Africa

Gambia

A tiny country on a river, with dolphins offshore and a coast known for birds.

Palm trees along the wide sandy shore of Kotu Beach — Kotu Beach coast · Photo: The Gambia on Unsplash

Story only

Story only, for now. We love learning about this place and its ocean, so we share its story here and do not sell trips yet. Checked by Ocean Calling on 6 Oct 2026. Sources: Turtle conservation in The Gambia, Footsteps in The Gambia; Bolong Fenyo, Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN); The concerning report for the last two turtle nesting seasons, My Gambia.

Why: The Gambia's coast has real marine wildlife: Bolong Fenyo Community Wildlife Reserve at Gunjur, about 345 hectares run by the local Gunjur Environmental Protection and Development Group, is home to humpback dolphins, green turtles and more than 75 bird species, and the Tanji Karinti bird reserve sits nearby. Turtles are protected under the Biodiversity and Wildlife Act 2003, and local groups patrol nesting beaches on the west coast, mainly in the May to October season. We honour that work by sharing the story and watching from the shore with local guides, and we never swim with, touch or chase the animals.

Dolphins

Why Gambia

The Gambia has a short Atlantic coast, and its waters are recorded as home to bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic humpback dolphins and the West African manatee. The coast has small protected places such as the Tanji Karinti bird reserve and the Bolong Fenyo community reserve. Coastal waters of The Gambia and Senegal are also used by several kinds of dolphins and by Bryde's whale. Ocean Calling is only researching The Gambia for now.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

When to go

Timing changes a lot from place to place. See each place below.

We share this place as a story so you can learn. There is no Ocean Calling trip.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Story only

We tell the story. We do not sell a trip here.

Checked 6 Oct 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check

The story

Where in Gambia

We share these places as stories and research notes. We do not offer or sell trips here.

Bolong Fenyo, Gunjur

Story only

A community wildlife reserve on the coast, with lagoon, savanna and many birds.

Also seen: Bottlenose and Atlantic humpback dolphins (recorded offshore, never certain)

Tanji Karinti Bird Reserve

Story only

A protected river mouth and coast, important for gulls, terns and other water birds.

Animals

Animals recorded in Gambia

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Land animals

Common bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bed

Common bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Pod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue sea

Common dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Bryde’s whale surfacing and exhaling in deep blue open ocean

Bryde's whaleBalaenoptera edeniSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Green turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detail

Green turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Olive ridley turtles nesting on Playa Ostional, Costa Rica

Olive ridley turtleLepidochelys olivaceaSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasVulnerable

Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered

Leatherback hatchling crossing the sand toward the sea

Leatherback turtleDermochelys coriaceaSeen in 76 countries in the AtlasVulnerable

Mother and calf manatee diving together in the Casamance River, Senegal

West African manateeTrichechus senegalensisSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasVulnerable

Two Atlantic humpback dolphin dorsal fins at the surface of calm water in Guinea-Bissau

Atlantic humpback dolphinSousa teusziiSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered

Blackchin guitarfish lying on pale sand beside rocks, with a shark-like tail and two tall dorsal fins

Blackchin guitarfishGlaucostegus cemiculusSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered

Common hippopotamusHippopotamus amphibiusSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasLives on landVulnerable

Sawfish (largetooth and smalltooth)Pristis pristis and Pristis pectinataSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered

Great cormorant perched on a branch, with white head plumes and a glossy blue-black back

Great cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Close view of a northern gannet face, with pale blue eyes and a golden head

Northern gannetMorus bassanusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Reed cormorant perched on a low stump among tall reeds

Reed cormorant (long-tailed cormorant)Microcarbo africanusSeen in 27 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

African darter with wings spread low over the water, droplets flying

African darterAnhinga rufaSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Curious?

Why this is a story, not a trip

Read our ethics check above. If you would like to talk about it, Rocío is happy to explain.

Ask Rocío Back to the Ocean Atlas

For partners

Based in Gambia?

We are always happy to hear from exceptional local operators, accommodation, conservation organisations and destination experts in Gambia. If your work fits responsible, small-group ocean travel, we would love to learn more.

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