Taster Trip 2014 | Moçambique

Onward and upward we go. North to the beautiful beaches of Mozambique.

Everything in Mozambique seemed new and different. The lush rolling hills contrasted so starkly with the arid vegetation in South Africa. The language sounded simultaneously foreign and familiar. The architecture felt decidedly European (with good reason). The cuisine revolved around a staple other than maize. The craft markets sold art and trinkets new to my eyes. Perhaps I was simply enraptured by the all-pervasive nautical theme.

Regardless, I left my heart in Mozambique.

The Taster Trip crew arrived in Maputo before the Easter rush bogged down the borders. Our own holiday weekend was booked for the serene Praia de Macaneta, and we wanted some time to explore the city before retreating offshore. The magic began with sunrise the following morning as I looked out my cliff-top bedroom window to see the ocean for miles and miles. I practically flew that morning on my sea-side run. Ah, Mozambique, you are truly lovely.

Taster Trip 2014 | What I didn’t see at the St Lucia Estuary

Or, by it’s proper name as of 2007: iSimangalisa Wetland Park.

ISimangalisa is what is known as a ‘transfrontier park’ that spreads across international borders, as its name suggests, and spans 3280 km2 of ecosystem (land and water) in South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique. The park is South Africa’s third-largest nature reserve as well as its very first World Heritage site.

Known for its aquaphilic wildlife, iSimangalisa is home to hippos, crocodiles, flamingoes, ducks, waders, and dozens of coral reef fish. Between June and November, whales can be spotted off the coast; loggerhead and leatherback turtles can be found nesting on-shore between November and March. Of course, we arrived in April when the largest animal attractions are seasonally elsewhere. Other highlight stops among the 10 Jewels feature big game – buffalos, elephants, rhinos, leopards, giraffes, and (since December 2013) lions. We were holding out for Kruger Park, however, to see these landlubbers. It was water we were after.

After pulling up at long last to the Saint Lucia Estuary and Cape Vidal, our team took a quick trek to the sea. Yet as a massive storm rolled in, and the park hours threatened to close, our wildlife spotting was limited to this small band of pelicans against the gathering clouds.

Better luck next time. This is only a Taster Trip after all.

uShaka Marine World

On a strip of land between the Bay of Natal waterfront and the Durban Port harbor, sits uShaka Marine World comprised of four primary sections: uShaka Sea World (the largest aquarium in the southern hemisphere and 5th largest in the world), uShaka Wet’n’Wild, uShaka Beach, and uShaka Village Walk.

The cost of admission to the Wet’n’Wild theme park and Sea World aquarium partially fund extensive marine conservation and research efforts. uShaka also hosts education programs about marine wildlife and respectful, sustainable use of the sea. The attraction has encouraged extensive tourism to the area since its opening in 2004, and visitors continue to come from all over the world.

Okay. All of that is terribly interesting, and my curious academic side genuinely wants to learn more (especially about the baby hammerhead sharks kept in a nearby residential pond?!), and when I return to Durban I vow to spend more time doing that investigate-and-absorb thing… However.

Water park. Slides. Lazy River. Junk food. Cocktails.

Just sayin’ – we had priorities.

Bluebottles

The venomous Portuguese man’o’war, or bluebottle, is commonly mistaken for a jellyfish despite it actually being a bizarre combination of four distinct organisms working in concert. No really. These little buggers drift through the water and deliver paralytic stings to fish and humans alike. Out of respect for the excruciating pain they are able to inflict, we bowed to their superiority as they usurped our surfing lessons three times during our stay in Durban.

And wouldn’t you know it – they’re actually blue.

Six hundred meters off the beach is a shark net to keep the Durban coastline safe from toothed predators, but the tentacly kind manage to find their way in.

Little shits eating into my surfing time.

Men of the Fish

Like most coastal villages, the town of Keta is rife with fishermen. Fortunately for the Ketans, sandwiched between the Gulf of Guinea and Keta Lagoon, they have ample opportunity to net any manner of sea life.

Their beautifully decorated sea crafts dotted the beaches at night. The men came at dawn to mend their nets. My morning walk to Cape St. Paul Lighthouse – Woe introduced me to a dozen or more of these hardy mariners.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.