4x4 Eco Challenge 2003 :: Finals

DAY ONE: 6TH OF AUGUST 2003

Klipbokkop:

All the contestants arrived safe and sound, with their visas for Angola in tack. Some more stressed than others with unexpected babies on their way, flight cancellation and last minute work to sort out.

We managed to get the vehicles packed and logistics sorted in record time, and under the watchful eye of Sarel van der Merwe, went through their paces on the Goodyear 4x4 Academy’s new high speed off-road training track. This essential training is necessary to prepare the convoy for driving with heavy loads on the gravel roads of Namibia. (top)

Labelling clothes - who said we would be sowing on the Final ?	How to rig a tent - training before the Final	High Speed Offroad training with loaded vehicles	Sarel in action

DAY TWO: 7TH OF AUGUST 2003

Cape to Aussenkehr:

At the crack of dawn with adrenalin pumping, a last cup of coffee and off we went. Two hours on the road, and Steve McIntyre proudly announced the birth of his baby daughter Jenna. Congratulations to Denise and thanks for allowing Steve to continue with the Eco Challenge, under these circumstances. The picture of baby Jenna arrived via cell phone at the Noordoewer Border post. Sarel joined the convoy with the last camera man onboard, to refuel at Springbok. The boarder crossing went smoothly and we arrived on the farm Aussenkehr, where Andre and his team prepared a lovely supper for the hungry teams. The management of Aussenkehr were so impressed by the Colt Rodeo, that they promptly ordered 3 similar vehicles for the farm. The teams managed to put up camp, with only minor incidents, and will be able to improve their performance and technique with lots of practice in the next two weeks. (top)

DAY THREE: 8TH OF AUGUST 2003

Aussenkehr to Henties Bay:

Today will see us crossing over the fast Namibian countryside via Windhoek up till Henties Bay.
At Henties we will be joined by our Namibian shark-experts under the leadership of Dr. Hannes Holtzhausen of Swakopmund. Tom and Annemarie Mellon from Campmor will also join us to take part in the first leg of the Final into Angola. Bennie van Rensburg of DaimlerChrysler will bring in the rest of the overland media, and by tonight we will be 50 people camping at the Caravan Park of Henties Bay. It will also be the last opportunity for cell phone contact, after which our daily reports will be done via satellite phone sponsored by Blue Sat, and you can also follow the convoy on the Mitsubishi website at www.mitsubishi-motors.co.za. (top)

Day Four: August 9, 2003

Entered Angola

After a long day traveling on gravel from Henties Bay, the 404 Eco Challenge convoy reached Angola and crossed the border into Angola at Ruacana. The entire convoy of Mitsubishi Pajero 3,2 DiD vehicles and the competitors - identical Mitsubishi Colt Rodeo 2,8 Tdi 4x4s and Mitsubishi ClubCabs reached Angola - 2400km from the start in Worchester on August 7 - without a hitch.

Today was the first day of official marking and the competitors had to put their best driving-foot forward with Chief Judge Sarel van der Merwe looking very closely at their driving skills and convoy driving rules. “I was impressed by the driving today and it seems the training we gave the competitors before we departed on the adventure has paid off. I could find very little wrong.”

“The standard of the finalists is so high this year that I do not expect more than a 20 point discrepancy between the first and last places this year” Van der Merwe said.

The convoy reached Ruacana in the late afternoon and after topping up the fuel tanks the process of crossing the border into Angola started. It was a brief and easy process on the Namibian side, but on the Angolan side it was a different story, with Angolan officials not used to so many people needing to cross the border all at once.

But help was at hand and although a long process all went well and the convoy could continue to the overnight spot in a dry river bed some 20 kilometres into Angola.

Tomorrow the convoy will depart early and drive due west along the Kunene river to Foz du Cunene, where the next few nights will be spent.

Competitors Paul de Villiers and Hillet Roelofse from Cape Town, said “This is very tough, challenging but we are having the time of our lives.” (top)

Day Five: August 10, 2003

Angola: Iona National Park

After a first uneventful evening in Angola and a peaceful rest, the 4x4 Eco Challenge 2003 contestants, support crews, judges and guest continu to their overnight stop in the Iona National Park.

The convoy used the full day to travel some 180km past some ruins that were once towns in Angola, stopping often to take photographs and enjoying an area very few South Africans have ever seen in times of peace.

The official driving evaluation started today and Sarel van der Merwe, Chief Judge spent the day closely watching all the competitors going through their paces. As points standing will only be revealed every third evening, the competitors will only know their positions tomorrow evening at the overnight stop.

Tomorrow the convoy have some 120km do drive to Foz du Cunene, which is the mouth of the Kunene river that separates Namibia and Angola. There the tag and release programme of the Copper Shark (bronze whaler) will commence.

During today samples of fresh water fish and insects were taken for analyses and DNA testing to determine if these are the same species found in other parts of Southern Africa. According to biologists on the Challenge, this will be the first time since 1970 that samples have been taken for analyses.

The Mitsubishi Colt and Mitsubishi Pajero vehicles on the Eco Challenge again today performed effortlessly, with only one minor problem when a competitor damaged the underside of his vehicle. This was fixed quickly in the field and the vehicle was on its way again, not needing further repairs proving how well suited to these conditions the Mitsubishi vehicles are. (top)

Day Six: August 11, 2003

4x4 ECO CHALLENGE CONVOY REACHES MOUTH OF THE KUNENE; ANGOLAN SIDE

* TODAY IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME THE COMPETITORS POINTS STANDING ARE ANNOUNCED

Today the 4x4 Eco Challenge convoy reached one of its milestones - getting to the Angolan side of the Kunene River mouth - the point where the Eco Challenge last year turned around and returned to South Africa.

“This year this is essentially the part of our plan to reach the Congo River next year and continue the tag and release programme of the Copper Shark (bronze whaler” said Gerhard Groenewald, founder of the 4x4 Eco Challenge.

Today the entire group decided to have an early morning after sleeping in a dry river bed just outside the Iona National Park to travel the 220km to Foz du Cunene as the mouth of the Kunene river is known in Angola.

It was a hard day’s traveling, with the convoy only managing some 20km in the first two hours of the morning. Most of the traveling today was over tough rock surfaces and the Goodyear tyres proved their worth, with only one puncture in a convoy of four Mitsubishi Pajero 3,2 Di-D’s, two Mitsubishi Colt ClubCab 2,8 Tdi 4x4’s and ten Mitsubishi Colt Rodeo 3,8 Tdi 4x4’s. The vehicles behaved impeccably, with no mechanical or other failure.

“Over the past two years these Mitsubishis have proven themselves, with no mechanical or electrical failures or faults and to my mind they are the vehicles for the job” said Groenewald.
Over the next three days the 4x4 Eco Challenge competitors will camp at Foz du Cunene, with stunning views of the Kunene river as well as the massive dunes on the Namibian side of the river. They have set up camp at an old deserted pump house at Foz du Kunene.

While staying here the competitors, with the help of specialized angling guides, will see how many “Bronzies” (Copper Sharks) they can tag and release, before moving north to Camp Flamingo. During this time they will also be doing various driving tasks, with Chief Judge Sarel van der Merwe always present with his clipboard to mark the teams, progress.

Today is also the first time the points standings were given to the competitors - as will be done every three days - and the current standings are:

Pos: Team: Points:

1. Steve & Shayne McIntyre 180
2. Deon & Theunis van Zyl 175
3. Mike Bird & Paul Gouge 174
4. Charel Bruwer & Japie Louw 165
5. Graham Sinclair & Tertius Hickman 150
5. David Huddy & Sally Bevington 150
5. Paul de Villiers & Hillet Roelofse 150
6. Kobus van den Berg & Pieter van Wyk 143
7. Jaap & Annetjie Meyer 140
7. Christo & Jurie van Rensburg 140

The 5th and 7th positions are currently shared.(top)

Recent Pictures of the first six days of the Eco Challenge

Click on the pictures for an enlargement.
More pictures to follow soon.

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Day 7: 13 August, 2003

THE TAG AND RELEASE PROGRAMME STARTS IN EARNEST

Having reached their first goal to enter Angola and get to the Kunene river mouth on the Angolan side, the 4x4 Eco Challenge competitors and their specialist angling guides started the tag and release programme of the Copper Shark (Bronze Whaler).

Fishing on August 12 was slow in the morning and the weather not ideal, but as the day progressed the fishing got better and by evening they had tagged more than a hundred “Bronzies”.

Hannes Holtzhausen, a senior marine biologist from the Namibian Ministery of Fisheries and Resources and project leader was over the moon with the result. “I could not believe the guys managed to tag so many fish, as last year we managed a total of 157 sharks over a three day period. Today my wildest dreams came true when the guys managed to increase their tally to 218 sharks tagged sharks in only two days.”

He continued, “What makes it even more special is that we caught a shark that was tagged in the Swakopmund area some time ago. Although this is not conclusive, it could mean that Namibia and Angola are sharing the same Copper Shark population, something we believe could be true.”

While the competitors were tagging sharks, three Pajeros left for Namibe to collect the first VIP guest to come and have a look at what happens at the Eco Challenge. The route to Namibe is via the beach virtually all the way and is completely dependent on the tides. It is only possible to travel at low tide and even then the going is tough. The three Mitsubishi Pajeros never put a wheel wrong in these trying conditions, often needing to travel at high speed to escape the rising tide.

The route passes Baia dos Tigres, where flocks of flamingo and pelicans can be seen. After traveling on the beach for about 200 kilometres, the town of Tomwa is reached. This used to be a beautiful fishing town with stunning buildings, but nowadays most of the inhabitants merely live of the sea.

One then turns inland toward Namibe on a tarred road. Angola is a right hand drive country and the roads very narrow and not in very good condition, but there aren’t many cars on the road so passage was easy. The Yuri Gagarin airport is neat and the staff very friendly. It took just minutes for the passengers to clear customs, but the immigration took some time as it is not yet computer based.

Because of the high tide the visitors were taken to Rico Sakko’s stunning Flamingo Camp, right on the beach. He mostly caters for anglers and the log camp is set in the dunes with a high bar/restaurant area overlooking the sea.

On the way to Flamingo Camp the visitors passed some of the most unique scenery seen anywhere, one could only describe it as being similar to the landscape on Mars. It looks as if this area was a floodplane and over many years the water eroded the sides of the mountains away. This area is also rich in its Welwichia population and some of the biggest examples anywhere can be seen here. One the visitors saw was nearly 1,5 metres high and several metres in circumference.

Tomorrow the convoy will depart early and travel via the difficult coastal route to Flamingo Camp where they will compete in several driving tasks in their identical Mitsubishi Colt Rodeo 2,8 Tdi 4x4 double cabs. They will also continue with the tagging programme. (top)

Day 8: 14 August, 2003

4x4 ECO CHALLENGE 2003 REACHES ITS TURN AROUND POINT

Today the 4x4 Eco Challenge 2003 reached its turning point in Angola at Flamingo Camp in the Namibe province. For the next three days the convoy will stay at the camp to continue the tag and release programme of the Copper Shark.

After tagging more than 200 sharks in two days, the exhausted competitors went to bed early, only to pack the entire camp this morning for what promised to be a difficult drive to Flamingo Camp. The 270km route is a difficult one and it was expected the teams would have to travel along a steep camber for several kilometers along the dunes to escape the tide. All were properly briefed and were ready for this challenge.

Fortunately the tide had pulled back sufficiently and this was not necessary and to everybody’s relief the route to Tomwa was a quick one. There were two brief stops; one at a brand-new vehicle that had been washed away by the sea three days ago after the driver had not taken the precaution of not traveling with more than one vehicle and ran into trouble.

The other stop was at the Vanesa (stet) Fisheries fishing trawler that ran aground a number of years ago. Although the ship is still fully intact, all valuables have been removed. The locals said the ship was guarded until recently, but it seems the shipping firm could not recover the ship, so it will gradually rust away on the beach.

A brief stop was made in Tomwa to fill the convoy vehicles, many of which were running on reserve fuel, before the convoy continued to Arco where there is an inland lake to collect samples of fish and insects to be sent away for DNA testing.

In the late afternoon the convoy reached Flamingo Camp to be greeted by local television crews and a live band. Tonight the tired crews will enjoy some true Angolan food with Coca Cola sponsored soft drinks and beer sponsored by N’gola , an Angolan brewed beer.

Once again the heavily laden Mitsubishi vehicles performed faultlessly and there were no hiccups.

Christoph Kopke, Chairman of the DaimlerChrysler South Africa Management Board, who followed the 4x4 Eco Challenge in Angola for a few days is extremely impressed by the country and said a few times that there is true potential in Angola.

Rosithwa Kopke, Commercial Director of DaimlerChrysler Services and one of the new sponsors of the event was overwhelmed by the stunning nature scenes she saw in Angola. She also said: “These Mitsubishis performed extremely well and they take everything thrown at them in their stride.”

Today was the second time the teams were told what their points standings are after the scores were tallied again after two days into the tag and release programme were added. Teams will be told every three days what their points standings are.

There are several tests remaining, including written tests, driving tests, team work, etc. There are still 500 points up for grabs and the current standings are as follows.

Pos: Team: Points:

1. Mike Bird & Paul Gouge 245
2. Charel Bruwer & Japie Louw 235
3. Deon & Theunis van Zyl 226
4. Steve & Shayne McIntyre 224
5. Graham Sinclair & Tertius Hickman 220
6. Paul de Villiers & Hillet Roelofse 210
7. Kobus van den Berg & Pieter van Wyk 209
8. David Huddy & Sally Bevington 205
9. Christo & Jurie van Rensburg 201
10. Jaap & Annetjie Meyer 187

(top)

Day 9, 15 August, 2003

4x4 ECO CHALLENGE TEAMS HAVE A REST DAY

After more than a week of hard driving, often up to 1 000km per day and having caught and tagged more than 200 Bronze Whalers (Copper Sharks) the competitors in the 4x4 Eco Challenge 2003 were allowed a relaxed day to recover their strength.

Even though it was a relaxed day, the teams still had to see to it that their daily tasks were completed and this morning they also wrote a test on the fauna and flora in the area to test their general knowledge. Even though there were one or two poor results, it seems all the competitors had been paying attention to what they were told.

These results also count to the final points and teams are doing all they can to increase their standings, which are still extremely close with just 48 points separating first and last place.

During the day the camp was also cleaned and made ready for the next group of media guests who flew into the Yuri Gagarin airport in Namibe. At the same time a number of the specialist anglers tried to tag more ‘bronzies’, but none were found so, instead, the anglers caught other fish and the entire convoy could enjoy freshly prepared fish this evening.

Gerhard Groenewald, organizer of the 4x4 Eco Challenge set off this afternoon with some of the VIP visitors to collect insect samples for the Pretoria University for analysis and returned with a number of strange creatures not normally seen in South Africa.

It is a cold evening in Angola tonight with an icy wind blowing and most will go to bed early top start the second half of the Challenge on fresh batteries.

Tomorrow the contestants will travel back to Tomwa, where they will try to locate more Copper Sharks to tag and release and are hoping to increase their tally to more than 300 sharks. (top)

Most current photos from the Finals

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Day 10, 16 August

A COLD DAY, NO SHARKS AND AN ENGAGEMENT

August 16 on the 4x4 Eco Challenge 2003 will be remembered as a day of disappointment, frustration and a marriage proposal.

The contestants woke up this morning to a gloomy day with the mist hanging heavy over the ocean and a cold wind making things even more uncomfortable, but today was the last opportunity to tag the Copper Sharks, or Bronzies as they’ve become known and all the teams enthusiastically set off to increase their already impressive tally of 218 sharks tagged and released.

But this was not to happen and after a number of attempts the specialists anglers from the Henties Bay Angling Club decided that the water was just too cold and there would be no fishing. Disappointed, the teams returned to camp in the late afternoon.

Once again the 4 Mitsubishi Pajeros, 2 Mitsubishi Colt ClubCabs and the contestants’ 10 Mitsubishi Colt Rodeos performed faultlessly, after spending another tough day on the soft beach sand.

Tonight will be their last at Flamingo Camp and in the morning the long drive back to the Klipbokkop Mountain Resort near Worcester will start. There are still several special tasks to complete and the Challenge is far from over, but all are sad to leave this beautiful part of the country.

Tonight a local band, Baia Dos Semba, will again make the music, playing popular cover songs, while all enjoy the cuisine prepared by Jose, the local chef. Several top dignitaries of the Namibe province are also joining tonight’s festivities. They’ve shown a keen interest in the 4x4 Eco Challenge and what it’s meant for their country.

Steve McIntyre, one of the competitors became a dad on the first day of the Challenge, but still decided to compete and today managed to talk to his wife, and proudly said his baby girl, Jenna now weighs 1,5 kilograms.

On another happy note, one of the three couples competing in the event became engaged last night, but do not want their names mentioned yet, as they would also first like to do the honourable thing and ask parents first. However, all the contestants have made them promise to invite them to the wedding. (top)

Day 11, 17 August

4X4 ECO CHALLENGE COMPETITORS ON THEIR WAY HOME

After a rather late night at Flamingo Camp last night the entire 4x4 Eco Challenge convoy started its way back to South Africa this morning. A decision was taken not to re-track the past weeks’ route, but to rather travel via tar roads – where they exist!

The teams have become so slick at packing up the camp and preparing their vehicles that the 16 Mitsubishis and nearly 50 people were in convoy and ready to depart only 2 minutes after the agreed time.

The convoy first traveled to Namibia, where the vehicles were all fueled and tyre pressures increased for traveling on tar. This took some time and the convoy managed to depart from Namibe at 12h00 (Angola is currently one hour behind South Africa) but was stopped by a roadblock and had to present documentation. All was in order and the convoy soon departed.

The route to Lubango today took the convoy past the extremely impressive Serra de Leba mountain pass where the cars climbed 1 000 metres in less than 10 kilometres and, at one point, the road switches direction six times and rises some 300 metres, in less than a kilometre. At this point one can see seven levels of the road from the opposite side all at once.

When the convoy reached Lubango a brief stop was made at one of only three similar Jesus Christ statues in the world. It is a huge statue situated on a koppie overlooking Lubango similarly as the one overlooking Rio de Janairo.

Lubango is about the size of Kimberly and is a friendly town with lots of new cars and one can see there is an effort to develop the town. Contestants had an interesting time driving through all the intersections as there are no robots, stop signs of yield signs. Adding to that, driving on the right hand side of the road, made for a lot of guessing work.

Tonight the 4x4 Eco Challenge convoy has set-up camp about 70 kilometres outside Lubango and will continue some 250 kilometres to the Namibian border tomorrow. The plan is to cross the border and overnight in Namibia tomorrow evening. (top)

Day 12: August 18

A DAY OF POTHOLES IN ANGOLA

Competitors, organizers and the media will remember today as the day of potholes in Angola for the 4x4 Eco Challenge 2003. Virtually the entire day was spent negotiating potholes as the convoy made its way to the Namibian border. The convoy spent the night about 70 kilometres outside Lubango on the tar road that leads to the border post near Oshakati in Namibia, but the convoy had to cross the border from Angola into Namibia at Ruacana.
Right from the start this morning at 08h00 Angolan time the 16 Mitsubishi Pajero and Colt vehicles had to negotiate potholes on the main tar road. It was sometimes safer to travel on the verge of the road with two wheel on the tar and two wheels on the gravel and the going was slow. One of the contestants even made the comment that after seeing the potholes in Angola, he will never swerve out for another pothole at home again! The road is not used by a lot of traffic, but has not been kept in good order by the local authorities. Even though the road was this tough and the vehicles, tyres and occupants took a beating, there was only one flat tyre in the convoy, whilst the Mitsubishis performed faultlessly again for the 12thday in a row.
The 4x4 Eco Challenge crossed the border at Ruacana late in the afternoon and will overnight at the Omunjandi camp just outside Ruacana on the banks of the Kunene river. From tomorrow the convoy will be closer to home every day and will stop off at Henties’ Bay tomorrow evening to bid farewell to the 10 specialist anglers, who assisted with the tag and release programme of the Bronze Whaler (Copper Shrk) before continuing their journey home. (top)

Day 13, August 19

THE LONG ROAD HOME

After spending the night on the banks of the Kunene River, on the Namibian side the 4x4 Eco-challenge convoy today started its long drive back to the Klipbokkop Mountain Resort near Worcester.

The convoy, all travelling in Mitsubishi Colt and Mitsubishi Pajero vehicles today travelled from Ruacana to Henties Bay via a very good gravel road. Although there were a lot of cattle on the road the convoy managed to make consistent progress, arriving in Henties Bay in the late afternoon.

After a brief stop to drop off the specialist anglers the convoy drove another 70km’s to Swakopmund to overnight. Everybody had a hearty meal at the well-known Lighthouse Restaurant and were happy not to have to unpack the vehicles to set up kitchen.

All 16 Mitsubishi are still performing faultlessly and there have been no failures or mechanical problems. Even more surprising is that there have only been three flat tyres, two of which were repaired without even removing the wheel from the car!

Tomorrow the convoy will travel through Swakopmund and overnight at Aussenkehr in Namibia, which is just north of the South African border.

Day 14, August 20

UPDATE ON THE FINAL STAGES THROUGH NAMIBIA

After crossing the border into Namibia with even the immigrations officials of Namibia remarking how tired we all looked, we were so happy to camp on the banks of the Kunene River at Omunjandi camp. It is a stunning campsite, with the most beautiful trees and a very comfortable entertainment area. Many of the contestants, management and media were charged before the “Namibian Rondvallende Hof” for “misconducts” of whatever sort, and had time to laugh, de-stress and felt like we were almost in our home country.

It was such a relieve to travel the well maintained gravel roads of Namibia, after our experience the previous day – traveling 209 km. in 9 hours!! Reaching Henties Bay at 5 in the afternoon, to say goodbye to Spyker and his crowd, the contestants decided that is was time to have an evening off. After pitching tents at the lovely Alte Brücke resort in Swakopmund, sponsored by the owner Albie Viljoen, we went for a lovely meal at The Lighthouse. It was great to have someone prepare a wonderful meal for you and serve you with drinks with ice!!

We are heading for the Namibian Border where we will again overnight at Aussenkehr on the banks of the Orange River. Thanks to Andre, Marlene and their team for their wonderful hospitality!!

The convoy hope to reach Klipbokkop Mountain Resort by late Thursday afternoon. With all the news of snow on the mountains, we are very eager to get home, and enjoy the change from very warm climate of Angola and Northern Namibia to the snowy mountains of the Cape.

The last scores will be held back till the Award Ceremony and the winners will be announced and published on the website.

THANKS FOR ALL THE EMAILS AND MESSAGES OF GOOD LUCK AND WELL WHISHES FROM FRIENDS, AND SPONSORS. YOU ARE THE BEST!!

Camping on the banks of the Kunene River		The media enjoying a quiet moment	The Spitzkoppe Mountains outside Swakopmun

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Day 15 - Last Day - 21 August 2002

FROM A WARM AND COMFORTABLE ANGOLA TO A FREEZING SOUTH AFRICA

The 4x4 Eco Challenge teams have spent the past two days driving back to South Africa, through Namibia after the convoy passed through the Ruacana border post three days ago.

The temperatures throughout the 4x4 Eco Challenge were was very comfortable and even while staying at the Angolan coast, jackets were only worn in the evenings as the days were comfortable and sunny.

Last night the convoy stayed over at Aussenkehr, just north of the Vioolsdrift border post and they crossed the border this morning and will arrive at the Klipbokkop Mountain Resort late this afternoon.

The last points standings before the final results are made public are as follows:

Pos: Team: Points:

1. Deon & Theunis van Zyl 343
2. Charel Bruwer & Japie Louw 328
3. Steve & Shayne McIntyre 320
4. Mike Bird & Paul Gouge 317
5. Christo & Jurie van Rensburg 302
6. Paul de Villiers & Hillet Roelofse 300
7. David Huddy & Sally Bevington 298
8. Graham Sinclair & Tertius Hickman 297
9. Kobus van den Berg & Pieter van Wyk 296
10. Jaap & Annetjie Meyer 278

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More Photos from the Finals

Our guests from Johannesburg - The Kopkes, the Gaedes and Anne Clarke from DaimerChrysler SA	Our Campmor tents gave us shelter against the winds of the Kunene	Sleeping under the stars in a dry river bed - the highlight of many a contestant	The expert shark anglers from Namibia
Pink Sand Castles	Shayne coaching a snake back to safety	Collecting fresh water fish samples in the rivers of Angola	Happy to go forward from the banks of the Kunene River into Angola
Looking back to where the 2002 4x4 Eco Challenge stopped on the banks of the Kunene River	The going gets rough with heavy loads on cambers in thick soft sand	Driving along the coast towards Tombwoa
The 4x4 Eco Challenge driving the impressive Sierra de Leba Pass in Angola.		One of 3 Christ Statues, this one is in the town of Lebongo, Angola	Size does not matter if you are looking for fresh water fish!!!
Numbered Tag believed to have its origans in Swakopmund	Collecting More samples	Alfred Kronitz - chief assistant to Dr. Hannes Holtzhausen	Collecting mussle samples for research
Theuns van Zyl with the recaptured shark	Collecting mussle samples

THANKS TO DON CHARLES AND JONATHAN DEAL FOR SHARING THEIR PICTURES WITH US.