Somone: Lagoon, Mangroves and Birdlife
Accommodation in Somone
Somone brings together a protected lagoon, mangroves, fine sandy beaches and diverse birdlife. Visitors can also take trips through the mangroves and explore the Aire Marine Protégée on foot or by electric bicycle. This lets you see the destination from several perspectives: as a waterside landscape, a habitat for wildlife and a place with its own cultural connections.
Lagoon, Mangroves and Birdlife
Somone Lagoon is protected and considered peaceful. The Réserve Naturelle d’Intérêt Communautaire de la Somone extends across the Commune de Somone and the Communauté rurale de Sindia. The Aire Marine Protégée de La Somone has an access point in the village of Somone. Rhizophora is characteristic of the reserve’s mangroves, which are also described as rich in species. The protected area also includes a nesting site for sea turtles.
More than 52 bird species have been recorded in the Réserve Naturelle d’Intérêt Communautaire de la Somone. Birds found around the lagoon include pelicans, herons and flamingos. Somone also has fine sandy beaches. Oysters and clams are farmed locally in the lagoon. The lagoon thus connects its natural and protected-area features with local uses as well.
Activities on the Water and on Land
Visitors can take a pirogue through the mangroves in Somone. If you are planning a trip, ask locally about the current arrangements.
The Aire Marine Protégée offers walks along the Sentier écologique; excursions by electric bicycle are also among the protected area’s activities. Walking and cycling offer different ways to get around than travelling through the mangroves by boat. When planning your visit, you can choose between a walk, a bicycle excursion and a pirogue trip.
Cultural Connections in the Lagoon
A baobab on an island in the lagoon is associated with Baye Sank, also known as Père Jean. Reports say that hundreds of people visit the site each day; some make wishes there or leave offerings.
A well in the lagoon is also associated with Cheikh Omar Foutiyou Tall. The two connections have different emphases: reported wishes and offerings are part of the story of the baobab, while the well is chiefly associated with Cheikh Omar Foutiyou Tall. Their locations differ too: the baobab stands on an island, while the well is in the lagoon. In the wider Thiès destination, pirogue trips through mangroves and past millet granaries are offered in Joal-Fadiouth. The lanes of Fadiouth are paved with shells and oyster shells—another regional cultural connection.
For the wider travel overview: Senegal.
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