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MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay local Johan Swanepoel is such an ocean boy, it's as if seawater flows in his veins.
And his blue-grey eyes change colour, like the sea.
He grew up in landlocked Bloemfontein and Kimberley until matric, then came to Mossel Bay in 1988. Now, 30 years later Johan is still here.
"In the 30 years I've been in Mossel Bay, I've done everything - spearfishing, snorkelling and for four years nationally, rubber duck racing. I had my own deepsea boat, Gannet 3, for four or five years," he says.
"I've surfed all the reefs in Moss Bay on my bodyboard. My board is older than both my children. Bodyboarding is more dangerous than surfing because you lie on your stomach and go head first down a wave. Surfers go feet first."
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Johan's passion for the sea and marine life is reflected in the photographs and videos he takes and posts on the "Mosselbaai op sy beste" website and his facebook page, Swimmingsharkville. He chose this name for his facebook site because of all the great white sharks in the bay.
He believes they do not attack because they are satisfied with their diet of all the seals that breed on Seal Island. "Just don't wear a black wetsuit. That's my advice. Wear a different colour so you don't look like a seal."
A cat face spotted rock cod.
One of his notable videos is of a school of sea mullet swimming in a ball formation at Santos reef. "We call it a bait ball," Johan says enthusiastically. The mullet try to remain in the centre of the ball because predators eat those on the outside of the ball first.
"Whales simply swallow the whole ball!" Johan exclaims.
Johan is a painting contractor. "I've painted nine blocks of flats in Mossel Bay, but get a lot of time off in between jobs.
"I'm an amateur photographer. I take pictures with my phone and a basic underwater camera. I am a snorkeller, but have done a scuba diving course. I would take better videos if I could stay down there instead of snorkelling on the surface."
Johan has attracted up to 200 "likes" for some of his photographs and videos. He points out that his video of the mullet swimming was tagged by many well-known scuba divers.
A cuttlefish.
Johan is an effective marketer of Mossel Bay with his images and videos that portray the richness of the marine life here.
He would be extremely appreciative if a person, company or local or national government department could sponsor him equipment so he could market the town even more effectively on social media through his photographs and videos. He is willing to publicise sponsors' names as much as possible.
Contact Johan (084 370 4265) if you are able to assist him.
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