Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve

Bao Bolong is a Ramsar wetland on the north bank opposite Tendaba, where a system of mangrove creeks runs inland from the river through mudflat, salt flat and dry woodland. Boats go up the bolongs from Tendaba, and the trip is the standard way to see the Gambia's mangrove birdlife: goliath heron, African fish eagle, kingfishers and, in the trees behind, the occasional crocodile on a bank.

History

An area of 35 km2 was first declared the Bao Bolong National Reserve on 1 January 1993, and from 16 September 1996 it was extended to some 220 km2. It was the first reserve in the Gambia recognised under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland worthy of protection, and it reaches from the River Gambia north along the Bao Bolon tributary to the Senegalese border (Wikipedia, Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve).

What's there

• The bolongs - the mangrove creeks running inland from the river.
• The goliath herons - the largest herons standing in the shallows.
• The fish eagles - the raptors calling along the creek lines.
• The Ramsar wetland - protection covering the whole creek system.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season and best for birds. Tide governs how far up the creeks the boats can go. The rains from June raise the water and the insects.

Things to know

Access is by boat from Tendaba and must be arranged there. Mosquitoes and biting flies in the creeks are severe. Crocodile and manatee sightings are rare rather than expected.

Nearby

Tendaba is across the river, and Kiang West is south.

Key facts