The 1,600 km of Angolan coast is a true paradise for sport hunters. Here’s what Euronews travel reporter Serge Romby is talking about this week on the latest Angola Exploration program.
Located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is an ideal base for fans of the sport of fishing, whether it is a recreational sport or a competitive sport. Euronews accompanied the fishing team “Olé” in the open waters with many international companies.
Nicholas Castaño Mancela, captain of the team, said it was a very popular thing there. Each hunter also works in leagues and clubs to get better. In fact, they have already achieved impressive results in the world championships, and they have 20-25 world records in various categories. It is believed to be a major hobby and a great pastime in its own right.
It is a great activity if you have the persistence. As night falls, the team sets off to prepare their equipment so that they can climb into the water early in the morning. They even set off at seven in the morning.
According to the training plan, 30 kilometers northwest of Luanda is where they wanted to fish. They were accompanied by Jose Cardoso, three-time world champion in sport and deep-sea fishing, and Luis Matthews, also a big name in the sport.
They wanted to hunt dorado, also known as golden mackerel, mahi-mahi, or dolphin fish. They love tropical and subtropical waters.
Jose Cardoso said that in Angola there is a place full of fish called Lobito. There is also a lot of fish next to the capital, Luanda, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on what time of year we’re talking about. They host a lot of tournaments, and they catch a lot of fish there every year.
There were also world championships at Lobito: a lot came from outside, both competitors and spectators. Benguela is also a great place for sport hunters – where cooler and warmer tropical currents meet.
Luis Matthews believes the sea is especially good in Angola. He is barely behind Costa Rica or Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.
But due to the pandemic, sport hunters are constantly pushing races ahead of them. They can’t advertise anything yet, and it’s not even worth it because very few of them will arrive due to travel restrictions and even so, it wouldn’t be safe.
But fishermen in Luanda hope it won’t be long before they can swim again, and compete with the best in the world again.
