The world is your oyster on the Eyre Peninsula!

It’s helpful if you love oysters when booking our 5-day Eyre Peninsula pack-free guided walk.

After breakfast on day four of the tour, you’ll do the  ‘Oyster Walk’ along Coffin Bay’s glorious coastline before heading to Oyster HQ to enjoy a spectacular Oyster Farm and Tasting Tour.

Now before you get there it might pay to know something about these delectable sea treasures so here are some fun facts about oysters.

They play an important role in the ecosystem

First off, they are a natural water filter. The oyster sucks in the water and separates organic particles and inorganic particles form one another. One can clean roughly 100 liters of water per day. Imagine a reef full of oysters and how much water could get cleaned within a day.

Secondly, they reduce coastal erosion. Coastal erosion gets caused by harsh waves and storms. Ultimately, which can increase flood risk and many more severe effects on the environment.

Changing genders

One fascinating thing that the oysters can do like many other fish and animal species, such as moray eels, clownfish, and even frogs. Is that they can change their sex to adapt to their environment. They contain both sperm and eggs in their reproductive organs. All oysters start their first years of being alive as males, and they will change their gender after their first year.

The many species of oysters

There are roughly 200 varieties of oysters being grown throughout the world, 150 of which are harvested and sold in North America. But these varieties belong to the main five groups. These include:

• Pacific: The pacific oyster is native to the Pacific coast of Asian. It has a cupped, petal-like shape with deep ridges. Pacific oysters are among the very few  that grow fast.
• Kumamoto: These are native to Kumamoto, Japan. Has as a similar shape to the Pacific oysters but grows very slowly.
• Atlantic: The Atlantic oysters are native to north and south America, located on the Eastern coasts.
• European Flat: European flat oysters originated in Brittany, France and has one of the boldest flavour you can find. Their shape is round, flat, and has a smooth outer shell.
• Olympia: The Olympia oysters are home to the Northern Pacific coasts of North America. You’ll find that they are smooth and have an iridescent colour to the outer layer of shell – white to green.

Health benefits of oysters

Oysters are not only delicious, but are also super light for your diet and come with a lot of health benefits including:

• Protein: Most shellfish are a great type of protein and have even gotten assumed to be better than most meat out there today. This assumption has gotten told due to the oyster meat containing a lot of fat and shellfish and fish containing far less fat. Oysters carry roughly 7-9g of protein per 100g.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: We all know fish oil tablets work wonders for your health, but why not have a natural way to get omega-3 in our system? They have a high density of omega-3 fatty acids that promote healthy brain function and even mental and emotional health.
• Vitamins and Minerals: Oysters get packed with many vitamins and minerals. These include zinc which helps the growth and development of the human body. It also helps build a better immune system and metabolism. Vitamin B12 helps the nerves and blood cells. Oysters have also gotten packed with iron, selenium, magnesium, potassium, and many more.
• Aphrodisiac: Due to oysters containing a high source of zinc, it gets said that after consumption, you will feel aroused…

Our next 5-day Eyre Peninsula pack-free guided walk departs 21st May 2023. Book now and save $250 per person!