Somone Lagoon

The Somone river reaches the sea through a lagoon held behind a sandbar on the Petite Côte, and the mangrove that lines it has been replanted and protected as a community reserve. Pirogues go up the channels at high water and the sandbanks come out at low, covered in pelicans, herons, spoonbills and waders. It is the easiest mangrove trip in Senegal and it sits among the resort beaches, which means it is busy and well organised.

The landscape

• The mangrove channels - replanted mangrove along the lagoon worked by pirogue.
• The sandbanks - exposed at low water and covered in roosting birds.
• The pelicans - large numbers using the lagoon through the winter.
• The sandbar - the spit separating the lagoon from the Atlantic.

When to go

November to May is the dry season and the peak for migrant birds. Trips are timed to the tide rather than the clock: low water for the birds, high for the channels. Mornings are calmest.

Good to know

It is close to the resorts and the trips are commercialised, with several operators working the same water. Prices are negotiated. The lagoon is small and an hour and a half on the water covers it.

Nearby

Saly is south along the coast, Popenguine is north, and Dakar is about ninety minutes away.