# Point Denis

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{{Short description|Seaside resort in Gabon}}
{{Refimprove|date=December 2009}}
right|205px|Location of Point Denis in Gabon

'''Point Denis''' is the best known [seaside resort](/source/seaside_resort) in [Gabon](/source/Gabon).  It lies on a [peninsula](/source/peninsula) between the [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean) and the [Gabon Estuary](/source/Gabon_Estuary), across which boats sail to [Libreville](/source/Libreville).  It also lies near the [Pongara National Park](/source/Pongara_National_Park).

==Wildlife==

===Leatherback turtles===

Point Denis is a major breeding ground for the [leatherback turtle](/source/leatherback_turtle) (Dermochelys coriacea). Between 1 800 and 2 000 nests are laid annually on its beaches. Recent studies by Dr Sharon Deem, formerly of the [Wildlife Conservation Society](/source/Wildlife_Conservation_Society), note that the worldwide turtle population is being threatened by man's activities.<ref>Battle of the Beaches, Dr Sharon Deem, Africa Geographic magazine, February 2009</ref> One such activity is the development of Point Denis. Turtles find their way to the sea by using the light from the moon shimmering off the water as a reference. Man-made artificial lights at night disorientate the female turtles during laying season as well as the hatchlings trying to find their way to the water. As a result, many turtles head off in the wrong direction and can die from starvation and dehydration.<ref>Artificial Lights as a Significant Cause of Morbidity of Leatherback Sea Turtles in Pongara National Park, Gabon, Sharon L. Deem et al. Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 116, 2007</ref> Nests are also destroyed by visitors who drive vehicles, mainly [quad bikes](/source/quad_bikes), on the beaches. Another problem is the pollution from the nearby town of [Libreville](/source/Libreville). Turtles often mistake plastic bags in the water for [jellyfish](/source/jellyfish), their principal food source, and die if they ingest them. Nevertheless, there is a growing environmental movement in [Gabon](/source/Gabon), protection of the turtles being one of their priorities.

===Other species===

[Wildebeest](/source/Wildebeest) are found in the area, as well as a diverse population of monkeys, birds, snakes and other reptiles. [Humpback whales](/source/Humpback_whales) can be seen in the sea.

==Gallery==

<gallery class="center">
Image:Pointe Denis.JPG|Point Denis
Image:Point Denis from the air.JPG|Point Denis from the air showing development by man.
Image:Point Denis 2.JPG|Point Denis 2&nbsp;km to the south.
Image:Whales near Point Denis.jpg|A pair of whales near Point Denis.
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{coord|0|19|01|N|9|22|01|E|type:city_source:kolossus-frwiki|display=title}}

Category:Populated places in Estuaire Province
Category:Tourism in Gabon

{{Gabon-geo-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Point Denis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Denis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Denis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.