Namibia Part 5: The Skeleton Coast

August 27, 2013

Eerie, decaying shipwreck on the Skeleton Coast.

The name for the desolate stretch of Atlantic coast along the northern part of Namibia is known by Namibian Bushmen as "The Land God Made in Anger". In Portuguese, it is referred to as "the Gates of Hell" or the "Sands of Hell". And then there's the name it is most commonly known as: "The Skeleton Coast", resulting from the whale, seal and ship skeletons that litter the coast. With over 1000 shipwrecks (most of which are now eroded beyond recognition), various signs of abandoned attempts at civilisation (long-neglected mines, drilling rigs and sea ports), and not a single soul in sight, it becomes apparent how this stretch of earth earned its reputation. The area covers over two million hectares of space and is considered one of the most inhospitable places on the planet.

So, why go here? Because while it is known for its unsurpassed starkness and desolation, it is equally known for its breathtaking beauty. When we started planning our trip I was adamant that our route include this coastal drive, but as we were finalizing the plans I was actually a bit terrified of it. The isolation of it is not to be underestimated. In the end, the adventurous side of the Smiths won out (Surprisingly, M was the driving force behind this decision).

The part of the coast we drove covered approximately 380km, heading north from Swakopmund on a salt road which hugs the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the National West Coast Recreation Area to what becomes the Skeleton Coast National Park (which stretches up to the Angola border). We then headed inland about 50km before the end of the coastal road (it eventually becomes a dead end). Thankfully, our trip was relatively uneventful (in this case, this was not a bad thing).

I found it impossible to capture it on camera (something about seeing is believing), but here is my meager attempt to share this forsaken place:

The fishing is apparently sublime in this area; there are marked fishing spots all along the coast (they are really the only signs along the coast).

The Zeila Wreck (sign-posted in the previous photo).

The Gate Keeper: a permit is required to enter the Skeleton Coast National Park, and entry must be made through this gate before a certain time otherwise you are stuck at the gates of hell on the edge of nowhere. 

The sand dunes along the northern coast are much smaller (and whitewashed by the salty seas) than their southern-Namibian counterparts in Sossusvlei.

An old shipping port that was created near a diamond mine. There was so much difficulty finding the port in the fog and so many ships running aground due to underwater sand bars that both the mine and the port were eventually abandoned as it became apparent that this environment was not conducive for either to function.

 Birds repurposing what remains of the port.

 I was attempting to capture the nothingness; with roads like this and not a single landmark on the horizon, it's easy to see how someone could lose their way on a foggy day or in a sand storm (while the day we were here was clear, this is said to be a rare occurance).