‘RIDE the wild surf’ took on a new dimension for a couple of locals when they shared waves with a huge hippo on Tuesday morning.
And for Mark Trollip, it was an experience he will never forget.
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‘I went down at about 7am with my pastor, Elandre de Koning, and I saw the hippo prints and dung on the sand leading down to Newark beach, close to the outdoor shower at the ablution facilities.
‘I couldn’t make out if the spoor was going towards or away from the water, but we proceeded into the rather flat surf anyway,’ Mark told the ZO.
We had been surfing for about half an hour and I took a wave, only to see this huge creature surface about six metres from me.
‘I got the fright of my life even though it was not chasing me and I wasted no time heading back to shore!
‘I was always taught that you don’t mess with a hippo, it could easily bite me and my board in half.’
The hippo was also seen at the Palm Beach area.
This is by no means the first time a hippo has chosen to swim in the ocean at Richards Bay, the previous incursions having been in 2019 and 2007.
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