English version - Convention on Biological Diversity

• Bryde’s whale or Tropical whale (Balaenoptera edeni),
• Sperm whale (Physeter catodon),
• Short-finned Pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus),
• False Killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens),
• Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis),
• Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris),
• Bottle-nosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus),
• Humpbacked dolphin (Sousa plumbea),
• Dugong (sea cow) (Dugon dugong).
The Common dolphin, Spinner dolphin, Bottle-nosed dolphin and Indo-Pacific Humpbacked
dolphin are the most frequently seen in the Eritrean Red Sea.Some fishing
communities consume the meat of dolphins when they are caught incidentally and die in
their nets. In addition, the skin is used for producing oil which is used as a medicine.
The dugong (Dugon dugong) belongs to a monotypic genus of the order sirenia. Other
surviving members of the sirenia are the three species of manatee (Trichechus sp.).
Dugongs are very shy and difficult to see. Their presence is signaled mostly when they are
stranded in fishermen nets or skeletons are found on the coast as seen on the islands of
Norah, Adasi, Mojeidi and Entvedul or along the shore of Eritrea in Ingel, Arean or north
of Massawa.
Sea Birds and Shore Birds:
Figure-8: Dugong and Dolphins in the Eritrean Red Sea
Large populations of birds estimated more than 73 specied reside either temporarly or
permanently on the shores and the shallow waters of the Eritrean Red Sea. Birds appear to
be concentrated in large number on the exposed intertidal zone and on the shallow area of
the open sea. The most characteristic feature of this habitat type are the large number of
invertebrates that become visible during low tides, the small fishes in the shallow water
and the school of large and small fishes and planktons on the open sea. These rich sources
of food on the varying habitats of the Eritrean Red Sea attract large number of birds, such
as waders, herons, gulls, terns, boobies and other species.
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