Home

First confirmed records of Atlantic humpback dolphins in Sierra Leone!

First confirmed records of Atlantic humpback dolphins in Sierra Leone!

Photograph of an Atlantic humpback dolphin in the Sherbro River Estuary of Sierra Leone, representing the first confirmed live record of the species in the country. Photo credit Sean Fitzpatrick, West Africa Blue.

The CCAHD is thrilled to have recently learned of three confirmed records of Atlantic humpback dolphins in Sierra Leone – a country that until now has been considered a ‘possible’ range country due to its geographic location and many areas of suitable habitat, but where no dedicated research or anecdotal records had confirmed the species’ presence before. These records, documented by West Africa Blue (“Blue” or Africa Conservation Initiative, “ACI”, Blue’s wholly owned subsidiary in Sierra Leone), increase the number of confirmed range states to 14 of the possible 19 countries on the west coast of Africa.

Here is a more detailed account of the encounters provided by Max Mayer, Blue Carbon Analyst with West Africa Blue:

West Africa Blue develops community-centric mangrove conservation and restoration projects in West Africa. These projects seek to preserve, restore, and sustainably manage coastal ecosystems, financed through the issuance of high-quality carbon credits. Our first project is in the Sherbro River Estuary of Sierra Leone, where we have a longstanding 13-year trusted relationship with local communities.

The West Africa Blue team is often on the water in the Estuary, traveling all over Sherbro Island for various activities, community engagements and data collection exercises. We can often observe the rich local biodiversity in the mangrove forests, such as monkeys, crocodiles, parrots and more. These sightings are always exciting for our team, as we document and keep track of them. We also use trail cameras in the mangroves to monitor wildlife and identify biodiversity high conversation value areas.

In February 2024, a sighting came out of the ordinary. As we were leaving the small village of Tujanela, our Technical Lead, Sean Fitzpatrick, spotted some fins emerging from the water. He immediately knew they were dolphins, but what he didn’t know at the time, was that he was documenting the first ever sighting of an Atlantic Humpback Dolphin in Sierra Leone waters.

A second live sighting was made in March, also along the northern coast of Sherbro Island near Mbokie. In an unfortunate third case, one of our community coordinators reported that some fishermen from Hanging Site community also found one caught in their netting. The dolphin sadly died as a result of this bycatch.

 It is so valuable for us to know that these dolphins swim through these waters each year, within our project areas. Biodiversity conservation is a significant co-benefit of mangrove conservation, or as we like to call it at Blue, a “core benefit”.

 We hope to see these dolphins again next year, and for many years to come!

The records came to the CCAHD’s attention through our growing network of range country partners and demonstrate the value of outreach and awareness-raising efforts for the species.  Dr. Isaac Okyere, CCAHD partner in Ghana, noticed a mention of a Sousa teuszii sighting in West Africa Blue’s newsletter, and quickly made email introductions that allowed the CCAHD to learn more about the location and details of the sightings.  Thanks to introductions from the West Africa Blue team, the CCAHD is now also discussing more dedicated collaborations with West Africa Blue’s subsidiary, ACI in Sierra Leone, and hopes to be able to support them in dedicated data collection and research efforts to learn more about this newly documented population.

Stay tuned!

Left: Atlantic humpback dolphin carcass, entangled in a fishing net. Photo shared by a local community member and reported to West Africa Blue. Centre: West Africa Blue/African Conservation Initiative team on a boat in the Sherbro River Estuary where the first Atlantic humpback dolphin sightings in the country were documented. Right: Local community participating in the West Africa Blue/ACI project in Sherbro Estuary Sierra Leone. For more information about the project see https://www.westafricablue.org/projects-sierraleone for more details.