Although often used to describe the entire Namib coastline, the Skeleton Coast was, originally, only the northern section of the Namib sea-board. Namibia’s Atlantic shore has however long been associated with treacherous seas, concealed reefs and fog.
Whether it is the ‘bones’ of wrecked ships along the coast or the bones of the wreck-survivors’ attempts at finding food and water in this unforgiving desert, or those left by whalers and sealers who plied this coastline long ago - the name ‘skeleton’ stuck.
This is no place for the feint-hearted as mighty winds blast the coast year round and the Namib’s great wet equaliser - fog - blankets the coast for over 100 days a year. However, this is also a place of wonder and surprise, of unexpected beauty where blood-red garnet dust darkens the shoreline and where dunes appear to ‘roar’. Where else in the world do lions scavenge on beached pilot whales or elephant slide down the slip face of dunes in search of hidden water?
Most of the Skeleton coast is hyper-arid dissected by large ephemeral river systems some of which reach the sea occasionally. Inland these rivers support big game such as Giraffe, Lion and Elephant. Nearer the coast, now barely distinguishable, they are nevertheless linear oases capable of supporting life and providing the means to reach the sea. Rock engravings at Twyfelfontein depict seals and dolphins, so one has to assume the early San hunter-gatherers walked to the coast using these oases to sustain their long journey. Links to blogs on each subject. (Image below of Twyfelfontein's Rock Engravings)
Precipitation from fog supports more life than one would imagine in this place of extremes. Yet fog is partially responsible for the more than 1000 shipwrecks littering this notorious coast. Many astonishing tales of human endurance relate the extraordinary feat of survivors’ endurance who went in search of help. Fog, having caused the wreck, no doubt in turn sustained survivors on their challenging journey.
The notably frustrated rescue attempts of the Dunedin Star (image right) are a testament to endurance in the face several frustrated rescue attempts including the wrecking of the tug attempting to aid the stranded ship-based passengers and crew. Then the grounding of a Lockheed Ventura in thick sand as it attempted an air-lift, and another rescue aircraft crashing into the sea as it air-dropped supplies for the 42 shore-based survivors. Ultimately no lives were lost despite so many thwarted attempts at rescue.
Perhaps the most well-known and definitely the most photographed wreck is the 95 meter Eduard Bohlen - now some 800 meters from the sea, it ran aground in thick fog near Conception Bay in 1909
Despite modern navigation, ships still run aground of this treacherous coast, the last being in 2008 where the wreck of the fishing trawler The Zeila. Sold as scrap metal, she broke loose from her towing line and settled on the rocks just south of Henties Bay where she can still be seen. (Image below: Skeleton Damara Safari guests visiting The Zeila wreck).
This is a place of real extremes - of wildness, a place where the terrific force of nature is truly felt and yet a place of such acute appeal it quite robs us of the ability to describe it.
This why we ride here - because it will always be untameable - its bleak beauty and its unforgiving starkness are its appeal - that is what ultimately is its most beguiling aspect. We too can ‘survive’ here to enjoy all that - with the help of a highly skilled backup team of course.
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