Following the Auction and Sweepstake at Ocean Sports bar on the evening of the 27th December, the 2013 Watamu Sea Fishing Club Christmas Competition officially got underway at 6.30 on Saturday morning.

The 28 boats that entered this years competition are:
Bingo, Tamu, Clueless, Insteada, Alleycat, Kipapa, Unreel, Simba, Ol Jogi II, Tarka, Seahorse, Pintail. Seyidda, Neptune, Sand Dollar, Tega, Whatever It Takes, Spoit, Eclare, Auspicious, Starehe, Magoo, Shika, Ocean Luhrs, Black Widow, Dignity, and Castle Lager.

The annual Watamu Christmas Dhow Race will start at 3pm in front of Ocean Sports on Monday 30th December.

The 2013 Watamu Christmas Competition auction was held at Ocean Sports, Watamu on the evening of the 28th December.

A great turn out of fishermen, supporters and fishing enthusiasts filled the Ocean Sports bar at a fun family evening.

There are 28 boats in this years competition and each one was auctioned off to the highest bidder in the room.

An icon of the Swahili Coast, the white triangular sails filled by the monsoon trades are a lovely sight to see, and are a characteristic of all traditional swahili ports such as Lamu, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam.

Jahazi is a Persian term for a 14th century vessel that was double-ended and sewn together, but is now square-sterned and nailed. Today's Jahazi differs little from early ocean going vessels that traded throughout the Indian Ocean hundreds of years ago.

+ Kitesurf competition days Aug 16 + 17
+ Men / Women / Under 15 yrs old categories
+ Raising funds for Watamu Turtle Watch
+ Great fun days on the beach watching Kenya's top kitesurf talent
+ Aug 17 Evening Beach BBQ & Party & DJ

Che Shale Info

'Mashua' refers to a class of Swahili vessels, generally open fishing boats built from planks with a pointed bow and a square / transom stern.

The term mashua, likely derived from similar words for boats in the Indian Ocean, such as Mashwa, machwás, machwa.
'Machwa' originates from India, and is used widely on the Indian coast referring to a variety of vessels. The word can also be traced to Southern Arabia and the Persian Gulf.
The swahili word for a boat is 'Mashua', hence this name of dhow does refer to a broad range of vessels.

This fantastic app is a must for any enthusiastic birder in East Africa. 

With over 1380 species included, with full colour images, descriptions, maps, and bird calls this app is quite a remarkable resource to have at your fingertips.

Birding on the East African coast can be extremely difficult, especially when it comes to migrant widers in non-breeding plumage out on the low-tide flats.

"Karibu Kenya Accommodation Guide is a comprehensive guidebook to Kenya, with detailed information on over 850 camps, lodges, hotels and resorts. It also includes facts about Kenya, all the regions in the country, the national parks, the reserves and conservancies, and the activities and facilities that are on offer in each area. Colour illustrations enhance every chapter, including maps of each region and photos of all properties. The guidebook is divided into regions and has a fully inclusive index, making it clear and easy to use." Tamara Britten

Trailer to the new film directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Michael Pitiot. Beautiful cinematography gives stunning new view of the Oceans, and hits on some timely and harsh realities about humankind's relationship with the Oceans.

We were children of great fortune – our father was shipped to East Africa on an expat assignment in the late 60’s and my two brothers and I were born in Nairobi. Whilst he missed out on Flower Power, Free Love and the music of Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, we grew up in a tropical paradise with year-round sunshine and a swimming pool in the garden. I learnt to swim by the age of 3 and started windsurfing at the age of 6. We’d spend long-weekends in tented-camps pitched on the shores of the Rift Valley; when we weren’t windsurfing or sailing we would be competing with the local hippos and crocs for shoals of spiny tilapia and whiskered cat-fish.

Marine turtles have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs, well over 100 million years, yet in the past few decades their numbers have crashed dramatically and they are all under threat of extinction. Five of the world's seven species of Sea turtles can be found in the waters off the East African coast. Some, such as the Leatherback Turtle are rarely seen, others, such as the Green Turtle are regularly sighted out at sea, in the coastal shallows, and even on the beaches where they nest.

The 21st of December 2012 is the 'Winter' Solstice, when the Earth's position is tilted to it's extreme and the Tropic of Capricorn is the closest latitide to the sun. 

This is the southern hemisphere's longest, day, and the northern hemisphere's shortest day.

Theories of the end of the world stemming from the Mayan Calendar are widespread. The reality is that the calendar does indeed end a long count period on this day, but not the end of the calendar completely, just as modern day calendars end on the 31st of December.

One of the most common boats seen on The Swahili Coast, the Ngalawa is an unmistakable and charming traditional boat.

It’s slim hull approximately 6 metres long is essentially a dugout canoe or Mtumbwi, which is what this vessel most likely evolved from. The raised bow and higher sides to the hull allow for the Ngalawa to reach out into the open seas. A pointed stern holds the rudder.

"Kusi na Kaskazi"
Travelling by Dhow on Sinbads Tracks
By Beat Presser

The photographer travelled for many months on board various dhows and across The Swahili Coast.

Bio-Ken Snake Farm have announced the dates for the 8th Snake-bite Seminar, which will take place at Turtle Bay Beach Club on the 10th November 2012.

An excellent event for medical personnel who experience cases of snakebite, as well as those interested in herpetology. Very useful for safari guides, rangers, and anyone who spends time in areas where an encounter with a venemous snake is possible.