December 2025 & January 2026

A Day of Crayfish Diving on the West Coast

While we were wild camping at Waterval on the West Coast of South Africa, there were a few days when the crayfish season was open (the past year the season for recreational fishermen was only open for 12 days). During these days, Berto and Frans put on their wetsuits to dive for crayfish.

Fiela watched as Berto and Frans put on their wetsuits

The crayfish are found in cracks in rocks and on the rocky sea- and kelp beds along the rugged coastline. There are a number of methods to catch crayfish. The most popular for the recreational fisherman is to dive for them – by swimming around in the kelp beds and looking under submerged rocks to see a feeler sticking out. This is all done while it is low tide.

The guys walk over the slippery rocks to get into the cold water

Low tide is the perfect time to dive for crayfish

Berto and Frans diving for crayfish

While the men dived for crayfish, Fiela and I walked on the rocks to see what we could find in the small pools.

There are many pools between the rocks

Sea foam on the rocks

A pool with sea grass

While we looked closely at all the small pools, we also had to keep an eye on the men. They usually call us over when they need a bag to put the crayfish in that they caught.

We could see Berto’s head and Frans’s dive fin (Photo Credit: Fiela Basson)

Berto found himself in a foamy spot (Photo Credit: Fiela Basson)

While Fiela was gathering periwinkles (small marine snails) to eat later, I walked from pool to pool to look at all the shells and sea life. It’s actually amazing to think that these pools would be completely covered by seawater again within a few hours when it’s high tide.

Fiela looking for periwinkles

Pool with mussel shells

Mussel shells

Kelp on the rocks

Interesting rock formations

Our campsite as seen from the rocks

Although the morning started foggy, the sun quickly cleared the mist, and we were able to enjoy the bright blue sky.

A perfect summer’s day on the West Coast

After about an hour, the men called us over to bring a bag for the crayfish they had caught.

The men making their way back to the shore (Photo Credit: Fiela Basson)

Catch of the day (Photo Credit: Fiela Basson)

Frans decided to go in one last time to see if he could catch another crayfish or two to make up the quota for the day. Berto sat on the rocks to keep an eye on Frans (and also on the tide that was busy coming in).

Berto keeps a watchful eye on Frans

High tide was coming in

It wasn’t long, however, before Frans decided to come out as well. With the high tide rising, the rocks began to submerge under the water and it was no longer safe to dive for crayfish.

Fiela helping Frans out of the water

The rocks that had been exposed an hour or so ago and all the pools we had looked at were now underwater. It was time for us to walk back to our campsite.

It was now high tide

Berto and Frans have been catching crayfish for many years now, and although they make it look easy, it is far from that. But at least we know that if we run out of meat in the freezer, the men will make sure we get food from the sea.

Berto and Frans walking back after diving for crayfish (Photo Credit: Fiela Basson)

In our next post, the last of our Waterval wild camping series, we are going to take you on a stroll on the beach – and I suspect there might be another photo (or two) of yet another beautiful sunset.