SIFAKA BLOG

One of the best things about Namibia is how many different kinds of animals you can find here. Cheri and I recently decided that we wanted to go and find some of the animals that live in the ocean on the coast of Namibia. So one day, we went out on a big sailboat to see what we could find. The sailboat captain took us to see the seal colony that is on the coast of Namibia, and we watched the seals as they played in the ocean surf. They are so playful! We saw Cape Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus), which is a very common type of seal in Southern Africa.

Next we saw both Bottlenosed Dolphins (Tursiops truncates), and Heaviside’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii). They would swim up to and around our boat as we sailed out to sea. It was especially fun to see the dolphins jumping out of the water.

We even saw a Sun Fish (Mola mola), which is a very strange looking fish that comes up to the surface of the ocean. By bobbing on the surface, the Sun Fish uses the sun to burn away some of the parasites that like to live on its skin. It also allows seabird to come and eat these parasites. One thing is for certain, and that is that Sun Fish are a very weird type of fish!

Once we got back on dry land, it was time to say goodbye to the ocean and its amazing creatures. With so much to see, we will hopefully be able to go back sometime soon!