Guinea-Bissau wildlife tour of the Bijagos

Planet

We recognise that, as one of the first operators to bring ecotourism to Guinea-Bissau and the Bijagos Archipelago, we have a unique responsibility to protect the wildlife and ecosystems that our clients travel to see. We are also cognisant of the international importance of the Bijagos ecosystem, and the importance of preserving this area, not least as it is the last true stronghold for rare species including African manatee and Atlantic humpback dolphin. With this in mind, we will never pursue an animal whilst at sea - manatees and humpback dolphin are particularly shy, and prone to being stressed when approached too closely. With this in mind, we will move away from a sighting immediately should your tour leader be of the opinion that our presence is causing stress to these animals. We will never permit any client to attempt to swim with or touch marine animals, and this extends to turtles. We may have the opportunity to visit a beach during this tour which is used by turtles to nest - we limit the length of our visit to minimise our impact on the turtles, and we have a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that may distress or harm the turtles.

We ask that clients are aware that marine environments are particularly fragile. Guests should avoid leaving refuse behind in the archipelago, and should avoid using any products (such as sunscreen) that can damage the environment. As on all our tours, we ask clients to reduce any superfluous use of water during their stay.

People

We have worked closely with our partners to ensure that ecotourism delivers genuine benefits to the people of the Bijagos Archipelago. We intend to ensure that local communities are encouraged to attach value to the rare wildlife that persists in the archipelago, which in turn greatly increases the chances that this wildlife will be preserved for future generations to enjoy. With this in mind, guests are encouraged to visit local villages during our stay, to learn about local culture and customs, and to purchase souvenirs and other goods directly from these communities. Guests should also expect that drivers, boat captains, cooks and housekeeping staff throughout this tour will be from Guinea-Bissau, with their employment demonstrating a clear link between economic benefits and ecotourism.

We ask that clients are respectful of local culture and customs throughout their stay - this extends to dressing modestly and not photographing anybody without their permission. We recognise that many clients will be keen to spend as much time as possible at sea searching for wildlife - but we ask that guests appreciate we have an obligation to visit local communities to thank them for their hospitality and for sharing their wildlife with us.