Delicious Coffin Bay Oysters – Heaven on a Plate

Indulging in Coffin Bay Oysters had been a focal point for our South Australia road trip and we’d pre-booked a Tour with Oyster Bay HQ   Note – there’s also a cafe/restaurant right above the waters on the Bay.

Coffin Bay Oysters we’re coming to get you…..

Oyster Tour

We were staying at the Coffin Bay Caravan Park (www.coffinbaycaravanpark.com.au) right across the road from Oyster Bay HQ, so not far to walk for our Coffin Bay Oysters meet and greet!  (NB – the company will also organise return transport from Port Lincoln if that’s your base.)

First up, we were met at the Oyster Bay HQ (ie. Headquarters) by our guide Ben, the Oyster Farmer himself, who fitted us out with waders.

Tip – sit down when putting these wobbly things on otherwise you fall over – LOL.

Coffin Bay Oysters we’re coming to get you!

Ben gave our group of eight a brief history on how the Bays along the Eyre Peninsula got their names.  It was a relief to know there wasn’t anything ominous behind the name “Coffin Bay” as it was named after Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin. He was the man that outfitted “The Investigator”, ie the ship that Matthew Flinders sailed when discovering Australia.  OK – history lesson over….

Coffin Bay Oyster beds

Along with a group of six others we waded out into the crystal clear waters of the Bay to a semi-submerged “salt water pavilion” where we sat around bench tables with legs floating in water.  Yes…you actually sit on top of a working oyster lease!

Much Excitement Among the Group!

Oyster Shucking Lesson!

Here we enjoyed the humour and knowledge of oyster farming from Ben, followed by a valuable lesson of oyster shucking.   Now – this wasn’t as easy as it looked.  It’s a process you need to perfect otherwise you end up with half an oyster on each side of the shell!  (I can vouch for this).  Who would have thought it was so technical… but definitely easy once you know how. (One of Ben’s staff can shuck 25 a minute – yes a minute!)

After half an hour we were all far more practiced at how to hold the oyster and the knife (mesh gloves are provided), where to insert the knife, where to slice the oyster clean from the shell and how to flip it over so the oyster is sunnyside up.  (Yes, there is a right and a wrong way to look at an oyster in the shell).

Then…drum roll…. these oysters, plucked direct from the waters of Coffin Bay, were introduced to our taste buds  – we were in heaven!  (Four fat oysters are included in the tour price.)

How to eat Coffin Bay Oysters.

Everyone admitted preference for eating natural oysters, which apparently is the best way to enjoy the flavour. AND…very importantly you must chew them up and not swallow them whole as my good old Dad did. Such a waste of money to have a Coffin Bay Oyster slither down your throat without your taste buds enjoying the incredible flavour that only comes with your teeth doing lots of work first.

Questions and Answers.

Questions from our group included:

Qu – Are there any Great White Sharks in the Bay – this was asked as we were wading out to the pontoon!

Ans – The answer was NO because the waters of the Bay are too shallow!

Qu – Why are the waters of Coffin Bay so pristine and clear?

Ans – Each oyster processes up to 8 litres of water an hour.  When the oyster has taken all the nutrients it needs, the filtered water flows back into the Bay!  Long live these little vacuum cleaners who are so important to the environment.

Qu – How do oysters start to grow?

Ans – They start off as “Spats” which the farmer buys from a breeder and then as the tiny tiny spats grow into a very small oyster they are placed into cylindrical baskets with very small holes.   After a certain time of growth, they are transferred in baskets with larger holes and moved around the  oyster beds and so on. bigger baskets (Obviously, this is a very simplified version – you’ll need to go on a Coffin Bay Oyster Farm Tour with Oyster Bay H/Q to learn the technical ins and outs!)

18 months later the microscopic spats have grown into big fat juicy oysters!  In other locations maturity can take up to 3 years but the pristine waters of Coffin Bay almost cuts the harvest time in half.

All too soon this fascinating and fun tour was over and everyone trudged back along the walkway with water past our crutches as the tide has continued to come in!

There’s Always More Coffin Bay Oysters.

Having no reason to rush off anywhere, we perched ourselves on the outside deck to enjoy the peaceful view of the Coffin Bay Oyster beds, and….you guessed it, indulged in another dozen oysters and a chilled glass of Reisling.

Being at the pointy end in years we have been on many tours, nationally and internationally.  This tour with Oyster Bay H/Q is definitely up there with the best in the world and reminded us of when we caught and ate Arctic King Crab in Finland!  Seafood is obviously a passion for this travelling baby boomer.

Handy to Know

Costs for Coffin Bay Oyster Tours with oysterbaytours.com

• Standard Tour – $40 per person (which we did).  Includes four large oysters per person
• Riesling Tour – $50 per person – as above, plus  a glass of Riesling that you enjoyed out in the water whilst tasting oysters
• Standard Tour + extra half dozen oysters – $55 per person
• Riesling Tour + extra half dozen oysters – $65 per person
• Champagne Tour – $80 per person
  Includes a bottle of champagne and 1 doz oysters to share between 2 whilst in the water. A fabulous experience and very different to normal tours!
• Hotel Pick up in Port Lincoln transfers to Coffin Bay and return $40 per person available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays
• Wear socks so the waders slip on easier.
• Make sure your camera is water proof!

When the world is your oyster, Coffin Bay is the pearl!

A must do visit for oyster loving Baby Boomer Travellers.