The fish market at the harbour is one of the best places to understand Namibe's economic identity. The Benguela Current makes this one of the most productive fishing zones in the South Atlantic, and the variety of fish landed here — crayfish, grouper, sea bass, snoek, and large quantities of small pelagic fish — is impressive. Early morning is the best time to visit, when the night's catch is being sorted and auctioned.
Fresh grilled fish — particularly crayfish and grouper — is sold at simple restaurants around the harbour, cooked over charcoal. This is the way to eat in Namibe: seafood landed the same morning, grilled simply, with rice and fried plantain.