Mola Mola - Walvis Bay

click images to enlarge	June 2008 - The Big Ones have arrived! The whale season has started once again and we have had numerous sightings of Humpback and Killer whales this month. Mola Mola is keeping daily records of all sightings - dolphins, whales, turtles, mola-molas and whatever else is interesting - that are sent in to the research division of the Ministry of Fisheries. Marine biologist Simon Elwin from the UK is currently in Walvis Bay doing research on the Heaviside dolphins, and his daily reports can be seen on http://namibiandolphinproject.blogspot.com/
click images to enlarge	23 January 2008 Today's dolphins were very playful again! Jeanne from Ecomarine Kayaking took these beautiful pictures from her kayak this morning. To book a tour you can contact her via email: emkayak@iway.na More pictures under www.emkayak.iway.na
click image to enlarge	January 2008 *Mola Mola and the Bottlenose Dolphins wish everyone a happy and successful 2008!*
click images to enlarge	October 2007 Over the past months we have started to develop the Jetty area where our guests leave for the Marine Cruises. Today we opened up a little curio shop next to it. We offer fleeces, postcards and stamps, Walvis Bay T-Shirts, Jewellery, greeting cards and lots of other things from all over Africa. Wilmarie is in charge of the shop and she will be here every morning to assist you.
click images to enlarge	05 October 2007 As every year, Mola Mola invited 55 children from EHAFO on a Marine Cruise in the Walvis Bay Lagoon. They particularly enjoyed the seals that were jumping on board to play with them. EHAFO is a welfare organisation based in Windhoek. They care for underpriviledged people with disabilities. click images to enlarge
	01. September 2007 Yesterday we had our End-of August Staff Party. We had a big "braai" at Neels' and Megan's house to celebrate the successful end of our busiest month of the year. Many people from all over the world have joined us on the boats and in the Landrovers to enjoy the beautiful scenery in the Walvis Bay Lagoon and in Sandwich Harbour. Hidipo was the center of attention when Neels awarded him with a "Certificate of Bravery" for his exceptional commitment to Mola Mola. click images to enlarge
	15 August 2007 Over the past weeks, we have build a new Reception Area at the Jetty to give you the opportunity to sit down, relax and enjoy the view, before climbing on the boat. The Mola Mola Jetty Park has been completed now and it will provide shelter to all our guests. With some luck, you might even get to see pelicans, seals or flamingos, while you are waiting for your boat! click images to enlarge
	May 2007 Every year the Namibian Tourism Industry meets at the Tourism Expo in Windhoek to see other operators and to discuss new developments in tourism. Mola Mola hosted one of the more popular stands thanks to lots of ice-cold sparkling wine and fresh oysters! Neels, Megan, Naude and Katja had a great time with our friends and collegues from all over the country. We would like to thank all our suppliers for joining us for a glass of sparkling wine!! Special thanks goes to the girls from Finesse for all their help during the show, and to Helmut Schaefer for finishing off the 1000th oyster! click images to enlarge
click images to enlarge	05 February 2007 CANCER DAY The team of skippers and their assistants supported the National Cancer Day to raise money for cancer research by having their hair sprayed. Our usually colourful team ended up being a lot brighter than normal with hair and beards in rainbow colours... and all for a good cause too!
click images to enlarge	29 January 2007 Our team was out to the rescue again when a report came through of a group of 17 juvenile ostriches that had made their way from the desert to the Walvis Bay lagoon and were in trouble. They were caught in the mud when the high tide came in and when we got there 4 were bogged down in the mud and one had unfortunately died. The others were guided back into the dunes and the other 4 were brought back to Mola Mola where the mud and salt was washed off them. They were then housed in a store room and dried off with hair driers and room heaters until they were strong enough to walk again. Nature Conservation then released them into the desert again at Ganab, about 120 km from Walvis Bay. Latest reports state that they have all survived.
click to enlarge	18 December 2006 "Popular South African ska musician Johnny Clegg, also known as the "White Zulu" made a surprise visit on our Dolphin Cruise today while on holiday in Namibia with his family. Pictured here is Johnny with his wife and Mola Mola skipper Mike Lloyd."
click to enlarge	3 November 2006 A few weeks ago we welcomed our new office staff Lilly and Dopey to the Mola Mola team. They work seven days a week and you can meet them during your check in at the Mola Mola office in the morning!
click to enlarge	3 September 2006 Visitors were elated today when they experienced the Marine Big 5 on the Mola Mola cruise - seals, bottlenose dolphins, heavyside dolphins, southern right whale, and a mother humpback whale with her baby!
	August 2006 Launch of the German version of our website
click to enlarge	August 2006 Very high seas made access by car to the lagoon at Sandwich Harbour totally impossible. As August is the most popular month of the year for tourists to visit this beautiful area, our guides explored all possibilities and discovered a beautiful new viewpoint to take guests up to for spectacular views of this landscape. Our Marine Dune Day of the cruise and Sandwich Harbour 4x4 done in one day has proved again to be highly in demand this month particually with the Italians and French.
click to enlarge	June 2006 The whale sighting season got off to an early start in June with a lot of sightings of humpback whales. In August there were a lot of sightings of Southern Right whales, not often seen in this area, and particually interesting was a mating pair seen in the bay over a period of a few days.
click to enlarge	April 2006 After the closure of the official information bureau in Walvis Bay and thereafter a lot of complaints from visitors to the town, Mola Mola erected info sign boards from the entrance to the town to our offices and we became the new info centre. As this is purely a public service to "walk-in" visitors we do not make official bookings but give information to people on what to do in the area, distribute maps, brochures and guide books, and to help wherever we can.
click to enlarge	December 2005 Bwana Tucke-Tucke brought a group of about 30 bushmen on a tour to the coast and we gave them a trip on our boats. This was a first for all of them - to see the sea, ride on a boat, touch a seal, ... and the most exciting was to be able to speak to each other across the water on the radios! They gave us a wonderful show of traditional dancing back on land, and will be back again in 2006. click on image to enlarge
click to enlarge	10 November 2005 An 8m long adult humpback whale beached itself in the bay close to the pump station at the salt works. We were alerted by the staff at the pump station and sent out a team to help return the whale back to the sea. Only on the 2nd day did the water come in high enough to get "Humphrey" swimming again and was guided out to the deeper water. Unfortunately the next morning he had beached himself again and the decision was made to let nature take its course - by this time he was too weak and suffered too much stress after being out of the water for so long. We will always be grateful to the wonderful support of the public for the help they gave, and for the country-wide interest in this rescue attempt.
click to enlarge	November 2005 Since October 2001 every year at this time a lone elephant seal arrives at Pelican Point, having swum up, probably from the area of Marion Island, a distance of approx. 3500km! He stays for 6 weeks, disappears, and returns again the following year.
click to enlarge	22 September 2005 They have arrived safely! After 8 days at sea, 4000 litres of fuel, and experiencing 8 m high seas, humpback whales, orcas, dolphins, fishing, gale force winds, and some glorious weather, our crew brought Olin in to Walvis Bay Yacht Club at dusk. Olin is named after a wild spotted dolphin that lives on the Sinai coast on the Red Sea. Read about the story of her friendship with the deaf Bedouin people from a small village in this area at http://www.travellady.com/Issues/Issue62/62D-Dolphin%20Boy.htm
click to enlarge	14 September 2005 Our newest boat, and biggest to date, "Olin" left Capetown Harbour with a crew of 5, to ride the 1750 km up the west coast to Walvis Bay. The crew were Neels, owner of Mola Mola, his son Naudé, Casper who is a skipper on the trawlers from Walvis Bay, and 2 friends Servaas and Edward. Carrying 1500 litres of fuel and food rations for 6 days they left on an adventure that noone was sure of!
	August 2005 Skipper Billy Dreyer celebrated his 1000th Marine Cruise on his boat "Flipper". Billy joined Mola Mola in 2001 after going on early retirement and is on the water doing a job he loves for approx. 20 days every month. Here's to your next thousand Billy!