Swakopmund, skeleton coast
CAP CROSS
115 km north of Swakopmund, Cap Cross is a seal colony. Cap Cross is also the place where the first European sailors stopped on the Namibian coast. Diego Cao, a portuguese sailor was the first European to set foot on Namibian territory in 1486.
The seal colony counts more than 200 000 members. The males are of impressive stature. They depart for the deep sea in January, eat as much as possible in order to gain weight, and return in October for mating season.
SWAKOPMUND-WALVIS BAY
Separated by only 30 km, these two little coastal towns have different functions. Swakopmund is a tourist station with a specifically German style. Walvis Bay is the main harbour of the country, with fishing and import-export activity. These towns are situated amidst incredible scenery, where an ocean of dunes meets the Atlantic Ocean, offering a lot of possibilities to practise different leisure activities:
- Fishing
- Quad-driving in the dunes
- Sky diving
- Boat cruises to see dolphin schools and seal colonies
- Discovery of Welwitchia Mirabilis in the moon landscape valley…
SKELETON COAST NATIONAL PARC
Its name comes from the number of shipwrecks to have occurred on this coast. It is one of the dryer parts of the desert and it is often invaded by fog created by an effect produced by the cold Benguela current. It is very protected visitors must obtain a special permit from Namibian government to access it.