Days 115-116: Walvis Bay, Namibia : The Namib Desert, Seals And Cocaine


Right up front, Namibia goes into the "pleasant surprise" category. We arrived at noon on the 29th and departed at 6pm on the 30th, so we got 1 1/2 days onshore to investigate this country. Considering that seven days ago, I honestly knew nothing about it. We docked in Walvis Bay, which is the only natural port in almost 900 miles of straight shoreline. 

It's the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa and also the least densely populated, with only 3m inhabitants. People have lived here (the "San") since prehistoric times but they didn't leave too much of a historical record behind them. Not much is known until the 14th century when the Bantu tribe immigrated from Central Africa and became the de facto inhabitants by strength of numbers. Because of its isolated geographical position and inhospitable climate, even the European colonial powers didn't show too much interest in the area.

The climate is interesting. Most of Namibia is in the southern tropics, yet the weather is "volatile" - to say the least. The water temperatures are 50-55 degrees because of the Benguela Current. This current flows from an Antarctic source and zips up the western side of Africa at 10-15 mph, giving the sun little time to warm it up. These water temperatures cause a form of temperature inversion, resulting in a strange hazy mist appearing just offshore for 250 days a year. Little moisture is associated with this, resulting in no green coastal vegetation belt. The desert and sand dunes come right down to the ocean's edge. That's why ancient seafarers stayed away from the coast. Further north, it is known as the Skeleton Coast because of the mist, a lack of cliffs, and magnetic anomalies due to the iron deposits. These cumulatively cause hundreds of shipwrecks.

Namibia eventually became a German colony in 1884 under Otto Von Bismarck and was known as German West Africa. Many inhabitants still speak German today, and there is a healthy ex-pat community on the coast and in Windhoek, the capital. Then, during WW1, South African troops invaded Namibia, and it remained a South African protectorate until gaining independence in 1990.

Our excursions in Walvis Bay centered around the harbour and the dunes. Allison took a harbour wildlife cruise, which featured seals, pelicans, and flamingos jumping on board her boat. I traveled to the desert to study "small animal wildlife." Small animals included a sidewinder snake, various geckos, and beetles.








On Day 2, I went kayaking out to Pelican Point, which is the end of the spit that
guards the natural harbor. There are hundreds of seals in the area, and the babies are very curious and will swim very close to the kayak. They love to play with the paddles, and I even had one jump on the back of the kayak and hitch a ride. I also got close up and personal with some large (non-stinging) red jellyfish. 





Once we'd completed the kayaking, we had a nice breakfast on the beach (surrounded by seals and a few hyenas) and were served coffee, cheesy muffins, and seal balls (to explain: meatballs with seal meat - very tasty). There are more seals than people in Namibia. After a quick trip to the sand toilet, we drove back along the sandy spit and viewed the salt flats and the process of making refined salt. They joke it is the cocaine factory when you see the piles of white powder from a distance. Then, a quick trip through the dunes, some sightseeing, and back to the boat.

Overall a fun couple of days. Tempered with the fact that the national unemployment rate is 48% and the minimum wage is about 25c/hr.


A few bonus shots


A/ A ton of seals on the beach

B/Close-up of the red jellyfish.

C/ Gecko!

D/ Sidewinder snake. Has two toxins in the bite.

E/ Seal!

F/ Namibian Sunrise on Day 1.












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