The Saloum Delta
A natural and cultural sanctuary
In 2011, the Saloum Delta was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a cultural landscape. It is a site of great importance on the local, regional and international level for its unique biodiversity, its green flora, its contribution to the community of Toubacouta and the cultural baggage it preserves.
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On this page, discover an overview of what awaits you during your visit to the Saloum Delta as well as a Short guide for eco-responsible visitors to allow you to spend a stay in harmony with the ecosystem.
Geography
The Saloum Delta National Park is located on the west coast of Senegal in the administrative region of Fatick.
The biosphere reserve and the Delta du Saloum national park extend over an area of more than 500,000 hectares and include 72,000 hectares of maritime area, 23,000 hectares of estuarine area and 85,000 hectares of land islets.
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The Saloum Delta is a wetland made up of 3 main branches: the Saloum in the north (110 km), the Bandiala in the south (18 km) and the Diombos in the center (30 km).
Biodiversity
The biodiversity of the Saloum Delta is rich and very diverse.
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Many species of mangroves (tree ecosystem living in areas of tidal swing) form its aquatic trails. Mangroves serve as homes for many animal species. The Saloum Delta is known in particular for the species of birds that come to nest by the thousands in the mangroves! It is a majestic sight to watch, maybe you will even have the chance to observe the largest heron in the world: the heron Goliath?
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At land level, the Saloum Delta National Park has 36 species of wild mammals, including the famous Ugly 5 .
This protected area was therefore created with the aim of protecting this emblematic ecosystem and the animal and plant species that compose it.
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Cultural Heritage
The oldest human activities in the Saloum Delta date back to more than 3000 years ago.
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One of its most important archaeological remains are the shell mounds. They are the most spectacular around the world, as much for their number as for their size. Numerous archaeological excavations have been carried out on these sites to understand their origin.
These mounds of shells form an exceptional landscape, but also bear witness to a very important cultural tradition. By visiting the Saloum delta, the guides will be able to describe to you the progress of this practice ...
Socioeconomic contribution
The main activity on which Senegal's economy is based is fishing. Indeed, fishing is the main source of foreign currency and jobs and it provides 75% of the food needs of the national population.
In addition, women are at the heart of the management of the region's fishery resources. They are mainly responsible for hand-picking molluscs and shellfish, oyster farming and processing of various fishery products.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Unfortunately, like many other places in the world, the Saloum Delta is the victim of many environmental issues. Coastal erosion is one of the consequences that affects local communities the most. These depend heavily on fishery resources and agriculture for food and livelihood, and coastal erosion makes access and exploitation of these resources much more difficult.
In addition, climate change also greatly affects agriculture, livestock and fisheries. Global warming leads to droughts, hot weather, irregular rainfall as well as strong winds. These conditions are not favorable to the activities on which the population and the economy depend.
EFFORTS IN PLACE TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Fortunately, the Senegalese government and the municipality of Toubacouta are working hand in hand with various international partners to put in place concrete actions to preserve this natural treasure that is the Saloum Delta. In particular, reforestation activities are regularly deployed to help regenerate mangrove forests. The Interpretation Center even offers tourists the opportunity to contribute to reforestation (information available in the "Services" section of the website). In addition, new eco-responsible techniques for oyster farming have been implemented over the past fifteen years to prevent the degradation of mangrove roots.
You will be able to discover all the other solutions established or in the process of being implemented during your visit to the Saloum delta!
A short guide for eco-responsible visitors
As a foreign visitor, it is important to respect the environment visited and to adopt practices that respect the natural and cultural space.
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​ In order to ensure that you have a harmonious experience with the ecosystem you are visiting, here are some behavioral guidelines to adopt during your stay in the Saloum Delta National Park:
1. Throw your waste in the trash
It's no secret that waste doesn't mix well with nature! Make sure you bring a bag or reserve a pocket for your clothing to slip in the waste you produce during your visit. When you return to Toubacouta, you can leave them in a place provided for this purpose.
2. Keep calm and don't make noise
The animals living in the national park are used to living in a calm and peaceful climate. It is important not to disturb them and not to scare them so as not to disturb the ecosystem. Let them go about their business by observing them from a distance so as not to change their behavior!
3. Stay on the trails
Our steps can be very damaging to the vegetation which has great difficulty in regenerating once the soil is damaged. When moving around the park, do not stray from already defined trails.
4. Make a difference
If you are a real nature lover and want to get involved in the efforts to preserve the ecosystem of the Saloum Delta, contact the tourist information office of the Interpretation Center to participate in our pilot mangrove reforestation activity or for any other information on ways to get involved in this mission: +221 33 945 86 28.
Ready for discovery
Now that you have had a little taste of what awaits you in the Saloum Delta, you are finally ready to go and explore in depth the wonders that are hidden in this mangrove ecosystem ... with your little guide for the responsible traveler in hand, of course !
