Loango National Park is a national park in western Gabon covering an area of 1550 square km. It comprises savannah, pristine beach, forest and mangroves and also protects diverse coastal habitats, including part of the 220 square km Iguéla Lagoon, the only significant example of a typical western African lagoon system that is protected within a national park. Loango National Park is a national park in western Gabon. It protects diverse coastal habitat, including part of the 220 km² Iguéla Lagoon, the only significant example of a typical western African lagoon system that is protected within a national park. Situated between the Nkomi and Ndogo Lagoons, Loango National Park is the true jewel of Africa's western coast. The naturalist Mike Fay called Loango 'Africa's Last Eden' and this is where Michael “Nick” Nichols from National Geographic also took his well-known pictures of surfing hippos. Both men call Loango the 'Land of surfing hippos'. The park’s 1,550 km of savanna, pristine beach, forest and mangroves are a must-see in Gabon. Loango National Park offers breathtaking panoramas and the unique opportunity to observe elephants, buffalos, hippos, gorillas and leopards venturing onto the white sand beaches. After South Africa, the world’s largest concentration and variety of whales and dolphins can be found right off the Loango coast. The area has over 100 kilometres of uninhabited coastline and humpback and killer whales are easy to observe here. This is the most beautiful spot on Africa's western coast – the place where forests, savannas, wetlands, lagoons and ocean all come together. Loango is renowned worldwide as a site for tarpon of record size, as well as many other large saltwater fish. The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation, classed Loango National Park as a faunal reserve and protected area for conservation. The good is the place is extraordinary for wildlife and as a true adventure, and there are some very dedicated people working there. The bad is the ownership practices deceptive and unscrupulous business ethics. You may marvel at the animals and landscape, but you will also encounter disorganization, lack of professionalism and questionable financial activities. I was there shooting a... more
The fantastic Natural Reserve of Petit Loango is an unexplored wilderness area of 230,000 hectares of forest, savannah, swamp, mangrove and ocean. In Petit Loango you can see a variety of wildlife - gorillas, chimpanzees, elephant, buffalo, antelope, hippopotami, red river hogs - even on the beach! Yet despite its animal wealth, little is known about the movements of the wildlife and bio-diversity of the area and thus sightings cannot always be guaranteed - but then for many the rawness of this wilderness area is part of the appeal. Do you know a place on earth where chimps and gorillas lope through jungle shadows within earshot of the pounding surf, where without moving your feet on the seashore you can watch whales and elephants, where the trails of nesting sea turtles mingle with those of buffalo, where in a single vista, your gaze may track across primal forest, shimmering mangroves, manicured savannahs, palm-studded salt marsh, endless lagoon and peopless beaches? Do you know a place where you can experience the mood of equatorial Africa in its wild state, frozen in time, where you can come to know how it all once was? You just found it: Loango Lodge. Established in an area of 1550 square kilometres, Loango National Park is situated between the Nkomi and Ndogo Lagoons. This area was made famous by Mike Fay and Nick Nicols from National Geographic, who called the Loango the "land of surfing hippos". The vegetation is mainly savannah, pristine beach, forest and mangroves, with a high percentage of water across the whole area. A unique feature of the area is the opportunity to see elephant, buffalo, hippo, gorilla and leopard not only in the forests but venturing onto the white beaches. The research centre established at Loango includes whales and dolphin observations offshore, reputedly the second highest concentration of the mammals after South Africa. Whales include the humpback and killer whales and perhaps the biggest draw card of all is 100km of uninhabited coastline on the Atlantic seaboard. The area is also well known for the record size tarpon, and many other large saltwater fish. Previously classed as a faunal reserve, the zone is acknowledged by IUZCN as a Critical Site for conservation. Also a Ramsar Site, it has recently been proposed as a World Heritage Site.
The park was first declared a regional faunal reserve in 1956. In November 2002, President Omar Bongo was finally pressured into declaring 13 national parks in Gabon of which Loango National Park was one. Today the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), amongst others, maintain research, education and management projects in the area - much like Lope and Ivindo National Parks. Very few villages are located in the park although the area is under development threat from Chinese mining companies. The forests are home to an enormous variety of fauna and flora. Remains of western explorers can be seen in some piles of empty oyster shells and a couple of graves near to the only lodge in the park. Most of the exploring of the park is done by boat, on foot or from a vehicle. An adventurous 4 day trek can be done through the forest and along the beach ending at a gorilla research camp. The equipment is very basic as is the food, however it is one of the last places where one can experience what it must have felt like to be one of the original explorers. When we did this trek, we were amongst the first 20 known to have ever done it and that was only in 2006! The local people are still dependent entirely on local resources and use a slash and burn technique to clear ground and plant crops of peanuts, manioc and mustard greens. Fishing and hunting provides most of the protein, complemented by gathering of produce in the forest and off the beaches, including turtle eggs. Best time to visit is December/January when there are clear, blue skies and very little rain. From February to April is the long, wet season with torrential downpours followed by the long, dry season from May to September...but accompanied by cloudy skies. The short, rainy season is October to November with heavy downpours interspersed by sunshine. The worst time for mosquitoes and tsetse flies is October to April but this tends to be the better period for viewing animals as well! Best times for viewing various species are as follows: Turtles: November to March Whales: July to September Fishing: November to April Mammals on the beach: November to April The climate is quite humid and laundry takes a long time to dry. As with the rest of Gabon, this area is for the intrepid explorer and cannot be described as a honeymoon beach resort or a typical southern or east African safari camp. There is no doubt that visiting this area is an exciting and adventurous experience never to be forgotten. For gorilla safaris or extensions to Loango trips, see the magnficent waterfalls in Ivindo National Park.
