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| Mother and calf giraffe with the Damaraland's magnificent mountains |
The flipside of working in the Finance/ Accounting field means that I have to make myself available to the company for a couple days for the month-end financial closing incase my vacation falls during such time. Granted I would rather not have to switch from camping in the African wilderness to a town/city with internet and phone connection for work, but the benefits far outweigh the cons.
As I left Damaraland in early June, it was one of those times I had to be available. The most logical option seemed Swakopmund, a city on the barren Atlantic coast of Namibia commonly referred to as the Skeleton Coast. The name although originally derived from the skeletal remains of whales, now also applies to the thousands of ships that have met their fateful end due to a combination of unchartered sandbanks, powerful ocean currents and a treacherous fog.
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| Comparison of a Plain's Zebra (L) & Mountain Zebra (R) - Difference in underbelly, legs and stripes |
There were two way to get to Swakopmund, one was a straight forward route which was fast and well travelled while the other one was less traveled and passed through the Skeleton Coast National Park. No prizes for guessing which one I decided to take.
As I left Damaraland in the morning, despite having spent three days there, the wildlife and scenery was so dazzling that I ended up stopping a few more times to catch the sight of giraffes and mountain zebras against the spectacular mountain backdrop.
Green Route: Damaraland to Swakopmund through the Skeleton Coast National Park
Eventually though I made my way out of Damaraland heading straight west towards the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery on this remote road changed dramatically the further west I went while the vegetation became progressively sparse and sand blown from the coast started making a gradual presence.
A couple hours after leaving the mountains of Damaraland, I arrived at the Springbokwasser gate where I had to get a day permit to pass through the National park. The park is so remote that the government is very strict with entry permits. Fortunately I was just driving through so getting a permit upon arrival was not a problem. Had I chosen to stay for a night in the park, I would have had to get a permit in Windhoek.
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| Drive through the Skeleton Coast National Park |
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| Welwitschia mirabilis |
In this otherworldly desolate landscape where it’s inconceivable to expect anything to live, one plant species has made an amazing existence. I had read about this extraordinary plant in my guidebook but hadn’t seen a picture of it but when I stopped at a colony of these plants growing on a surface probably akin to Mars I knew it had to be the Welwitschia mirabilis. Amazingly, it lives for ages with a few recorded at over two thousand years. It has a stunted growth with practically no stem and has two elongated leaves which can be meters long; just totally unlike any other plant.
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| Change in scenery as i near the coast |
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| Lichen growing on a stone |
I would personally rate this drive as one of the most desolate and spectacular ones. Ok, I have been in the hostile region of Erta Ale in Ethiopia and Lake Abbe in Djibouti but doing it all by myself in a 2WD was something else.
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| Whale bones on the beach - That's how the name Skeleton Coast was derived |
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| Brown Hyena (i think) footprint on the beach |
As I neared the coast, it got colder as the sun was engulfed by a thick fog arising from the cold Benguela current blowing in from Antarctica. The gravel road ended into a T-junction at the coast with the salt road heading south leading to Swakopmund while the north one went into the most remotest region of the Skeleton Coast.
The northern section of the park is considered as a pure wilderness area as there are no roads into it with only a few select companies allowed to run fly-in safaris. Since the only way to get there is by chartered flight with pre-booked lodges it’s prohibitively expense meaning it’s only for the super rich.
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| My Footprints |
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| Skeleton Coast beach |
On one hand these fly-in safaris preserve the ecosystem but at the same time they make these places accessible only to the affluent so in my humble opinion the morality of these operations is moot. Regardless, they can keep their place excusive because I make the call where I want to go and in this case I decided to better utilize my hard earned money and time someplace else.
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| A big yawn |
The salt road south was surprisingly good to drive on allowing me to gain some time. At the Ugab River checkpoint I handed in my day permit to leave the Skeleton Coast National Park. Late afternoon I made my way to Cape Cross, a place where a cross was erected by a Portuguese sailor named Diogo Cão in 1486. Being a contemporary of Bartholomeu Dias, he was vying to find a sea route to India. I remember reading about Bartholomeu Dias in my history lessons but pretty sure Diogo Cão wasn’t mentioned. Just like some many things I life, I guess the glory only goes to the person who is the first to reach the finish line with all the others falling by the wayside.Today the place is famous for one of the largest colonies of cape fur seals. I had never seen these mammals before so the sight of thousands was definitely original although the horrendous smell around the colony was certainly a potent reason to get out of there as soon as possible though I did stick around for close to an hour…long enough for the smell to stick on my jacket for a day. Below is a video collection of my time at the Cape Cross Seal Colony. It was especially amusing to hear all the pup bleating. The adult females were less cute and in some instances a little agressive. They might look cute and cuddly but when they open their jaws and charge it can be quite unnerving.
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| Cape Cross Seal Colony |
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| Sunset at a shipwreck on the Skeleton Cosat |
By the time I got to Swakopmund, it was nightfall and I reflected on an amazing day that started in the mountains of Damaraland and ended where the desert met the Atlantic Ocean. Early in the day, I saw African savanna animals like zebra, giraffe and kudu but I ended the eventful day with seals. I can't imagine many countries that could offer such a diverse wildlife experience. Perhaps the only other country that could possibly offer a similar experience is South Africa.
A delicious dinner of locally caught seafood and a warm bed for the night was just the most comforting things I wanted after almost nine days of camping in the wilds of Northern Namibia.
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