The Skeleton Coast conjures up mysterious visions of mist-enshrouded beaches strewn with bleached whalebones and rusted shipwrecks.
Stretching from the south of Namibia up into Angola, the Skeleton Coast is a landscape of haunting beauty. It is a vast area of rolling sand dunes, expanses of uninhabited desert plains, fossil beds, unique geological formations, desert-adapted animals and strange vegetation.
The climate, very atypical of an arid desert, is also surprising. The dense fog, the cold currents offshore and the heat of the desert cause the temperatures to vary - from 6 to 36 deg. C (42-97 deg. F).
A surprising number of plants and animals thrive in this harsh conditions. Unusual plants such as the Elephant’s Foot anchor themselves into the rocks. Also, the strong and sturdy oryx feel completely at home in the desert and can stay for weeks withoust water.
Even if it seems that nobody can exist here, on the edge of the desert the Himba tribe copes with life. If you are fortunate enough to visit the Skeleton coast you won’t easily forget this immense walk back through time.
