Exploring Namibia's underwater world: A journey with the NaRaS project

 by Arariky S. Shikongo

Arariky Shikongo working with the NaRaS team, February 2024. © Ruth H. Leeney. 

Have you ever wondered what lies beneath the surface of Namibia's only marine protected area? In 2022, the Namibia's Rays and Sharks (NaRaS) project launched the first-ever attempt to document the diversity of shark, skate and ray species inhabiting the Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area (NIMPA). Using Baited Remote Underwater Video systems (BRUVs), the NaRaS team lowered cameras to the seafloor, capturing video footage of marine life and providing valuable insights into the underwater ecosystem.

I joined the NaRaS team in February 2024, for their fourth fieldtrip to the NIMPA. At sea, my job each day ranged from setting up the video equipment to crushing the sardine bait and filling bait canisters, to deploying and retrieving the BRUVs (lowering and hauling the equipment by hand, over the side of the boat). Manoeuvring the boat and retrieving the equipment by hand became more challenging in rough seas, but the team had a shared sense of purpose and with each new day, we worked together more effectively. The true highlight, however, was the footage captured by our equipment: scenes of majestic sharks, vibrant fish, and colourful seabeds unfolding before our eyes. The footage collected so far includes recordings of dark shysharks, tope (also called soupfin sharks), sevengill cowsharks, biscuit skates and numerous fish species like hottentots and gurnards. These discoveries, coupled with observations of various habitat types including kelp forests, seaweed gardens and rocky reefs dotted with sponges and sea stars, paint a vivid picture of the rich biodiversity within the NIMPA. 

Venturing into the NIMPA left a lasting impression on me. Working in this vast and little-studied marine environment made me realise how crucial future management efforts will be. There has not, to date, been an active management plan in place for the NIMPA, but the Namibia Nature Foundation has been working alongside the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to develop one and ensure its implementation. The NaRaS project's research findings have fed into this management plan, and many of the sharks and skates documented as part of the project’s research have been listed in the plan, as focal species for future protection and monitoring. The NaRaS project’s use of research techniques never before used in Namibia, such as BRUVs, has also proven their usefulness and viability for longer-term monitoring of the NIMPA. The promise of future protection for this expansive MPA fills me with hope.

Arariky Shikongo prepares a BRUV system for deployment, whilst Finlay Bell prepares the bait. © Ruth H. Leeney.

On days when the famously strong Lüderitz winds prevented us from working at sea, we visited some primary schools in the town. We showed students the NaRaS project’s short educational film, and left copies of the educational materials produced by the project. We quizzed them on their own knowledge of sharks and on what they had learned from the short film, and answered their questions about sharks as best we could! We were delighted by the many students who shared stories about fishing experiences with their parents and displayed impressive knowledge about sharks, including species not found in Namibian waters. Engaging with these learners further emphasised for me the importance of education and community involvement in marine conservation. Their enthusiasm for and knowledge about our oceans reaffirmed my belief in the value of empowering young minds to safeguard the ocean.

School students in Namibia learning about threatened sharks, skates and rays from an educational poster produced by the NaRaS project. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to marine conservation efforts through my time with the NaRaS project. This journey has expanded my understanding of the ocean's importance and instilled in me a deeper sense of responsibility towards preserving it for future generations. Exploring Namibia's underwater world with the NaRaS project has been a transformative experience - one that has inspired me to advocate for the protection of our oceans and the invaluable life they harbour. My hope is that we continue to work together to safeguard these precious ecosystems for generations to come.

The NaRaS project is supported by the Shark Conservation Fund.

Our BRUVs work is conducted in collaboration with SAIAB's Marine Remote Imagery Platform research group.

Find us on Instagram: @namibia_sharks