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Home Places

Skeleton Coast- 12 Facts You Don’t Know About The Coast- Is It The End Of The World?

by Jitte John
March 21, 2021
in Places
Skeleton Coast

Ugab River Gate of the Skeleton Coast National Park

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The Skeleton Coast is located in the coastal region between the Atlantic Ocean, the Kaokoland, and Damaraland. It is in the northern part of the Atlantic Coast of Namibia and the south of Angola. It is sometimes used to describe the Namib Desert coast. The Bushmen from the interior part of Namibia refer to the region as “the land god made in anger” while the sailors from the Portuguese once called it “the gates of hell”.

Despite the names being given to the coast, the skeleton bay is now regarded as a good location for surfing. The coast has also been featured in a number of documentaries and other films.

Here Are 12 Facts about the Skeleton Coast

1. The Reason Why It is Called Skeleton Coast

The coast got its name after some crew members who were able to survive a shipwreck discovered they were in a desert that was harsh with no freshwater. Because of their sun-bleached skeletons and the wrecks of their ships, the coastline was named the skeleton coast. There were also stranded whales that lost their lives on the coast and their skeletons were all over the place. The Ovahimba used the whales’ bones for building their huts.

2. It Is The World’s Largest Ship Cemetery

It is regarded as the world’s largest ship cemetery because of the shipwrecks found on the coast. Even though Namibia has several shipwrecked vessels, the skeleton coast is said to be primarily responsible for many of the wrecked ships. The wrecks on the harsh coastline have been destroyed by the sun, sea, and wind. The remains are found by explorers and it is said that there are only three of these ships still visible.

Skeleton Coast
Skeleton Coast Safari (image source)

3. The Name Was Coined By John Henry Marsh

The name was coined by John Henry Marsh as a title for his book which he wrote on the shipwreck of the Dunedin Star. After the book was published in 1944, the coast became well known as the skeleton coast and is been used as the official name of the coast to date.

4. Ships Have Been Wrecked Because Of the Blinding Fog in the Skeleton Coast

Due to the nature of the coastline, most ships have been wrecked. The coast has soft sand which is occasionally interrupted by rocky outcrops. The Atlantic Benguela current creates a rise to dense fog almost throughout the year. There are also frequent storm-force winds and many ships are driven into the rocks or run aground.

Skeleton Coast
Zelia India shipwreck (image source)

5. The Skeleton Coast Has A Variety Of Species Than Other Parks in Southern Africa

The Skeleton Coast Park is said to own a variety of species than many other parks around despite its arid and deadly appearance. Large mammals like Namibia’s famous desert-adapted elephant, black rhino, lion, cheetah, giraffe, gemsbok, zebra, springbok, and brown hyena among others. The coast has a unique ecosystem that breeds unusual plants growing.

6. Wildlife Manages To Survive Despite The Harsh Environment

The Skeleton Coast is known to be an inhospitable environment but wildlife manages to thrive there. The coast which has been subjected to a number of wildlife documentaries has many plant and insect species of the sand dune systems. The riverbed is home to baboons, giraffes, lions, black rhinoceros, and springbok.

Skeleton Coast
Skeleton Coast (image source)

7. The Skeleton Coast National Park

The Skeleton Coast National Park is about 16,000 square kilometers from the Ugab River to the Kunene. The notable features are the clay castles of the Hoarusib River, the agate mountain salt pans. The remaining part of the coast is the national west coast recreation area.

8. It Has Cape Cross Seal Colony

On the Skeleton Coast, 60 kilometers north of the Henties bay is the Cape Cross Seal Reserve. It is a protected headland that serves as the home to the world’s largest breeding colony of Cape fur seals. From November to December is the peak of the breeding season. The sand becomes completely hidden from the view by a writhing mass of fur seals numbering over 200,000. Tourists observe the seals from a 200-meter walkway. The seals survive mostly on fish

9. It Is A Remote Tourist Destination

The coast is has continued to fascinate foreign visitors even though it is bleak and inaccessible. It has one of Africa’s great untouched wilderness which draws visitors to want to experience nature. On the coast, access is only by fly-in safari and the visits to the skeleton national park is exclusive and expensive.

10. There Are 5 Top Sights To Look Out For In Skeleton Coast

In all, it is said that there are 5 sights to look out for on the coast. The first one is Hentis bay which is the only real town on the coast. The second one is the cape cross seal colony, then the desert-adapted wildlife and then the ill-fated shipwrecks, and lastly the Himba villages.

Jitte John

Jitte John

A keen and dynamic writer, my interest ranges from entertainment to sports gist. I have over 4 years’ experience in using different research techniques and writing styles to keep readers glued to my pieces. When I am not writing or editing, you can find me arguing that the best Marvel superhero team is 'The Guardians of the Galaxy' and not 'The Avengers'.

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