Saloum Delta Islands - Senegal

Saloum Delta Islands

Saloum Delta Islands

The River Saloum Delta, four hour ride from Dakar, consists of an archipelago of small islands which are home of ecotourism practice. It is in this region that the Saloum Delta National Park is located. It is a river delta formed by the confluence of two rivers : the Sine and the Saloum.Because it flows so slowly, this delta allows saltwater to travel deep inland.
Kaolack : The region's capital Kaolack is resolutely modern and bustles with activity: crossroads, commercial port, holy city for the Tidjane brotherhood and capital of groundnut and salt-marshes. The city also home to one of the largest markets in the country with a neo-Moorish style whose architecture . Not far from there, you will be able to discover a number of megalithic sites similar to "Breton standing stones".
Fishermen villages : Fishermen villages along the coastline and those set up along the meanders of the Sine and Saloum Rivers are great authentic sites; visiting these villages represents a unique occasion to understand the daily lives of the inhabitants of this region.

Foundiougne : Located on the left bank of the 


Saloum Delta Islands

Saloum and accessible by ferry, this peaceful village has kept its charm of yesteryear with its old buildings and its streets lined with mango trees.

Missirah : Built against the forest, this village is organised around a port and its dugout workshop. A small local specificity: fishermen sell their fish by suspending them from the handlebars of their bicycle.

Toubakouta : Known not only for its Senegalese wrestling competitions but also for the talent of its artisans and notably its sculptors, the village is also a crossroads for two ethnic groups: the fishermen Serer and the farmers Mandinka.

Dionevar Island : This is an island not to be missed! Mainly populated with Nominka, excellent fishermen from the Serer group, you will be enchanted by the charm of its architecture, its richly-coloured houses decorated with shells as well as a luscious environment where groundnut and rice cultivations are planted alongside coconut and lemon trees. Gourmets will succumb to the specialty of grilled molluscs served with rice.

The Saloum Delta National Park is a wonderful natural environment and a unique attraction for those who want to know the real Senegal and appreciate its beauty. It is a true natural paradise where live birds (pelicans, herons, marabous and hundreds of other species), fish, crustacean, dolphins, hyenas, jackals. The wealth of water makes it a very sought after area for fishing enthusiasts but also it allows people to live on fishing.
  


Saloum Delta Islands

The richness of the Saloum Delta National Park is, definitely, the variety of itsecosystems. Composed of three main island groups (Fathala, Gandoune and Betenty): the three major island groups include a myriad of small islands.

This humid region of Senegal has been listed in Ramsar in 1984. The Ramsar Treaty is an agreement signed by 150 countries to protect the wetlands on the planet. The mangrove islands serve as refuges for rare and endangered. Reptiles are numerous. Crocodiles, snakes, lizards, chameleons and turtles each evolve in their environment and provide even more amphibian fauna of the park. The fishes in the delta are breeding exceptional count 114 species. Over 40 species of fish of the Senegal coast come to feed in the delta and 44 species breed there.

Nearly 200 000 people live in the park or in its immediate neighbours and live on fishing and on the park tourism (ecotourism, hunting or sport fishing).The main economic activity is fishing. Transportation is difficult because of the many islands.A secondary economy is the construction of fishing boats.The salinity of the water is increasing due to mismanagement of the rivers upstream. Mangroves are disappearing, and freshwater fish are disappearing with them. 


Saloum Delta Islands

The Sine-Saloum Delta is further characterized by the presence of notable species such as manatees, river dolphins, and the highly endangered red colobus monkey to the extreme of its range. As for flora, with 188 plant species, it is mainly composed of a variation of  mangrove plants.Visit page for  Senegal Destinations.

 

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