All rights reserved by the author
22 September 2026
Off the coast of Guinea-Bissau lies an extraordinary world of islands, mangroves, mudflats and shifting channels.
The Bijagós Archipelago does not look like a place designed for a postcard. It feels much older than that.
The islands are shaped by the tide, and life here has long been closely connected with the sea, the forests and the rhythms of the seasons. Traditional communities have played an important role in protecting these landscapes, using local knowledge to manage natural resources.
The archipelago is also remarkable for its wildlife. Green and leatherback turtles come ashore to nest, while dolphins, manatees and large numbers of migratory shorebirds use its waters and wetlands.
In 2025, UNESCO inscribed the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagós Archipelago—Omatí Minhô on the World Heritage List, recognising its exceptional marine and intertidal ecosystems. UNESCO describes it as the only active deltaic archipelago on Africa’s Atlantic coast.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Guinea-Bissau is that its natural wealth has survived not because the landscape was separated from its people, but partly because communities have learned to live with it.
Here, the tide is not simply something that comes and goes.
It is part of life.
#GuineaBissau #Bijagos #WorldHeritage #RajatChandraSarmah
Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah5, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com
