Skeleton Coast
The Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the Atlantic coast of Namibia. Immediately south of Angola, it stretches from the Kunene River on the border between the two states down to the Swakop River. The Skeleton Coast is known for its rugged and arid landscape, which is characterized by sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, and dunes. The landscape is almost unearthly and is unique in the sense that it is one of the few untouched wilderness areas in the world. It is home to a variety of wildlife, including seals, flamingos, and jackals, as well as a number of plant species that have adapted to the harsh desert conditions. The region is also home to a number of national parks and conservation areas, such as the Skeleton Coast National Park and the Namib-Naukluft National Park, which are popular destinations for visitors interested in wildlife and nature. On the coast, the upwelling of the cold Benguela current gives rise to dense ocean fog which is the lifeblood for a variety of plants and animals. Rainfall rarely exceeds 10 millimeters annually and as such the climate is highly inhospitable. Today, it is a popular destination for adventure travelers and those seeking to experience the rugged beauty of the Namibian wilderness. In the days before engine-powered ships and boats, it was possible to get ashore through the surf, but impossible to launch from the shore. The only way out was by going through a marsh hundreds of kilometers long and only accessible via a hot and arid desert. The coast is largely made up of soft sand occasionally interrupted by rocky outcrops. The southern section consists of gravel plains, while north of Terrace Bay the landscape is dominated by high sand dunes. Skeleton Bay is known as a great location for surfing. The coast has been the subject of a number of wildlife documentaries, particularly concerning adaptations to extreme aridity, including the 1965 National Geographic documentary Survivors of the Skeleton Coast. The desert bird assemblages have been studied in terms of their thermoregulation, coloration, breeding strategies and nomadism. The riverbeds further inland are home to baboons, giraffes, lions, black rhinoceros, spotted and brown hyena, as well as springbok. The animals get most of their water from wells dug by the baboons or elephants.
What to expect? The Skeleton Coast is unique in the sense that it is an area of the planet that not people will ever have the chance of experiencing in the flesh. Rugged, desolate and seemly unwelcoming in appearance the more you spend time in this region the more you’ll truly appreciated what mother nature has done. Perhaps it is this inhospitable characteristic that has preserved its quality over eons?
