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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Africa

Africa

Saint Helena

A remote South Atlantic island with a huge marine protected area and seasonal whale sharks.

Whale shark
Whale shark, found in the waters of the wider region · Photo: NOAA 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: Whale sharks St Helena, St Helena Government; Be Gentle to Giants, Blue Marine Foundation; Healthcare in Saint Helena, Wikipedia.

Why: Saint Helena's waters are a 444,916 square kilometre marine protected area, and resident dolphins swim in James Bay all year while whale sharks gather from around November to April and humpback whales pass from June to December. Local rules are strict and kind: no touching or riding whale sharks, no scuba with them, no flash photography, and only locally accredited, trained operators may offer trips, and all the island's operators signed the Be Gentle to Giants code. We would watch dolphins and whales from a boat at a respectful distance, never swimming with or touching them.

TurtlesDolphins

Why Saint Helena

People go to Saint Helena for Napoleon history, deep isolation and the endemic wirebird, and one plane a week brings them. The whole sea around the island is a marine protected area of about 449,000 square kilometres. In 2025 monitoring recorded 85 whale shark encounters with 73 different sharks.

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

FijiDem. Rep. CongoSouth AfricaLesothoBrazilZimbabweBotswanaNamibiaCongoGabonZambiaAngolaBurundiRwandaJames Bay and the island marine park, Saint Helena

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 Saint Helena

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

James Bay and the island marine park

Story only

Waters around Jamestown inside a marine protected area that covers the whole island sea.

Also seen: Whale sharks (seasonal, never certain), Dolphins and whales (from the boat only), Turtles

Animals

Animals recorded in Saint Helena

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

Huge spotted whale shark gliding through open blue waterWhale sharkRhincodon typusSeen in 54 countries in the AtlasEndangeredHumpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGreen turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSicklefin devil ray swimming in open blue waterSicklefin devil ray (Chilean devil ray)Mobula tarapacanaSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasEndangeredLeatherback hatchling crossing the sand toward the seaLeatherback turtleDermochelys coriaceaSeen in 76 countries in the AtlasVulnerablePantropical spotted dolphin gliding at the calm ocean surfacePantropical spotted dolphinStenella attenuataSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo rough-toothed dolphins leaping together, blotchy grey skin visibleRough-toothed dolphinSteno bredanensisSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGalápagos shark swimming low over a rocky seabedGalápagos sharkCarcharhinus galapagensisSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlue shark swimming in open blue water off the Azores with a diver in the backgroundBlue sharkPrionace glaucaSeen in 50 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedLarge southern elephant seal resting on a wet beach, face turned to the cameraSouthern elephant sealMirounga leoninaSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasVulnerableMasked booby on Ascension IslandMasked boobySula dactylatraSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlack noddy perched in a shrub on Tern Island, French Frigate ShoalsBlack noddyAnous minutusSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAdult brown booby standing on a rock with its bill open against blue sky, PrincipeBrown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernThree black-browed albatrosses with their bills together at a Steeple Jason Island colony, against blue skyBlack-browed albatrossThalassarche melanophrisSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a red-footed booby head with blue, pink and red bill and throat skin among green leavesRed-footed boobySula sulaSeen in 91 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge flock of sooty shearwaters flying low over the sea beside a rocky coastSooty shearwaterArdenna griseaSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedWilson's storm-petrel resting on calm water with its wings raised above its backWilson's storm-petrelOceanites oceanicusSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScopoli's shearwater skimming just above calm blue waterScopoli's shearwaterCalonectris diomedeaSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeach's storm-petrel in flight over water, wings spread, with a pale patch at the base of the tailLeach's storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasVulnerableGreat shearwater flying low over calm water, its reflection belowGreat shearwaterArdenna gravisSeen in 32 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBulwer's petrel flying low over blue water, its long pointed tail visibleBulwer's petrelBulweria bulweriiSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-chinned petrel floating on blue water with its white chin patch showingWhite-chinned petrelProcellaria aequinoctialisSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasVulnerableTwo subantarctic fur seals calling with open mouths on a rocky shoreSubantarctic fur sealArctocephalus tropicalisSeen in 5 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernNorthern rockhopper penguin in profile with yellow crest, red eye and orange billNorthern rockhopper penguinEudyptes moseleyiSeen in 3 countries in the AtlasEndangered
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-BissauKenyaLiberiaMauritaniaMozambiqueNamibiaNigeriaRepublic of the CongoSão Tomé and PríncipeSenegalSierra LeoneSouth AfricaTanzaniaTogoWestern Sahara

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