A review of cetacean occurrence in West African waters from the Gulf of Guinea to Angola

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Abstract
The cetacean fauna of the west coast of Africa is poorly described. Therefore, literature on the occurrence of cetacean species in the waters of 13 potential West African range states from the Gulf of Guinea to Angola was reviewed, including sighting, stranding, capture, bycatch and whaling records. At least 28 species of cetacean were documented in the study region, comprising seven baleen whale species and 21 species of toothed whale (including at least 17 delphinid species). Cetaceans could be broadly split into seven ecological categories, based on their distribution. A warm temperate/tropical deep‐water cetacean community dominated the study area. Cooler water from the Benguela Current influenced southern Angola (≤16°S latitude) and at least three cetacean species occurred predominantly in this region. Only three or fewer species were confirmed in the waters of Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Seventeen or more species were documented in Ghana, Gabon and Angola, where dedicated cetacean research projects have been initiated in recent years. Angola had the most diverse documented cetacean community: 28 confirmed species. The humpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaewas the most widely recorded species, and was documented in 11 (85%) countries. Sperm whalesPhyseter macrocephalus, Bryde's whalesBalaenopteracf.brydei, bottlenose dolphinsTursiops truncatusand Atlantic spotted dolphinsStenella frontaliswere recorded in over half of the countries.

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