Kartong — wetland pools, Allahein river mouth and turtle beach
Palearctic waders and warblers, African pygmy goose, black crake, painted snipe; green turtle nesting; Casamance-side mangrove birds. Kartong, southern Kombo coast (Senegal border), The Gambia.
Best time: 15 Oct – 15 Mar (October to March). Where: Kartong sand-mine pools & wetland, Allahein river mouth, Kartong beach (turtle nesting) (The Gambia). Time of day: First 2 hours after sunrise at the pools.
- You can go on your own
- Free
- 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 Oct – 15 Mar. Mid October to mid March for migrants; green turtles nest on the beach roughly July–October (numbers are small)
Active from 15 Sep to 30 Apr (September to April) in a typical year.
Time of day
First 2 hours after sunrise at the pools; the river mouth at high tide; turtle patrols after 22:00 in the rains
- Morning pools: sunrise → 2 h after sunrise
- Turtle patrol (Jul–Oct): 22:00 → 03:00
Depends on the tide: best around high tide. Check local tide tables.
What will you hear?
Crakes and pygmy geese in the sand-mine pools, a wader roost at the Allahein mouth, and on rainy-season nights the beach with the surf and, if you are lucky, a nesting green turtle's breathing.
Binoculars?
Binoculars helpful. Crakes and pygmy geese on small pools at 20–50 m; binoculars for the roost on the Allahein sandbars. Turtle nights are red torch only.
Where to go
- Kartong sand-mine pools & wetland — Freshwater pools north of the village, the ringing site of the former Kartong Bird Observatory; open access. Map
- Allahein river mouth — Border river with Senegal; the sandbars hold the roost at high water. Fishermen's pirogues cross to the Casamance bank. Map
- Kartong beach (turtle nesting) — Village-run turtle protection with local patrols in the rains; ask at the village. Map
How to go on your own, and what it costs
Gelly-gelly or taxi to Kartong at the end of the coast road; the pools, river mouth and beach are all open and free. Turtle nights: ask at the village for the patrol.
Cost: Free (2026); a contribution to the village turtle patrol is expected if you join one.
Field-recording notes
Quiet end of the coast: the village, fishing pirogues and surf are the only noise. The border is 500 m away — carry your passport on the river. Turtle beach: red light only, no flash, stay behind the animal, and go with the village patrol. The observatory's website is no longer active; the pools are still there.
Sources
Similar spectacles
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More: all spectacles in The Gambia · sea turtles · winter geese, swans and ducks · The Gambia in January · The Gambia in February · The Gambia in March · October · The Gambia in November · The Gambia in December