Our final destination of the trip was to Loango National Park in western Gabon. The park protects diverse coastal habitat, including part of the 220 km² Iguéla Lagoon, the only significant example of a typical western African lagoon system that is protected within a national park. Situated between the Nkomi and Ndogo Lagoons, Loango National Park is the true jewel of Africa's western coast. It is from here that you may have seen film footage of forest elephants and hippos coming out of the rain forest onto the beach and feeding in the breaking surf of the Atlantic rollers.
Probably the highlight of the entire trip was the boat rides on the Mpivié River, a slow moving backwater about an hours drive from Gavilo Lodge. On our first outing we had an unforgettable ride up the river in the dark spot-lighting 14 Vermiculated Fishing Owls whilst on the second outing we had close up views of a majestic Pel's Fishing Owl in daylight, a close encounter with a White-crested Tiger Heron and great views of five Hartlaub's Ducks. Not to forget the numerous Finfoots as well.
The church of Mission Sainte Anne is of unusual interest. The church at the Mission of Saint Anne sits on a raised bank overlooking the Nkomi lagoon. Built in 1887, it is a design of Gustav Eiffel, he of the famed Eiffel Tower. Eiffel shipped the plans and all the prefabricated materials from Paris on the orders of Mrs. Bichet, the mother of Saint Anne's founding priest. After all these years the church still stands tall and elegant, though showing its age in the deep rusty red of the worn metal and some parts of the church are suffering from water damage.