mini-expedition to dive the De Hoop MPA
Category General
Last week's mini-expedition to dive the De Hoop MPA with Roman Ondruj, Dasha and Petr Vala was technically not successful as the sea was very rough and dirty, but we still had amazing sightings of thousands of cape gannets raining down into the sea as they chased huge baitballs around the coast, while several Brydes whales surfaced around us, literally taking a breather from their attempts to eat the baitfish. After two days at sea we changed tack and took a short drive to visit the De Hoop Nature Reserve itself. Timing the visit to coincide with low-tide we hiked a little way along the spectacular coastline from Koppie Alleen to the amazing Hippo Pools. These warm and clear pools offer an amazing snorkeling experience in a protected environment amongst an amazing array of reef fish species and we spent an hour in their company. Then it was off to quell the rumbling stomachs with some fine dining at De Hoop's fantastic restaurant, before hiking 5km along the shores of the incredible De Hoop Vlei with its huge abundance of bird life, including the huge pelicans! Even leaving this place is an adventure, with the drive to the gate turning into a sunset game drive in beautiful evening light. I left with a renewed determination to spend more time here, this place truly is a photographer's paradise!
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Author: Jean Tresfon
