There are several salt pans on the eastern side of Port Elizabeth around the Swartkops and Chatty Rivers. It is thought that during prehistoric times the sea pushed up to the these salt pans via the Swartkops and Chatty Rivers at high tide and left the seawater behind at low tide. This water evaporated and left behind salt crystals on the bottom of the pan. The local Khoisan inhabitants of this area used to gather the salt in these pans during the period 1799 under the guidance of British missionaries, Drs. Philip and Van der Kemp. Today a lot of these salt pans are still worked to produce Marina Sea Salt. This sight can be seen next to the Swartkops Road between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage.
I did not know there were salt pans near PE, I have learnt something new today. Diane
ReplyDeleteUntil somebody tells me how they wash that salt there is NO WAY that I use Marina. Look at what is around it. NO WAY!!!! No sanitation, just imagine where all that run off goes to.
ReplyDeleteI think of it everytime I drive along there.
Hey Pamela don't do your self any harm by depriving yourself of some good salt and check this informative link out. https://www.salt.co.za/production
DeleteAh sorry I saw you did investigate a bit too.
DeleteSea salt is my favorite. But Pamela has given me something to think about.
ReplyDeleteWe see some salt pans when we drive from Kenton on Sea through PE - just as you come into PE ont he way home to Cape Town - near all that rather stark and strange area that they are trying to develop as an industrial area.
ReplyDeleteOk, so I went onto the Marina webiste and they do wash the salt - so my apologies. The also heat it to sterilise it. Makes me feel a bit better.
ReplyDelete