Dakhlet Nouadhibou

Dakhlet Nouadhibou cuts deeply into Mauritania’s Atlantic shore behind the long Cap Blanc headland. The bay opens toward the south and spans roughly 43 kilometres from north to south, reaching 32 kilometres across at its widest point. Its broken shoals force ships to follow narrow channels, yet the inlet offers something rare along this exposed desert coast: shelter from wind, storm and strong currents. Portuguese sailors first reached the headland in 1441 and named it Cabo Branco, the White Cape. From about 1500 fishermen from the Canary Islands worked these waters, fishing and hunting seals along the desert coast.