Shark and Shoal guesthouse

01/06/2022

Good news !! Loadshedding no longer a problem at Shark and Shoal Guesthouse, we have installed inverters. What's more, water cuts something of the past, we have installed a automated water backup system.

24/01/2022

Thank You Carolyn for being great guests😃

08/10/2021

The early years of Umkomaas
Extract from the Annals of Umkomaas

Community development

As early as 1905 Umkomaas was described as the "gem of the South Coast". It was then, given ideal conditions, a drive of about two hours from Durban on the old main road, crossing the river at the punt at the Drift.

Once at the village one could ""boat, cycle, walk, ride and drive" as there were "ideal spots for excursions"; also "splendid sea bathing and fishing".

The train journey took a little longer, but was a pleasant one, with a splendid view of the ocean and rolling green countryside to gladden the eyes.

The railway station was then, as now, situated on the hillside facing the sea. Behind stood the post-office and further still, higher up, Humphreys Hotel, commanding a breathtaking veiw stretching as far as the bluff in Durban. A few hundred meters to the north--east stood the Old South Barrow Hotel which was probably one of the first township buildings. This does not include the two or three little cottages which had been there in the early days when people hired boats from Mr Nelson and rowed down to stay at the Umkomaas river mouth.

The old South Barrow served as a Court house, church and hall for wedding receptions, balls and other functions. Just outside, on open ground, an old tribal chief would entertain with his troop of traditional dancers when he came to pay the annual tax.

Before 1900 there existed the Umkomaas Hotel which was situated close to Humphreys Hotel and was run by a Mrs Long. Her daughter Freda (later to be Mrs Lyall) was born in Umkomaas in 1904 and taken by a Rev. Arguile to Umzinto to be baptized. Sponsors recorded on the baptismal certificate are Elizabeth Emily Bousfield, Adolphina Davidsen (the butchers wife) and William George Long, the childs father.

While running the hotel Mrs. Long watched the building of the railway line. Later the engine drivers would stop off for tea and a chat, collect a shopping list, then proceed on their way. On their return journey from Durban they would deliver the goods having done all the shopping errands!

By the end of 1910 the hotel had burned down and the Long family left the area. After several short stays in later years, Mrs. Freda Lyall finally returned and settled here in 1950. Umkomaas Hotel was never rebuilt. Bricks from the ruins were used for building new houses.

It can be seen that the hub of activity in the first years of the last century was the railway station, post office area.

01/10/2021

How fortunate we are to see the whales here in Umkomaas. This was yesterday morning. They were really putting on a show for us 🐳🐋

24/09/2021

Have a fantastic Heritage day everyone.

16/08/2021

02/08/2021

Did you know!?
The Umkomaas or uMkomazi River is a dominant feature of the area, being the largest river on the South Coast. The river is 298 kilometres long, from its source just south of Giant's Castle in the uKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site to its mouth on the Indian Ocean. The river starts at an altitude of over 3000 meters. The Umkomaas river valley is mentioned in an early chapter of Alan Paton’s 1948 novel Cry the Beloved Country. Probably derived from the Zulu word uMkhamazi, the name relates to the sighting of a whale in the river estuary at some point in history. The river's tributaries include the Madoba, Mkhomazana, Mtungwane, Nhlatimbe and Nhlavini. The river's basin covers about 4,315 km2, annual discharge is approximately 1 x 106 m3 and sediment load is an estimated 900 000 tons per year. Some parts of the river basin are vulnerable to flooding due to the steep topography and weather systems, such as intense thunderstorms and cut-off lows. Raft races, canoeing, and other sporting events are held on the river. The river is a popular white-water rafting destination. During the winter dry season, the river mouth often silts up, but after heavy rains it carries large amounts of brown sediment into the Indian Ocean. Some of this sedimentation is due to anthropogenic (human-made) pressures on the local ecosystem. These pressures include soil erosion caused by over-grazing, intensive cultivation, sewage disposal, informal farming and settlements, timber plantations, and the removal of sand or topsoil from the river's basin.

26/07/2021

Did you know!?

Green Point Lighthouse at Clansthal is situated between Scottburgh and Umkomaas. It is made of cast iron and is painted in red and white striped bands. The tower stands at an impressive 21 metres (69ft) with a tapered cylindrical shape, complete with a double balcony and Fresnel lens lantern.

The lighthouse was built in 1905 and is a National Monument. In 1961 it was fully automated which means there is no need for a lighthouse keeper.

Green Point Lighthouse warns ships of the Aliwal Shoal which is 5 kms away. The Shoal was named after the the ship Aliwal which sunk in the area.

“Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining – they just shine.”
Dwight L. Moody

21/07/2021

Shark and Shoal guesthouse have always promoted a cleaner environment through recycling.

Marine pollution along the KZN coastline
“If we want a clean ocean, we must change our behavior on shore.”

In 2010 South Africa ranked 11th on the list of the worst offenders regarding plastic pollution in the ocean. One can only imagine where we rank now 11 years later.

According to WWF, over 80% of marine pollution originates from land-based sources. In South Africa, only 16% of plastic is recycled. The rest of the plastic ends up at landfill locations where they can end up in rivers (due to wind, littering, improper waste management, overflowing landfills) and eventually end up in the ocean. Sadly 8 million metric tons of discarded plastic end up in the ocean.

Plastic can live in the ocean for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, marine animals can get entangled in floating plastics and many marine animals also tend to swallow plastics because they mistake it for food. Not only is plastic a threat to marine animals, but also humans who eat the marine animals.

As humans that care about the environment we should try to avoid buying unnecessary plastic items and rather find alternatives (e.g. plastic shopping bags, straws, takeaway food containers, disposable cutlery, plastic cups, and plastic bottles)

What’s happening to the KZN beaches is part of a larger marine litter crisis in South Africa. This marine litter can damage ship engines and propellers. It becomes entangled in nets and other fishing equipment, it’s often ingested by birds, mammals, and fish. That causes them to choke or become sick. It also finds its way into the human food chain.

But just where is all this waste coming from? Well “Eighty per cent of marine litter originates on land, mediated through flash floods and river inputs,” If we want a clean ocean, we must change our behavior on shore and link the solution to the source, which is upstream. Another huge problem are subsistence and recreational fishermen and anglers that are leaving trash on the beaches and then not to mention the discarded fishing line and hooks.
So how do we address the problem? Firstly education is paramount, if we can educate the youth then half the battle is won. We need to get young people to mount programs to eliminate litter on the streets and illegal dumping. Secondly community-led waste sorting and recycling. Recycling centers need to be established making it easier for people to do their bit in the process of sorting different waste products.

Another important measure is to install litter booms and barriers that collect floating debris in our coastal rivers. Communities need to the help clean out the booms on a daily basis. Besides the litter factor the booms will also have an added benefit in trapping invasive species, like the exotic water hyacinths, before the can take root in the waterways. If recycling programs in our communities be established we can go a step further where “swop-shops” can be set up and communities can trade the recyclable litter for essentials or vouchers for essentials. Integrating these projects will further encourage communities to become involved in litter collection.
There are so many ways where we can make a difference. I encourage all beach goers to collect at least 10 Pieces of litter when visiting the beach or recreational areas.

07/07/2021

Another sea creature that has fascinated me since I first heard of it years ago is the Coelacanth.

The Coelacanth are prehistoric fish, known to have been living around 400million years ago, but were thought to have gone extinct, until one was accidentally caught by a fishing trawler off East London in 1938.

It is well known that there are a number of Coelacanth off the coast of Sodwana. But recently a diver by the name Mike Fraser made a wonderful discovery off the KZN coast. The Coelacanth sighting was made at a depth of 69metres along the reef at Pumula, off the South Coast.

Senior Scientist at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research, Dr Sean Fennessy, said there was just one species of Coelacanth in SA.

“It is a very rare sighting, especially for scuba divers, as they are normally found much deeper and are occasionally seen by deep-water research submersibles.

“It is probably the shallowest live natural observation of this species as they have not been seen by divers in SA this far south. The other sightings have all been in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park off the Zululand coast. It is possible that there could be more found in deeper waters,” he said.

Fennessy said this species was also found in Mozambique, Tanzania and Comoros but were rare.

The oldest known coelacanth fossils are over 410 million years old. Coelacanths were thought to have become extinct in the Late Cretaceous, around 66 million years ago, but were rediscovered in 1938 off the coast of South Africa.

Coelacanths are large, plump, lobe-finned fish that can grow to more than 2 m (6.6 ft) and weigh around 90 kg (200 lb). They are estimated to live up to 100 years, based on a**lysis of annual growth marks on scales, and reach maturity around the age of 55; the oldest known specimen was 84 years old at the time of its capture in 1960. They are nocturnal piscivorous drift-hunters. The body is covered in cosmoid scales that act as armor. Coelacanths have eight fins – 2 dorsal fins, 2 pectoral fins, 2 pelvic fins, 1 a**l fin and 1 caudal fin. The tail is very nearly equally proportioned and is split by a terminal tuft of fin rays that make up its caudal lobe. The eyes of the coelacanth are very large, while the mouth is very small. The eye is acclimatized to seeing in poor light by rods that absorb mostly short wavelengths. Coelacanth vision has evolved to a mainly blue-shifted color capacity.

Wouldn't it be amazing to spot one of these in the deeper waters off Umkomaas. Let hope.

30/06/2021

Beautiful this morning

28/06/2021

When diving on Aliwal Shoal many divers pick up shark teeth on the ocean floor. Its always interesting to identify which shark species they come from. Here are a few and nextweek will post a few more. ( Not all listed shark species are found in our waters but interesting the less)

Identify tiger shark teeth by their short blades. Tiger shark teeth blades are only about as long as their roots. They can also be identified by the sharp serrations on the shoulders of their blades and also by how deeply-notched their blades typically are. Tiger shark teeth are typically about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, but they can sometimes be as long as 1.5–2 inches (3.8–5.1 cm).

Recognize bull shark teeth by their tapering serrations. Bull shark teeth have blades that are flat and broad with a narrow apex. These teeth are usually 1 inch (2.5 cm) long or slightly shorter. While there are serrations along the entire blade, they get smaller and smaller further down the blade.

Identify a lemon shark tooth by its slightly angled blade. Lemon shark teeth have no serrations and the blade is angled to the side very slightly. Lemon shark teeth blades are also flat and narrow. The average length for lemon shark teeth is about 0.75 inches (1.9 cm).

Spot a sand tiger shark’s tooth by its narrowness. Sand tiger shark teeth have extremely narrow blades that are free of serrations and typically measure about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length. This makes them relatively easy to identify. They also have very high cusps.