Date of Entry: November 5th 2016
Date of Writing: March 3rd 2017
I’m picked up early around 830 am alongside my Brazilian friends Adail and Claudirene by a bearded south african seaman working in Namibia. He takes us alongside a few others in a comfy air conditioned van to the port where our dolphin cruise leaves from just outside of walvis bay. This place is swarmed with tourists and countless different companies all leading very similar excursions. Rather than focus on the swarms of humans as we watch for our boats I focus on the massive white pelicans dotting the board walk. They’re beautiful.
A representative from the company we’ve been assigned to eventually leads us out onto one of the piers where we are eventually led towards a large catamaran pelicans frenzying a little and making landings on the various boats casting off. We also see some seals climbing on board the boats. The captains seem to feed both animals, which I’m not sure is a a great thing.
Once on board I quickly find a seat out front on the front of the catamaran for better dolphin viewing and enjoy the cool ocean breeze after the past few days in the unbearable heat in the Namib Desert. Our captain, who happens to be the man who picked us up does an introductory speech twice over for the different sections of the boat. He’s charming and has names for the various pelicans who beg for fish out of his huge white bucket while pushing there way around guests on the boat. While I don’t like feeding them it’s cool to see this amazing birds so close.
As his speech wraps up we continue out into the atlantic waters towards where the dolphins are usually found, near a seal colony too. On the way though we stop at what looks like a shipwrecked barge but turns out to be an oyster farm. Namibia is famous for its oysters which we’ll sample later though I’m forcing myself to start a diet so I don’t participate. Still it’s cool to see how they farm these things in different size cages and how the water temperature controls everything in their growth. Eventually we leave it behind and head towards the beach covered in seals even now in the low season in terms of seals.
Once we’re in the Dolphin hotspots we cruise back and forth cruising through it. We’re on the lookout for two types of dolphins, bottle nose dolphins and the smaller ones whose name i can’t remember but they are the only ones who do appear, swimming along with our catamaran as if they are racing us. They pop in and out of the water and small groups and everyone watches happily. It’s pretty cool, though sadly after an hour or so of searching for more dolphins including the big groups of bottle nose dolphins that inhabit the area we have to leave unsuccessful heading back to shore and the hotel.
Back in Swakomund I relax for a while on the internet before heading out to an Indian restaurant where I again meet Claudirene and Adail and we enjoy some good conversation and delicious indian food. If you’re in swakopmund and craving curry be sure to head to Garnish restaurant.
Back at the hotel I pack up my bags and say goodbye to Hannah and Mia are american friends who are ending their trip here. As well as Al my one time tent mate. Tomorrow we’ll be joined by two friendly swiss girls and I’ll benefit from sitting alone in the truck allowing me to stretch out my leg and be a lot more comfortable. Yay.
