Home

Western Sahara

Western Sahara

International or Regional Conventions

Western Sahara is one of the only countries in the region NOT yet a member/signatory to any of the following international and regional Conventions related to cetacean conservation:

Confirmed observations

“The northernmost location where the Atlantic humpback dolphin has been recorded is approximately 23°55’ N in Western Sahara. All known records from Western Sahara are currently limited to the innermost portion of Dakhla Bay, and its occurrence in the remainder of Dakhla Bay or elsewhere in the country is unknown.” (Taken from Weir & Collins, 2015).

Threats and Trends

No abundance estimates or detailed information on threats are available for the species in Western Sahara, although indications are that there may be very few individuals left in Dakhla Bay (see Moores, 2018 and this article on our site).

Report

Report a sighting or stranding by emailing info@sousateuszii.org

Contact Person

Hamid Bouceta and Mrieh Abdel Wadud (Dahi)

Trouk Youth Association to Protect the Gulf of Wadi Daha (جمعية شباب تروك لحماية خليج وادي الذهب)

Relevant country-specific references

  1. Beaubrun PC. 1990. Un Cétacé nouveau pour les côtes sud-marocaines: Sousa teuszii (Kukenthal, 1892). Mammalia, 54: 162-164.
  2. Collins, T., 2015. Re-assessment of the Conservation Status of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (Sousa teuszii), Using the IUCN Red List Criteria. In Advances in marine biology Volume 72, pp. 47-77). Academic Press.
  3. Moores, R. The future of Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphins Sousa teuszii in Dakhla Bay, Atlantic Sahara. Go-South Bulletin 15, 166-171 (2018).
  4. Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Politi E, Bayed A (eds). 1998. A winter cetacean survey off southern Morocco, with a special emphasis on right whales. International Whaling Commission.
  5. Van Waerebeek, K., Barnett, L., Camara, A., Cham, A., Diallo, M., Djiba, A., Jallow, A.O., Ndiaye, E., Bilal, A.O. and Bamy, I.L., 2004. Distribution, status, and biology of the Atlantic humpback dolphin, Sousa teuszii (Kukenthal, 1892). Aquatic Mammals, 30(1), pp.56-83.
  6. Weir CR, Collins T. 2015. A Review of the Geographical Distribution and Habitat of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (Sousa teuszii). In: Jefferson TA, Curry BC editors. Advances in Marine Biology Volume 72: Humpback dolphins (Sousa spp.) current status and conservation: Part I. Academic Press. p. 79-117.