Desert Eplorers - Namibia

Experience the sheer thrill of riding a quad bike through Namibia's boundless
expanse of shifting sand dunes.

Some of the Activites: 

Quad Biking

Sand Boarding

Tandem Skydiving

Dolphin Cruise

 

Living Desert Tour

Fishing

 

Township Tours

Go Karting

 

Baia das Baleias(The Bay of Wales)- Walvis Bay,Namibia

About Walvis Bay............

Walvis Bay

Walvis Bay ( Afrikaans Walvisbaai, German Walfischbucht or Walfischbai, all meaning "Whale Bay") is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. The town has 85,000 inhabitants and owns 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi) of land.

Walvis Bay Eco Tourism

 The bay has been a haven for sea vessels because of its natural deepwater harbour, protected by the Pelican Point sand spit, being the only natural harbour of any size along the country's coast. Being rich in plankot and marine life, these waters also drew large numbers of  whales, attracting whalers and fishing vessels. The Dutch referred to it as Walvisch Baye and the English as Whale Bay. In its eventual proclamation, it came to be called Walfish Bay, then Walvish Bay, and ultimately Walvis Bay. It has also been referred to as Walwich Bay or Walwisch Bay

Bird Colony at Walvis Bay

 A succession of colonists developed the location and resources of this strategic harbour settlement. The harbour's value in relation to the sea route around theCape of Good Hope had caught the attention of world powers since it was discovered. This explains the complicated political status of Walvis Bay down the years.

Salt Pans at Walvis Bay

 The town is situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn in the Kuiseb River delta and lies at the end of the TransNamib Railway to Windhoek, and on the B2 Road.
Walvis Bay, with its large bay and sand dunes, is the tourism activity centre of Namibia. Other attractions include the artificial Bird Island, centre of aguano collection industry, the Dune 7 sand dune, salt works, birdlife and a museum. Kuisebmund Stadium, home to two clubs in the Namibia Premier League, is also located in the city and the beach resort ofLangstrand lies just a few kilometres north. The Walvis Bay Export Processing Zone is an important facet of the local economy.

Fly Fishing Namibia

Fliegenfischen in Namibia

 

 

Denkt man an Namibia, denkt man an ein Wüstenland. Ist ja auch richtig! Namibia liegt zwischen zwei Wüsten, der Namib- und der Kalahariwüste. Kaum einer denkt an Feuchtgebiete oder gar an das Fliegenfischen in Namibia. Falsch gedacht!

Namibia hat fünf Grenzflüsse, die das ganze Jahr über Wasser führen und sogar sehr gut zu befischen sind, auch mit der Fliege.

 

 

Der weltbekannte Okavango, der Sambesi und weniger bekannt, der Kwando Fluss, sind am fischreichsten. Alle diese Flüsse sind im Nordosten Namibias, eine Region die hauptsächlich aus unberührter Natur besteht.

Das Fischen in Namibia ist aber mehr als nur den Fischen nachzustellen, es ist ein überwältigendes Naturerlebnis. Elefanten, Flusspferde und diverse Antilopen kommen zum trinken an die Flußufer. Eine traumhafte Kulisse für den Angler!

„Piscator non solum piscatur“ - Fischen ist mehr als nur einen Fisch zu fangen.

,Wann ist die Beste Jahrezeit zum Fischen in Namibia? Na ja, ich könnte jetzt den Klassiker anbringen: " Jeder Tag ist ein guter Tag zum Fischen!" aber die Beste Zeit ist von Mai bis Mitte Dezember. Ab Mai sinkt das Hochwasser ab und ab Mitte Dezember, mit  Beginn der Regensaison steigen die Pegel wieder.

 

Was für Fische können sonst noch gefangen werden?

• Nembwe (Serranochromis robustus)
• Rotbrust Tilapia (Tilapia rendalli)
• Dreiflecken Barsch (Oreochromis andersonii)
• Humpback (Serranochromis altus)
• Thinface (Serranochromis angusticeps)
• Afrikanischer Hecht (Hepsetus odoe)
• Afrikanischer Raubwels (Clarias gariepinus)

 
  

 

 

Lüderitz Crayfish Festival 2013

The colourful fishing town of Lüderitz is getting ready to hold the annual Crayfish Festival from 30^th May to 1^st June 2013 - don't miss out!

What to do at the festival

Take a walk around the festival stalls, taste-testing the different crayfish recipes and sauces of our local “masterchefs”, watch them battle it out in a crayfish cooking competition and browse the many stalls of Namibian made products. Take in the harbour views, mix with the friendly locals and enjoy a wonderful ambience of fabulous smells, music & sunshine. Watch naval & police band marches and even a music festival at the local stadium.

The history of the festival  

The Lüderitz community decided to host an annual Crayfish Festival to celebrate the town’s unique sea-life, multi-cultural roots, rich maritime history, and of course, superior quality crayfish. The festival brings together people from Lüderitz, Namibia and the world, and the proceeds of the event go to help the various charities that benefit the less advantaged. 

 When: 30^th  May – 1^st  June 2013

Where:  Lüderitz Waterfront, Lüderitz, South West Coast, Namibia

What are crayfish?  

Well, to be specific, what we call “crayfish” here in Namibia are actually "West Coast Rock Lobster" (Jasus lalandii). The Crayfish Festival is a gastronomical feast of lobsters – if you’ve eaten them before, you’ll know why we go crazy for the firm and slightly sweet lobster tails. Steam them with a little lemon butter, or grill them on the braai (barbeque) and eat them fresh off the flames. Delicious! You might also hear the locals talking about “kreef” which is the Afrikaans word for crayfish. 

What makes Lüderitz crayfish special?  

It's not just marketing hype – the extreme conditions in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Namibia means these Lüderitz crayfish have the upper hand. The strong South Atlantic winds create an upwelling in the ocean that makes for the perfect environment for nutrients and micro-organisms to thrive. In fact, it is estimated that the annual new production of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton in the Benguela system is 30 to 65 times more productive per unit area than the global ocean average.   

Where to eat Lüderitz crayfish  

The festival stalls will be serving up a host of different crayfish delights. But for those looking for a sit-down crayfish meal with fine South African sparkling wine or French Champagne, then try lunch at the Penguin Restaurant at the Lüderitz Nest Hotel.   

  

Where to stay  

The Crayfish Festival is a very busy time for the fishing town, so if you haven’t already organised accommodation, be sure to book as soon as you can. Click here to find accommodation in Lüderitz.

(Bogenfels)

What to do around Lüderitz

Taste some fresh Namibian oysters in between all the crayfish; they’re some of the tastiest in the world!

Take a walk around the town to see the early 20th Century German Art Nouveau buildings.

Get out on the ocean with a Catamaran Marine Tour.

Visit the ghost town of Kolmanskop (only 10kms from Lüderitz) for a date with history and some incredible photo opportunities.

Explore the Sperrgebiet National Park, one of Namibia’s newest National Parks that was closed to the public for nearly a century.

Take a marine cruise from the waterfront to see Dias Point, outlying islands with Namibia’s largest colony of African Penguins (Halifax Island), Heaviside Dolphins, Cape Fur Seals (Seal Island) and sometimes whales. 

Desert adventure activities are available including; 4x4 Guided and 4x4 self-drive tours into the vast Namib Naukluft Park to the north and the Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet National Park) to the south.

Lüderitz is also home to the world’s premier kite and wind surfing speed sailing event, the Lüderitz Speed Challenge, which takes place every year between November to December.     

(Kolmanskop)

10 Facts About Starfish

 

Starfish (sea stars) are beautiful animals that can be a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, although all resemble a star. While some appear smooth, they all have spines covering their upper surface and a soft underside. If you gently turn over a live sea star, you'll see its tube feet wiggling back at you. These iconic marine animals are fascinating creatures. Learn more about them below.

 

 

 

Sea stars are not fish.Although sea stars live underwater and are commonly called "starfish," they are not fish. They do not have gills, scales, or fins like fish do and they move quite differently from fish. While fish propel themselves with their tails, sea stars have tiny tube feet to help them move along (see more on that below).

Sea stars are Echinoderms.

Sea stars belong to the Phylum Echinodermata. That means they are related to sand dollars (yes, they are a real animal), sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. All echinoderms have five-point radial symmetry, which means that their body plan has five sections (or multiples thereof) arranged around a central disk. Next time you're in a beach-themed store, see if you can find a dried sea star, sand dollar and sea urchin and find the 5 sections in each.

 

There are thousands of sea star species.

There are about 2,000 species of sea stars. Some live in the intertidal zone, some in deep water, some in tropical areas, some in cold water.

 

Not all sea stars have 5 arms.While the five-armed varieties of sea star are the most well known, not all sea stars have 5 arms. Some have many more. Take the sun star for instance, which has up to 40 arms!

Sea stars can regenerate a lost arm.Amazingly, sea stars can regenerate lost arms. This is useful if the sea star is threatened by a predator - it can drop an arm, get away and grow a new arm. Sea stars house most of their vital organs in their arms, so some can even regenerate an entirely new sea star from just one arm and a portion of the star's central disc. It won't happen too quickly, though. It takes about a year for an arm to grow back.

Sea stars are protected by armor.Depending on the species, a sea star's skin may feel leathery, or slightly prickly. Sea stars have a tough covering on their upper side, which is made up of plates of calcium carbonate with tiny spines on their surface. A sea star's spines are used for protection from predators, which include birds, fish and sea otters.

Sea stars do not have blood.Instead of blood, sea stars have a water vascular system, in which the sea star pumps sea water through its sieve plate, or madreporite, into its tube feet to extend them. Muscles within the tube feet retract them.

Sea stars move using their tube feet.Sea stars move using hundreds of tube feet, which are located on their underside. The tube feet are filled with sea water, which the sea star brings in through the sieve plate, or madreporite, on its top side. Sea stars can move more quickly than you might expect. If you ever get a chance, try visiting a tide pool or aquarium and take a moment to watch a sea star moving around. The sea star's tube feet also help the sea star hold its prey, which includes bivalves like clams and mussels.

Sea stars eat with their stomachs inside-out.Speaking of prey, sea stars have a rather unique way of eating theirs. A sea star's mouth is on its underside. They prey on bivalves like mussels and clams, as well as small fish, snails, and barnacles. If you've ever tried to pry the shell of a clam or mussel open, you know how difficult it is. Sea stars wrap their arms around the animal's shell and pull it open just enough. And then it does something we could never imagine - it pushes its stomach through its mouth and into the bivalve's shell. It then digests the animal and slides its stomach back into its own body. This unique feeding mechanism allows the sea star to eat larger prey than it would otherwise be able to fit into its tiny mouth.

Sea stars have eyes.While they can't see as well as we do, sea stars have an eye spot at the end of each arm. This is a very simple eye that looks like a red spot. The eye doesn't see much detail, but can sense light and dark.

Lion's Mane Jellyfish (Cyanea capillata)

The lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) is the world's largest jellyfish

- their bells can be over 8 feet across. They have a mass of thin tentacles that resemble a lion's mane, which is where their name originates. Reports of tentacle size in lion's mane jellyfish vary from 30 feet to 120 feet - either way, their tentacles extend a long way, and one should give them a very wide berth. This jellyfish also has lots of tentacles - it has 8 groups of them, with 70-150 tentacles in each group.

The color of the lion's mane jellyfish changes as it grows. Small jellyfish under 5 inches in bell size are pink and yellow. Between 5-18 inches in size, the jellyfish is reddish to yellowish-brown, and as they grow past 18 inches, they become a darker reddish brown. Like other jellyfish, they have a short lifespan, so all these color changes may happen in a period of about one year.

Encountering a lion's mane jellyfish probably won't be lethal, but it won't be fun, either. A lion's mane jellyfish sting usually results in pain and redness in the area of the sting. The sticky tentacles of a lion's mane jellyfish can sting even when the jellyfish is dead, so give lion's mane jellyfish on the beach a wide berth. In 2010, a lion's mane jellyfish washed ashore in Rye, NH, where it stung 50-100 unsuspecting bathers.

The Tigerfish!!

The tigerfish is a fierce and wily creature that demands respect from all forms of life that may happen across its path and is regarded by majority as being the best freshwater game fish in Africa. In this page you will find: the description, distribution & Habitat, general behavior, breeding patterns, lifecycles and a look at the feeding habits of the tigerfish of the upper Zambezi.

Description

The tigerfish is best described by its Latin scientific name Hydrocynus vittatus which when translated means “Striped Water dog” - a most fitting description indeed.

The tigerfish has a blue-silver fusiform shaped body with red & yellow pointed fins which have black trailing edges. The head is large with extremely bony cheeks and jaws. The 8 teeth per jaw are conical & extremely sharp and are used more for grasping prey than tearing bits of flesh from it. These teeth are replaced at intervals throughout the tigerfish’s life. Males and females are similar in form and coloring but males are generally smaller reaching +_ 500mm at maturity while the females are much larger reaching over 700mm at maturity. Tigerfish Found in the fast flowing waters of the Upper Zambezi can reach 10kg in weight.

Distribution and habitat

The tigerfish is found mostly in the warmer, well oxygenated fresh waters of Southern Africa and are most abundant in the Zambezi, Okavango and Pongola river systems.  Tigerfish are also found in the Congo River, Lake Tanganyika and some other North and West Africa river systems.

General Behavior

The tigerfish is an aggressive predator that relies on other fish as its staple diet for most of its life. Only when the tigerfish is really young does it feed on small insects, crustaceans and plankton. The tigerfish moves and hunts in like size shoals and only the larger specimens are found living on their own. The reason “like size” fish shoal together is because a tiger will not hesitate to make a meal of a smaller version of the species if the opportunity was to present itself.

Breeding and Lifecycle

Although very little is known about the breeding patterns of the tigerfish of the upper Zambezi, it is thought to occur over the flood period when waters are the highest from March, April and May. Spawning occurs on the flooded banks of the main channel and backwaters. Fecundity is high within this species so it’s a good thing a large female can lay as much 780 000 ova. Males reach sexual maturity between the ages of 2-3 years while a breeding female will exceed 400mm.  In the first year of development a young tiger can grow as much as 160mm – 200mm, and up to 300mm in its second.

Feeding habits and patterns  

As I have been trying to drum into anybody who reads this website is the fact that the Upper Zambezi stretch between Vic falls and Katima Mulilo is a constantly changing environment. For half the year we have rising waters and for the other half we have receding, this means the tigerfish have to be constantly changing their feeding patterns to stay in line with water levels, water clarity, and the different variety of food that becomes available to them as the seasons change.

Fisherman's Guesthouse under new Ownership

Fisherman’s Guesthouse, previously known as Byseewah, is now managed by Belgian chef Louis Fenaux and Anneke Cloete.

Louis who has been fishing and hunting in Namibia for years is the perfect guide to take you out on a real adventure at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

Anneke has been in tourism for a long time and will be your hosts in the welcoming guesthouse after a long day out in Namibia’s untouched nature!

With his background in Michelin Star rated restaurants, Louis is not only a great fisherman but a top chef and will prepare you a unique dinner in the evening, the restaurant is also open for non-guests but reservation is required.

Info received by Firsherman's Guesthouse

For more Information please contact us at:info@namibiareservations.com