Namibia: Surf & Turf...

[Fred Gunner]

Outjo to open 'diving with crocs' park

NAMIBIA'S north-western town of Outjo will soon open the first-ever crocodile park in the country, where visitors will be able to dive with the crocodiles.
“We will be the first in Namibia and fifth in the world. Visitors can dive with the crocodiles,” said Francois Theart, one of the partners in the proposed Crocodile Crossing Park venture.

At the moment, only South Africa has a crocodile park where visitors can dive with crocodiles in Africa.

Visitors would be lowered into the water in a steel cage, similar to those used for deep water predators such as sharks, and they will view the crocodiles in the water from the safety of the cage.

Theart said the crocodile park is an extension of Otjiwarongo's crocodile park, one of most visited places in the Otjozondjupa region.

There will be about 50 crocodiles at the park, the business owners said, and visitors can either choose to visit the curio shop and at times even get to feed the crocodiles from a safe distance.

Visitors can later this year also dine on the delicious crocodile meat.

Theart told The Namibian that he cannot reveal the type of eatery that will be set up, when asked if they will have a restaurant or a take away outlet at the crocodile park.

Some sections of the crocodile park are expected to open this month.

Email: bottomline@namibian.com.na

https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=89451&page

 

[CAustin]

Outjo to open 'diving with crocs' park

View attachment 337506

NAMIBIA'S north-western town of Outjo will soon open the first-ever crocodile park in the country, where visitors will be able to dive with the crocodiles.
“We will be the first in Namibia and fifth in the world. Visitors can dive with the crocodiles,” said Francois Theart, one of the partners in the proposed Crocodile Crossing Park venture.

At the moment, only South Africa has a crocodile park where visitors can dive with crocodiles in Africa.

Visitors would be lowered into the water in a steel cage, similar to those used for deep water predators such as sharks, and they will view the crocodiles in the water from the safety of the cage.

Theart said the crocodile park is an extension of Otjiwarongo's crocodile park, one of most visited places in the Otjozondjupa region.

There will be about 50 crocodiles at the park, the business owners said, and visitors can either choose to visit the curio shop and at times even get to feed the crocodiles from a safe distance.

Visitors can later this year also dine on the delicious crocodile meat.

Theart told The Namibian that he cannot reveal the type of eatery that will be set up, when asked if they will have a restaurant or a take away outlet at the crocodile park.

Some sections of the crocodile park are expected to open this month.

Email: bottomline@namibian.com.na

https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=89451&page

Forgive me if I don’t get in line to enjoy this activity any time soon!

 

[johnnyblues]

+1

 

[BRICKBURN]

They have had this activity for years all along the Zambezi.
Very few repeat customers.

 

[MarkB]

Never swam but did the touristy thing in Vic Falls. Got to pick up and hold a small one for pics then we sat down to a bottle of white and a 10 oz tail steak. Cant wait to repeat was delicious. Am booked for this July to swim with great whites in Gansbaai, now hope this craziness settles so I can fulfill.

Hope idea pans out for Namibia.

MB

 

[Newboomer]

BE MY GUEST!! I'll watch from the sidelines and help pick up the pieces. Just the thought makes me cringe.

 

[Fred Gunner]

Very few repeat customers.

Visitors would be lowered into the water in a steel cage, similar to...crab/bait fish trap

 

[jacques smith]

Believe ill pass[emoji56]

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Believe ill pass[emoji56]

For the safety of the crocs.......

 

[Fred Gunner]

 

[leslie hetrick]

bring your fat sister next time, your to skinny.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

My wife & I have been scuba diving with sharks present quite a number of times, no cages involved. Both in deliberate feeding attraction dives, and simple incidental common presence in the same neighborhood at the same time.

In Honduras we were the only two customers on the dive at a site named Cara a Cara (face to face). The coral heads made a horseshoe area at 80 feet deep where we set down on our knees with our backs to the coral heads. The divemaster in a chainmail suit brought down a 5 gallon plastic bucket full of fish heads & guts inside with holes poked in the lids. Quite a number of sharks of all sizes, largest ones were 6 feet long that day, soon showed up and started swimming in a circle around the area with the bucket at the center. Then the divemaster motioned for us to join the sharks swimming around the bucket. I kept my hands tucked in my armpits and my wife kept her hands on her underwater camera. That experience really showed how we were such alien creatures in their environment; their abilities and efficiency in changing direction & depth compared to us humans was amazing to see first hand. It would seem like collision would be imminent but one or two hands breadths from my face mask or shoulders, they'd make what was a minuscule twitch to their muscles and move around.

Then we settled back down on the sand with the coral heads to our backs. The divemaster took the lid off the bucket and the frenzy began, with one of the larger sharks getting its head stuck in the bucket for a few minutes, then shaking it off. After 5 or so minutes, the food was gone and fewer & fewer sharks stayed in the area. We ascended along the mooring line and while doing our safety stop at 15 to 20 feet, no more sharks to be seen in the area.

On Tikehau in French Polynesia, the dive operation was run by a young French couple, and we were the only divers on that island / atoll that week (it was a truly get away from the crowds spot). The wife showed us how she'd learned she could click two pieces of dead coral together to mimic the sound of a speargun being cocked, and three silvertip sharks showed up and swam along with us for about 15 minutes. After deciding we really weren't that interesting after all, they swam back off into the blue.

Having said that, we don't have any real interest in diving in cages whether sharks, crocs, gators, ettc.

 

[PARA45]

No desire to swim with crocks or sharks. I had a Bull shark (5 ft long or so) take a grouper off my spear gun, never saw him until he had my fish in his mouth, and that was a bit too close for comfort. I got out of the water real quick and in a hurry. Bull sharks are not the friendliest kind, and very aggressive.