A field trip to Tarkwa Bay

LED BY PROF. D.I. NWANKWO

The field trip was held on the 10^th of February, 2014 and was led by Professor D.I Nwankwo, at which we departed at exactly 10:42am through the University of Lagos Lagoon jetty.

          The field work was at Tarkwa bay which lies at Lagos Island Nigeria and its geographical co-ordinates are 60 24 10’’ North, 300 23’’ 39’’ East. The Average elevation (DEM) 11m (36ft).

Time zone: Africa/ Lagos UTC/GMT + 01:00’

(According to Google 3D map).

          The place is inhabited by the three main tribes of Nigeria, the Hausas, Ibos and Yorubas and their main means of survival are through fishing, boating, tourism and mini trades.

          At the field trip Professor D.I. Nwankwo taught us that Tarkwa bay is the only bay in Nigeria and it is an artificial bay (man-made) (a bay is a body of water surrounded by Land, a bay is the opposite of a peninsula), it was constructed by the Nigerian government to protect the Apapa Wharf from wave action because waves are induced by wind. The government also created a mole to protect the jetty from getting shallow because when it is shallow there is no way a ship can enter, it only berths there.

We have three types of moles; which are:

1.  Victoria mole

2.  East mole

3.  Training mole

The Western mole faces the sea. According to professor Nwankwo, the sea have 3 conditions, they are

1.  The sea must have no birds on it

2.  It must be free from debris

3.  It must be blue.

Mangroves found at the bay are the;

White mangrove- langucularia avicennia

Red mangrove- Rhizophora mangle, Rhizophora racemosa and rhizophora Harriosoni.

Black mangrove- Avicennia Africana

Red mangrove acts as a barrier which possess a pneumatophore(breathing root).

Black mangrove props out it root.

 The lagoon is just like a sink where Lagoons from other state flush into, that’s the reason why it has this brownish coloration and contains a lot of debris. Sand from bar beach deposits at Tarkwa bay and its causes aggregation. Eco-Atlantic city was created by the Nigeria government because Tarkwa bay was protruding into the sea; it is the part facing the sea.

Tarkwa bay is so sandy that plant can’t grow on it, except for insects that burrow into it; the insects are called the sand binders, because they transform the sandy soil into land with the aid of their humus and holds the sand together.

          The fine sand is also much more comfortable to walk and lie on, Tarkwa bay is the only maintained beach in Lagos, it is only accessible by boat, it also has a safe bathing even for children.

          It was a pleasant outing.