Discovery coastal tour

Seaweed moves playfully in the wavelike motion of the sea, crabs can be seen dancing in the shallow waters at low tide. Seastars sit on round pebbles, the surface of the stone has been washed smooth over centuries. A variety of seashells in all sizes breathe on the dark rocks, covered with algae, spitting out sand that had been gulped down with a mouthful of salt water. All plants, fish and other minute life of the ocean together form a magical microcosm.

Seagulls, Damara terns and cormorants stalk through mud in search of worms and smaller fish. Even the sand shows itself in an array of colours, giving away the secrets of its components, the amount of grains of quartzite and iron appears in different shades.
Along the rough coast of the Atlantic ocean the cold Benguela current provides a natural living environment for a variety of plants and animals. A superbly unique world in this untamed ocean will open up and show its secrets to the attentive observer. The one who is willing to offer some of his precious time to enjoy and explore the wonders of the sea.
The first coastal inhabitants, the "Strandlopers" knew about the complexity of our ecosystem, which is constantly being held intact by the Atlantic ocean and the thick fog of the early hours of the day. They gathered what the dunes provided as food and hunted the shallow coastal fishing grounds, never exceeding what they did not need.
The modern "Strandlopers" of today also gather black mussel and driftwood, dive for crayfish and dig out white mussels. The outsider, who is not familiar with our ocean, will have his difficulties, exploring this immense beauty.
"Aquanaut Tours" promises more comfort than in the early days, but nonetheless an unforgettable adventure. Guests are invited to explore the Namibian cost and the fascinating variety of life of the Atlantic ocean.
Shane Milne is actively involved for many years in Swakopmund and offers beach - and deepsea fishing. The individuals looking for adrenalin loaded adventure trips are welcome to join in for shark fishing and night fishing - Shane's specialities.

Above that, Aquanaut Tours offers catering events on the beach and in the desert. Serving deliciously prepared seafood meals is their priority.
Black mussels are gathered from the rocks, which show their surface at low tide. White mussels are being dug out of the sand. Insiders look out for tiny holes in the wet sand, which serve as airtunnels and give away their secret existence. White mussels are a true delicacy. During summertime and open season, Shane is fast to jump into his wetsuit to dive for crayfish.
Shane indicates to us the immense variety of sealife. His knowledge and patience is overwhelming, creating a sudden awareness of our surrounding, which we would otherwise never been able to observe.
A seahare dismisses of its eggs in such a manner that a long row of "pink spaghettis" appear in the seawater. Like an oversized snail it looks at first, the skin smooth and soft.
The ocean has always had a strong attraction on most humans. But apart from the joyfulness of soft beaches and splashing waves, an entirely new world opens up.
"The deep seas are often considered to be the last great unexplored regions on earth and contain untold numbers of strange and bizarre creatures", says Shane. "It is said that we know more about our own solar system than we know about our oceans and every year hundreds of unknown creatures are discovered, ranging from tiny crustaceans to monster fish. Hundreds, maybe thousands, remain hidden and that includes the cold and icy Atlantic Ocean that forms the coastline of Namibia."

Shane cares for the environment and has a lot of knowledge about his home area: "The Namibian coastal waters are some of the ri-chest fishing grounds in the world, due mainly to the cold Benguela Current, which flows northwards from the Antarctic. It is exceptionally high in quantities of plankton, which accounts for the abundance of anchovies, pilchards, mackerels and other white fish. The most prized trophy is the kabeljou, which can grow up to 2m in length. Smaller but equally significant quantities of sole, squid, deep-sea crab, rock lobster, and tuna, are also much sought after. Namibia has some of the best sea fishing in the world, (mainly catch and release). Many other sea creatures can be observed (or eaten) on a number of Namibian Day Tours, especially around Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Henties Bay."
Shane's latest idea is an exceptional event. The guests enjoy a beach excursion in one of his 4x4 vehicles, discovering the coast at low tide, when the sea has drawn back to show its hidden treasures. The day ends with a delicious meal on the beach, a variety of self- gathered seafood is being prepared and served fresh.
"To me it is important that we take only as much as we can eat. The sealife needs to be protected and it does not make sense to gather 50 mussels, when only 10 will be consumed."
"The variety of life in our ocean has hardly been explored" explains Shane. Several books have been written and documentations describing various parts of our sealife are available." Shane maintains that long and intensive hours at the coast and at sea teach us much more than a book can ever tell usä

More information www.aquanauttours.com