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Marine Turtle Newsletter 8:4, © 1978

Marine Turtle Newsletter-Online

Sea Turtles Nesting on the Coast of Senegal

Jacques Maigret
chargé du departement de Biologie marine, Institut Fondimental d'Afrique Noire, Université de Dakar, B.P. 206 Dakar, Sénégal

Preliminary to a research program on the sea turtles of Senegal, a survey of the beaches was carried out during the nesting season during the rainy period of 1977. Senegal has about 600 kms of beach, of which about 2/3 is sandy and might well be suitable nesting grounds for the 5 species of turtles that frequent the waters of West Africa. Because of limited resources, it was not possible to survey all the coast, but only regions included within the National Parks. No large aggregations of nesting were found.

  1. North coast of Senegal: Tracks of turtles were found on the beaches of the Langue de Barbarie National Park by I. Touré (Park Warden) during the 1ast 2 weeks in July and the first 2 weeks of August. Unfortunately they were not counted. They were probably made by green turtles, the most common species in the region. A green turtle was killed by fishermen in October 1977 on a beach south of Tare, Outside the National Park. Inquiries among the fishermen of Gandiole(St. Louis region) indicated that 20 years ago about 300 nests were laid each year here. However, in 1975, the year before the establishment of the Langue de Barbarie National Park, only 3 nestings were observed. The coast between Dakar and Tare (160 km) was not surveyed in 1977, nor were the beaches north of St. Louis, a region where we have been told that nesting occurs (Maigret, 1975; Trotignon and Maigret, 1977).
  2. Area of Cap-Vert and Petite-Côte: On October l9th 1977, some 50 young hawksbill turtles were found dead on a shingley beach of the National Park of the Madeleine Islands (facing Dakar). No observations were made this year on the beaches south of Dakar, nor on Sangomar Point (Saloum delta); this is regrettable because on two occasions leatherbacks have been reported laying here.
  3. Casamance: The beaches of Casamance were not surveyed. However, turtles laying here have been reported between Cap Skirring and the village of Diemberring. It is important that these beaches be patrolled because facilities for tourists often modify the environment unfavorably for turtles.

Maigret, J. (1975). Notes et informations: Les Tortues de mer du Banc d'Arguin. Bull. Lab. Pêches Nouadhibou (Mauritanie), 4, décembre 1975, p. 118-119.

Trotignon, J. & Maigret, J. (1977). Les Tortues de mer du Banc d'Arguin in Richesse du Parc National du Banc d'Arguin (Mauritanie). Association de soutien au P.N.B.A., 1977, p. 27-28.

Maigret, J. (1977). Les Tortues de mer du Senegal Bull. Ass. Avanc. Science, Sénégal, Dakar, no. 59, octobre 1977, p. 7-14.