Heart of Abalone (Pty) Ltd

General information

Meet up with your tour guide at the Heart Shed in the New Harbour of Hermanus. Sit back and relax while you learn about the history of abalone in South African and Hermanus' Walker Bay area and the biology and life cycle of this mysterious mollusc and the unfortunate demise of wild stocks due to over-harvest and poaching. Here your guide will share information about abalone in its natural environment and also introduce visitors to abalone farming.

After your informative intro, boot-up for a guided walk to experience the aquaculture industry of abalone farming first hand on one the oldest and largest abalone farms in South Africa, Abagold. Visit Abagold's state of the art abalone hatchery where broodstock are cared for and baby abalone (spats) are produced. Experience the farming activities of feeding, tank cleaning and sorting of the abalone first hand.

Abalone farming is a play ground for any engineer and the technical infrastructure of the industry is mind-blowing. The tour showcases the impressive sea water pumps and aeration system, back-up power generation, innovative water reticulation & renewable energy projects, which includes viewing the construction of Mean Sea Level's the first ever wave energy converter in South Africa. Learn more about the system & technical infrastructure that keeps Abagold's 12 000 000 abalone healthy and happily housed in their 40 000 baskets!