Humpback whales off Kribi

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii), bottlenose dolphin. Kribi, Grand Batanga and Londji, South Region, Cameroon.

Best time: 15 Aug – 31 Oct (August to October). Where: Kribi – fishing beach and boat departures, Grand Batanga, Londji (Cameroon). Time of day: Boats out at first light while the sea is calm.

• Guide, ranger or boat needed
• Paid trip only
• Binoculars helpful
• Sound 3/5

Open it in the interactive calendarSunrise and sunset listening times for the day you pick, and the map.

When is the best time?

Peak: 15 Aug – 31 Oct. Mid August to October: the breeding-season presence off the Cameroon coast, celebrated by AMMCO's Street Whale festival in Kribi

Active from 15 Jul to 30 Nov (July to November) in a typical year.

Time of day

Boats out at first light while the sea is calm; two to three hours

• Calm-sea boat: sunrise → 3 h after sunrise

What will you hear?

Blows, breaches and tail slaps; with a hydrophone over the side and the engine cut, male song in the breeding season. Sousa dolphins hunt in the surf line off the estuaries.

Binoculars?

Binoculars helpful. Whales at 100 m from the pirogue; binoculars help spot blows and Sousa dolphins in the surf line.

Where to go

• Kribi – fishing beach and boat departures — Local pirogues and AMMCO-linked boats in season; the Lobé falls estuary is a Sousa dolphin site. Map
• Grand Batanga — Village beach south of Kribi with pirogue departures. Map
• Londji — Fishing village north of Kribi, quieter departures. Map

How to go on your own, and what it costs

The whales are offshore, so a boat is needed: negotiate directly with pirogue fishermen at Kribi or Grand Batanga (cheapest) or join an AMMCO-linked trip in season.

Cost: Pirogue hire by negotiation; organised trips per person; check current prices.

Free or no-guide alternative: From the shore at Grand Batanga or the Lobé falls headland, blows and breaches are seen for free on calm mornings in September–October, and Sousa dolphins work the surf line.

Who runs access

• AMMCO – whale season information and Street Whale festival (NGO) — Conservation NGO; can point to responsible boats

Field-recording notes

AMMCO (African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization) is the body to contact for the season's trips, current sightings and the code of conduct: 100 m distance, engine off near animals, no swimming with them. Pirogue outboards and the Kribi deep-water port are the underwater noise; the port's traffic has grown. The sea is calmest in the morning; the rains (Sep–Nov) bring afternoon storms.

Sources

• AMMCO – Street Whale
• AMMCO – African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization

Similar spectacles

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More: all spectacles in Cameroon · humpback whales · whales, dolphins and seals · August · September · October