Congo Basin Coast
- Leatherback Turtle Photo
- ©J.G. Collumb
The Atlantic waters off Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Congo make up the Congo Basin Coast of Central Africa. The beaches of Gabon shelter the world’s largest nesting population of leatherback sea turtles, and its waters provide habitat for humpback whales, West African manatees, and humpback dolphins. Coastal mangroves serve as a spawning ground for many varieties of fish, and adjacent forests—still relatively intact—are home to elephants, gorillas, leopards, buffalo, and chimpanzees. In recent years, offshore oil concessions as well as industrial trawling and fishing are expanding in the area.
The warm equatorial waters of Gabon provide habitat for
West African manatees, humpback whales, and dolphins, and its coastline is an important nesting ground for sea turtles. As offshore oil and commercial fishing industries grow, however, these marine species are coming under increasing threat.