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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Africa

Africa

Liberia

Long quiet beaches where community patrols protect nesting sea turtles.

Hawksbill turtle
Hawksbill turtle, found in the waters of the wider region · Photo: Kris-Mikael Krister 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: Liberian Sea Turtle Project, Tusk; Liberia travel advice, Health, UK FCDO; Liberia travel advice, UK FCDO.

Why: On the coast of Little Bassa and Rivercess, local communities protect about 40 km of nesting beach for green, olive ridley and leatherback turtles. The Liberian Sea Turtle Project employs 16 local staff, former turtle hunters now patrol the beaches every day, and it became a Tusk partner in 2025. We admire this community work and share it from afar, and any future visit would mean giving the turtles space and never touching them or their eggs.

Turtles

Why Liberia

Hawksbill, green, leatherback, olive ridley and loggerhead turtles are recorded in Grand Kru, and community patrols also protect nesting beaches in Little Bassa and Rivercess. From 2018 to June 2026 patrollers protected 828 nests and helped 1,713 turtles return to the sea. Liberia has laws against catching or killing turtles and dolphins.

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

W. SaharaDem. Rep. CongoSudanChadBrazilFranceSenegalMaliMauritaniaBeninNigerNigeriaCameroonTogoGhanaCôte d'IvoireGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaSierra LeoneBurkina FasoCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaZambiaAngolaGambiaAlgeriaMoroccoLibyaS. SudanGrand Kru coast, LiberiaLittle Bassa and Rivercess, Liberia

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 Liberia

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

Grand Kru coast

Story only

A remote south-east coast with some of the most important turtle nesting beaches in Liberia.

Also seen: Sea turtles (nesting beaches, community patrol work)

Little Bassa and Rivercess

Story only

Nesting beaches protected by a long-running community turtle project.

Also seen: Sea turtles (nesting beaches, community patrol work)

Animals

Animals recorded in Liberia

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

Hawksbill turtle swimming, pointed beak in profileHawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredGreen turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeatherback hatchling crossing the sand toward the seaLeatherback turtleDermochelys coriaceaSeen in 76 countries in the AtlasVulnerableOlive ridley turtles nesting on Playa Ostional, Costa RicaOlive ridley turtleLepidochelys olivaceaSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableMother and calf manatee diving together in the Casamance River, SenegalWest African manateeTrichechus senegalensisSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableScalloped hammerhead shark cruising in deep blue Red Sea waterScalloped hammerheadSphyrna lewiniSeen in 57 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredOceanic whitetip shark with pilot fish in sunlit Red Sea waterOceanic whitetip sharkCarcharhinus longimanusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredBlacktip shark swimming in green water in the GalápagosBlacktip sharkCarcharhinus limbatusSeen in 49 countries in the AtlasVulnerableNurse shark swimming over a reef at Fernando de Noronha, BrazilAtlantic nurse sharkGinglymostoma cirratumSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWhitespotted eagle ray gliding over reef and sand in BelizeWhitespotted eagle rayAetobatus narinariSeen in 58 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBlue shark swimming in open blue water off the Azores with a diver in the backgroundBlue sharkPrionace glaucaSeen in 50 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBlackchin guitarfish lying on pale sand beside rocks, with a shark-like tail and two tall dorsal finsBlackchin guitarfishGlaucostegus cemiculusSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredSpiny dogfish resting on the seabed at the Josephine Marie shipwreck, Stellwagen Bank National Marine SanctuarySpiny dogfishSqualus acanthiasSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasVulnerableDusky grouper underwater at Cabo de Palos, SpainDusky grouperEpinephelus marginatusSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasVulnerableDiver beside an Atlantic goliath grouper at Dry Tortugas National ParkGoliath grouperEpinephelus itajaraSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasVulnerableMilk sharkRhizoprionodon acutusSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasVulnerableTwo spotted ragged-tooth sharks resting under a rocky overhang at Aliwal Shoal, South AfricaRagged-tooth shark (sand tiger)Carcharias taurusSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredAtlantic weasel sharkParagaleus pectoralisSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasEndangeredCommon smooth-hound swimming just above a sandy seabed, with a slim grey-brown body and two dorsal finsCommon smooth-houndMustelus mustelusSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasEndangeredReed cormorant perched on a low stump among tall reedsReed cormorant (long-tailed cormorant)Microcarbo africanusSeen in 27 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a small-spotted catshark head, with dark spots, resting on the seabedSmall-spotted catshark (lesser spotted dogfish)Scyliorhinus caniculaSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTope shark swimming in clear shallow water, seen from the sideTope shark (school shark)Galeorhinus galeusSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredBluntnose sixgill shark swimming over the seabed at depth in the Gulf of MexicoBluntnose sixgill sharkHexanchus griseusSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedMarbled electric ray lying on a sandy seabed, spotted pattern visibleMarbled electric rayTorpedo marmorataSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBrown ray resting on a sandy seabed, with a blue-centred eyespot on each wingBrown rayRaja miraletusSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernKitefin sharkDalatias lichaSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableVelvet belly lanternshark swimming just above a dark seabed, with a violet sheen along its flankVelvet belly lanternsharkEtmopterus spinaxSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableNursehound resting on a rocky ledge among spongesNursehoundScyliorhinus stellarisSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasVulnerableCommon torpedo resting on sand, showing the dark spots on its round discCommon torpedo (ocellate torpedo)Torpedo torpedoSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSmooth lanternsharkEtmopterus pusillusSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSharpnose sevengill sharkHeptranchias perloSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedAtlantic torpedo (electric ray)Tetronarce nobilianaSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSpiny butterfly ray resting on a sandy seabed among seagrassSpiny butterfly rayGymnura altavelaSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasEndangeredArrowhead dogfishDeania profundorumSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSmooth butterfly rayGymnura micruraSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedCommon eagle ray seen from above, gliding over a rocky seabed with its long tail trailingCommon eagle rayMyliobatis aquilaSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredBignose shark swimming above deep-sea coral, filmed from a research submersible off North CarolinaBignose sharkCarcharhinus altimusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedRough ray resting on a sandy seabed, with pale spots and eye-like marks on its discRough rayRaja radulaSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasEndangeredRoughtail stingray resting half-buried in wet sand at the water's edgeRoughtail stingrayBathytoshia centrouraSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasVulnerableFinetooth sharkCarcharhinus isodonSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
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 RocíoBack to the Ocean Atlas

Also in Africa
AngolaBeninCabo VerdeCameroonCôte d'IvoireDemocratic Republic of the CongoEquatorial GuineaGabonGambiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauKenyaMauritaniaMozambiqueNamibiaNigeriaRepublic of the CongoSaint HelenaSão Tomé and PríncipeSenegalSierra LeoneSouth AfricaTanzaniaTogoWestern Sahara

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

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