁ 4 2 ▁families , ▁ 1 1 ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁en demic ▁and ▁ 8 4 ▁are ▁mig rat ory . ▁ ▁Exper ts ▁also ▁believe ▁that ▁ 4 ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 ▁species ▁of ▁marine ▁t urt les ▁living ▁on