Dakhla Oyster Farms

The oyster farms float in the warm, shallow waters of the Dakhla lagoon — long rows of metal tables suspended just below the surface, each one holding hundreds of oysters in mesh bags. The operation began in the 2000s, introduced by a French aquaculturist who recognised that the lagoon's temperature, salinity, and nutrient profile were ideal.

The oysters are Crassostrea gigas — Pacific oysters, the same species farmed in Normandy and the Pacific Northwest. They grow faster in Dakhla's warm waters than in France. The taste is briny, mineral, and slightly sweeter than Atlantic European oysters.

You can visit the farms by boat from the kite camps or arrange a tour through the oyster producers directly. Some offer tastings at the tables — oysters shucked on the spot, floating in the lagoon, with lemon and tabasco if you want it. A dozen oysters at the source costs 40–60 dirhams. The same oysters in Casablanca or Marrakech cost four times that.