Cetaceans in Gambian coastal waters

This paper presents and overview of the current state of knowledge of cetaceans within Gambian coastal waters. Existing records including unpublished data have been reviewed and additional information has been gathered from stranded specimens and observations of live animals. The Atlantic humpbacked dolphin (Sousa teuszii) and the bottle-nosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) are both resident within Gambian waters. The clymene dolphin (Stenella clymene) has been recorded from skeletal remains, and at least two strandings of large cetaceans have occurred over the last decade. There is little hard data existing on the abundance and distribution of cetaceans within Gambian waters and therefore a considerable need for the establishment of a research programme.