Skeleton coast the name itself is enough to horrify people and the coast has earned this name because of the numerous of deadly shipwrecks have happened in this remote and almost not reachable shores.
The Portuguese have called it as The “Gates of Hell” while the Namibian Bushmen have named it “Land of God made in Anger”. The 20000sq km park you can presume that is among the not so visited places in the planet. It is segregated into two sections northern and southern. The place it seems is cut off from the rest of the world and you would really enjoy this aloofness of the coast which is influenced by chilling sea breezes and covered in thick fog.
The place is a perfect example of nature wining against the man, the stories of shipwrecks echoes in the region. There are no social groups living here but deep inland among the desert border, Himba the nomadic tribe lives.
Where is the Skeleton Coast Located?
The Skeleton Coast is situated in the Atlantic Ocean’s northern part, the coast of Namibia.
Fauna and flora that you would find in the skeleton coast
You would find desert elephants in the interior regions of the Skeleton Coast Park. There are desert Oryx, springbok, giraffe, brown hyena, rare black rhino, and you can find lion as well if you get further inland. There is a seal colony close to the place where you would get see many thousand Cape fur seals along with dolphins and whales. There coastal birds that sustain their lives on the rich plankton and Benguela Current’s pelagic resources. The cleaning of beaches is done by the jackal, ghost crabs and brown hyena. Springbok and gemsbok are other two important animals found in the region, they are also animals whom lions attack for the food.
You could only find vegetation adapted to desert like lithops and welwitschia. There are hundreds lichen species in the hot west faced mountain slopes and on the gravel plains. Luscious ‘flowering stones’ is found in rocky fissures.
There are more than 200 species of birds found and many among this are Nambia’s endemic desert species like Gray’s Lark, Ruppell’s Korhaan and Tractrac Chat. Jeagers and Skuas are can be frequently traced in the seal colonies, Subantarctic Skua , Parasitic Jaegar and Pomarine Jaegar are the common one and you can notice them all in the summer season.
Where you can stay
- Kulala camp
- Skeleton Coast camp
- Kulala lodge
- Kulala tented camp
- Sossusvlei Wilderness camp
- Serra Cafema Camp
- Damaraland Camp
- Ongava lodge
Safaris you can opt
- Best of Namibia Wing Safari
- Wilderness Safari
When you should visit Skeleton Coast
Anytime between April to October you can visit Skeleton Coast, the days are warm and sunny and extremely less rainfall occurs in these months.
How to reach
Windhoek (Hosea Kutako) is the nearest Airport. C34 the main coastal road starting at Swakopmund can be followed by car or you can go from Khorixas i.e. by west route.
