See also 
Geography & Nature
Introduction:
 The
wilderness site of the Tanbi Wetland Complex, in Gambia, (see
Map)
is located just on the southern entrance to the mouth of the River
Gambia. It covers and area of 60,000 sq km or about 6,300
hectares and its widest expanse is located a few kilometres to the
south east of Banjul. Tanbi's northern most point
skirts the (Bund) Kankujeri Road of Banjul and also
 includes Cape Creek. It
encompasses the fringes of the island of St. Mary at its Atlantic
Ocean side and down south east towards Lamin and Mandinari Village. It
was declared a Ramsar site in February, 2007. This is an international
convention for the preservation of wetlands and its natural resources.
Geographical
coordinates : 13°26’N and 16°38’W.
Description:
 Eighty per cent of the
Tanbi Wetland Complex is composed of forest wilderness is made up of several species
of mangroves which includes the Avicennia africana, Alder Conocarpus,
Laguncularia racemosa, Annona glabra and the Rhizophora with the
occasional baobab or rhun palm standing on more solid earth. The natural vegetation is
laced in a patchwork of tidal creeks (bolongs), lagoons and estuarial
saline mudflats. It plays a key role in water retention of the area as
it acts like a giant natural sponge for rainwater and tidal river
flows as well as to stabilise
the shoreline.
Human encroachment & activities:
 The main activities in and around the complex are shrimp fishing and
oyster collecting, vegetable gardening and rice
growing. There are also industrial warehouses and tourist fishing boats offering trips along
the Oyster Creek from Denton Bridge, down south to the Daranka Bolong,
and out towards the estuary and Lamin Lodge at the Daranka Channel.
Fauna:
Among the animals to be
found on the site are small monkeys, crocodiles, lizards as well as
threatened or endangered species associated with mangrove swamps.
These are the West African manatee, Pel’s fishing owl, African
Clawless otter, brown-necked parrot and the Western Red Colobus.
Climate change and global warming pose a particular threat to wildlife
in the wetlands as sea levels rise.
Avifauna:
The number of bird
species so far recorded on the site is just over 360. Among the
birdlife are the Grey-headed Gull, Ospreys, Western Reef-egret, Sacred
Ibis, Malachite Kingfishers, Black-tailed Godwit, Blue-bellied Roller,
Caspian Tern, Pigmy Sunbird, Red-necked Falcon, Rufous Crowned Roller, pelicans and storks.
|
Attractions / Excursions
Nature Reserves
Resorts
|
