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Exploring the Skeleton Coast, the "land God made in anger"
The Skeleton Coast fringes the northern part of the Atlantic coast of Namibia, and also edges its way into southern Angola. It's one of the world's most inhospitable places, a hot, arid and remote region that on the surface has no appeal whatsoever. But don't be fooled. This is a compelling destination teeming with rare and exotic wildlife. It also exudes an exciting air of mystery, home as it is to numerous shipwrecks, many of which lie scattered on the sand as testimony to one of Africa's most treacherous stretches of coastline.
Not for nothing is the Skeleton Coast named as such. In the 15th century, Portuguese navigators under Diogo Cão referred to the land as the "Gates of Hell." The bushmen of the Namibian interior still call the region the "land God made in anger."
Hostile and forbidding, the Skeleton Coast has claimed many lives, including those of hapless humans, likely shipwrecked and attempting to survive in the hot, dry conditions.
Established in 1971, Skeleton Coast National Park is one of the most desolate nature reserves on the African continent. But it's where a select variety of wildlife thrives. Set within the park is the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, home to one of the largest colonies of Cape fur seals on the planet.
The desert lions of the Namib desert are a critically endangered subspecies of the iconic big cat. Able to go long periods of time without water, these lions are now very rare and if you managed to see one during your Skeleton Coast experience, consider yourself especially privileged.
The critically endangered black rhinoceros maintains a tenuous foothold in the park. Sightings of this magnificent beast are rare but if you're lucky enough to spot one, the experience is truly memorable.
Desert-adapted elephants, known as desert elephants, can be found along Namibia's Skeleton Coast. This striding bull elephant is pictured in a remote area near Purros, about 55 km (34 mi) inland from the coast.
The South African oryx, also known as the gemsbok, is Namibia's national animal. The species is more prevalent in the region's other great conservation area, Etosha National Park, in the northwestern interior of the country.
The extraordinary web-footed gecko is totally at home in the harsh Skeleton Coast environment. Its color provides perfect camouflage among the powdery reddish sands of the Namib desert, their primary habitat.
Occasional sightings have been made along the Skeleton Coast of the near-threatened brown hyena. You're more likely to meet this species in the Etosha National Park.
It's not uncommon to bump into this guy, a black-backed jackal, while exploring the coast. The medium sized canine with its long, black stripe extending along the flanks, often scavenges right up to the shoreline.
It's always worth looking out into the sea for a glimpse of the rare Heaviside's dolphin. The small, near-threatened cetacean is endemic to the Benguela ecosystem along the southwest coast of Africa.
Recognized for its magnificent spiral horns, the greater kudu is another animal more at home in the Etosha National Park rather than along the exposed Skeleton Coast.
