Sea turtles on Benin's beaches: what the sources say, and how to behave

Benin's coast is a place where sea turtles come to nest. The public information about it is patchy, and most of it comes from conservation groups and researchers. This page gives what the sources establish, says what we could not confirm for Ouidah, and offers a few rules for visitors.

What is documented

Legal protection. An INRAB study cites Benin's wildlife law, no. 2002-16 of 18 October 2004, as the framework covering sea turtles. Benin has also joined regional and international agreements on turtle protection, according to a summary by the NGO Nature Tropicale.

A nesting site in Cotonou. A 2019 newsletter from CEBioS, a Belgian research centre, describes the release of more than 200 olive ridley hatchlings into the sea at the Tokplégbé nesting site in Cotonou on 14 November 2019. Research also covers nesting beaches on the Grand-Popo coast to the west.

Threats. Reports describe turtles killed on Beninese beaches, with fishing boats blamed in one case, and the ISS (Institute for Security Studies) writes that enforcement of protection laws remains insufficient in most West African states. A first African sea turtle congress was held in Cotonou in March 2022.

What we cannot confirm

We found no official source giving the species, the nesting season or the number of nests on the beaches of Ouidah itself. These points are À VÉRIFIER. We also do not say that you can see nesting or hatchlings on a visit: that depends on the season, the beach and the local organisations.

How to behave on a beach

These are general rules for wildlife, not an official protocol:

• keep your distance from any turtle, egg or hatchling;
• do not shine lights or use flash at night;
• do not touch the animal, its eggs or its tracks;
• keep dogs away;
• do not buy turtle products;
• if you see a turtle in difficulty or a poached animal, tell local conservation staff or your accommodation.

Swimming on the coast is also dangerous because of strong currents, which the French foreign ministry warns about. See our safety guide.

For protected nature near Ouidah, see our page on the Mono Delta and the Bouche du Roy, where the reserve's own site lists the olive ridley turtle among its species.

Sources

• INRAB, Bulletin de la Recherche Agronomique du Bénin: wildlife law and turtle nesting studies.
• CEBioS, Info Nature Tropicale 11/2019: Tokplégbé nesting site and hatchling release.
• ISS Africa, "Exploitation des tortues marines en Afrique de l'Ouest": threats and enforcement.
• Journal Santé Environnement: regional congress in Cotonou, 2022.

Last verified on 10 November 2026. If you spot a mistake, tell us.