Keta Lagoon Birdwatching

Keta Lagoon Birdwatching is a birdwatching experience centred on the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site in the Volta Region of Ghana, near the town of Keta. The Forestry Commission describes the complex as a wetland protected area with a management area of about 1,200 km2 and a lagoon area of about 300 km2, managed for multiple use with significant local participation. Its conservation objectives include protecting thousands of migratory birds, mangrove forest and sea turtle breeding grounds.

The lagoon itself is described by the Forestry Commission as the largest lagoon in Ghana, with brackish waters. Keta Tourism gives its extent as roughly 40 km long and 8 km wide, made up of fresh shallow water, and describes it as one of the most important sites for marine birds in Ghana, with 76 water-associated species recorded, including little egret, western reef heron, fulvous and white-faced duck, black-winged stilt and avocet. The lagoon is also known as the Anlo-Keta lagoon and is separated from the Gulf of Guinea by a narrow sandbar, with flood plains and mangrove swamps around it.

For a visitor, the draw is the birdlife and the small islands within the lagoon. Keta Tourism notes that the surrounding islands are accessible by boat, are breeding spots for the birds and the best place to view them, with eggs hatching in the dry season, and that boat trips to the islands can easily be arranged. The Forestry Commission states that the site is yet to be developed to receive tourists, so facilities should not be assumed.

The Ramsar site was designated on 14 August 1992 and carries reference number 567, with a listed area of 136,000 hectares. The designated site coordinates are approximately 5.9392 N, 0.8333 E; these mark the Ramsar site centroid rather than a visitor entrance or boat launch. Settlements around the lagoon include Keta, Anloga, Woe, Anyako, Adina and Denu.