Skeleton Coast

'The desolate coastline of the Skeleton Coast Park is a spooky desert shore with massive sand dunes and treacherous rocks where mighty storms and violent surf claimed many ships through the centuries'

Size & Location: 20 000km² on the west coast of Namibia in the Namib Desert
When to visit the park: October - May (cool to warm temperatures)
Climate: Desert temperatures (high daytime, above 35°C, low night-time, below 7°C)
Rainfall: less than 50mm along the coast
Altitude: Sea level to 500m above sea level

PARK INFORMATION:

The desolate coastline of the Skeleton Coast Park is a spooky desert shore with massive sand dunes and treacherous rocks where mighty storms and violent surf claimed many ships through the centuries. Stories abound of sailors walking for hundreds of kilometres through this barren Namibian landscape in search of food and water only to perish in this hostile coastal desert. The landscape includes sand dunes, canyons and mountain ranges all of which are synonymous with Namibia and the climate is seemingly strange for desert conditions: dense fog and cold sea breezes predominate, blown in by the cold Benguela Current.

A fly-in safari or scenic flight is the best way to view the shipwrecks and coastal splendour of the park. Inattentive whales have also found themselves washed up along the shore and their massive bone structures are scattered along the coast. Animals in the park have been forced to adapt to overcome the problems of living in a desert-like climate. Smaller species such as genet, caracal, baboon, springbok, and brown hyena live in the area all year round. Larger animals, such as black rhinos, elephant and lion tend to migrate along the channels in search of precious food and water.

The primary wildlife attraction of the Skeleton Coast is Cape Cross, which harbours a seal colony numbering in the tens of thousands. The dunes are alive with reptiles and insects including geckos, snakes, spiders, wasps, beetles, and termites. The birds are found mostly along the rivers and some Namibian endemic species can be found in this area including one of the rarest terns in the world. Some 300,000 waders visit annually, mainly flamingos and pelicans.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS:

» Ghostly shipwrecks and desolate solitude
» Huge seal colony at Cape Cross
» Unique ecosystem and excellent photographic location