Skeleton Coast

This particular corner of Namibia covers an area about 500 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide, from the Angolan border in the north to Swakopmund in the south and from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to Damaraland in the east. The Skeleton Coast is divided into two sections: the southern National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area and the northern Skeleton Coast National Park. The southern part is accessible to all, although a permit is required. The northern part is accessible only by fly-in safari. The name Skeleton Coast comes from the days of the whaling industry, when the coast was littered with whale and seal bones. Today, the name refers to the more than 1,000 different shipwrecks that lie off the coast. In this inhospitable area, the cold and unpredictable Benguela current of the Atlantic Ocean collides with the warm dune and desert landscape of the Namib Desert. In the thick fog created by this collision, which often hangs over the coast, many ships have gone down. In addition to the fog, the boaters also had to deal with unexpected currents, strong winds, sandbars and choppy seas. Should the crew survive the shipwreck, they found themselves in one of the most inhospitable waterless regions in the world. The San bushmen didn't call the area "The Land God Made in Anger" for nothing, while Portuguese sailors called it "The Gates of Hell." Besides rusty shipwrecks, this fascinating stretch of coast consists of high sand dunes, gravel plains, empty beaches, desert animals and Africa's largest seal colony. Visit one of Africa's most pristine wildernesses. In this stunning and rugged landscape, words like desolation and solitude will take on a whole new meaning for you.

Highlights of the Skeleton Coast

Shipwrecks

Three shipwrecks that are easily accessible and partially still visible are the South West Sea, the Winston and the Zeila. Of the Winston, a fishing boat that ran aground in 1970, only some loose debris remains. A little more remains of the South West Sea, a South African fishing vessel that caught fire in 1976, although the sea is slowly swallowing this vessel as well. The Zeila, however, is still almost completely intact. This ship ran aground on the coast in 2008 after it came loose from its tow line. Another wreck worth visiting is not on the coast but inland. In the middle of the desert you will find the remains of an oil installation, abandoned in the 1970s after no oil was found.

Seal colony

The Skeleton Coast is known for its tranquility. However, this loud seal colony is the exception. About 53 km north of Henties Bay, you will find at Cape Cross Seal Reserve a seal colony of about 150,000 to 210,000 Cape fur seals. From the walkway, you can see only seals as far as your view extends. Young seals can be seen in December and January. No matter what time of year you visit the colony, there is always plenty to see, hear and smell. At Cape Cross Seal Reserve you will also find a replica of the cross that Portuguese Diego Cao, the first European to set foot on the Namibian coast, erected at this spot in 1486.

Desert animals

Despite the harsh conditions, the Skeleton Coast is home to a large number of wildlife. Among others, the zebra, gemsbok, kudu, springbok and steenbok are found in the area. Predators such as jackals, brown hyenas and cheetahs are also seen in the normally dry river valleys of the interior. Species such as the desert elephant, desert rhinoceros, desert lion and native desert birds such as Rüppell's grouse have specially adapted to life in the waterless Skeleton Coast. This is one of the few places in the world where you can observe rhino, giraffe and lion in a desert landscape. The Skeleton Coast is also an exceptionally good place for fishing.