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Flocks of lesser flamingo frequent the Skeleton Coast region, gathering to breed in the saltpans of Etosha towards the end of the rainy season when the pans are full of water. They are also often seen on the coast, particularly in the Walvis Bay lagoon and at the Swakopmund Salt Works on the Diamond Coast, in southwestern Namibia.
The dense ocean fogs that shroud the Skeleton Coast for much of the year have claimed numerous vessels over the centuries. The Bom Jesus, a Portuguese nau that set sail from Lisbon in 1533 laden with gold and ivory, is the oldest known and most valuable shipwreck ever discovered off the coast of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its remains were only discovered in 2008 on the coast near Oranjemund.
Arguably the Skeleton Coast's most modern-day shipwreck is that of the cargo ship Eduard Bohlen, which sunk on September 5, 1909 in thick fog. Over the years, desert sands have reclaimed the vessel and it now lies 400 m (1,300 ft) from the shoreline.
The Bohlen is near two other well-known wrecks. The MV Dunedin Star (pictured) was a UK-registered refrigerated cargo liner that was lost on the notorious Clan Alpine Shoal reef in November 1942. The book 'Skeleton Coast' by John Henry Marsh, published in 1944, recalls the rescue operation after the ship had floundered. Image: Robert Raderschatt
More recently, the Zeila was beached near Henties Bay on August 25, 2008. Skeleton Coast shipwrecks are now visitor attractions in their own right, and are included in the itineraries of most local tour operations.
It's not only ocean-going vessels that have been claimed by the elements. A popular landmark is the abandoned oil drilling rig near Toscanini that was operational during the late 1960s and early '70s. Today the corroded industrial behemoth provides an ideal nesting site for a variety of birdlife during the breeding season.
Few have chosen to live along the inhospitable Skeleton Coast. The Strandloper peoples, however, called this remote and arid destination home for centuries. But demographic and economic changes in the 19th century forced their disappearance through assimilation. Image: Rijksmuseum, Netherlands
The nearest city to the Skeleton Coast is Swakopmund, Namibia. This beach resort is distinguished for its German colonial architecture and plethora of sightseeing tour operations.
Swakopmund is a hardly a place you'd expect Hollywood royalty to visit, but in May 2006 the town greeted Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as they announced the birth of daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, who was born in the city. The couple were in the country to support a Namibian private wildlife
Swakopmund is where to base yourself if you intend to explore the Skeleton Coast. The C34 highway arrows north to hug the coast all the way to the Skeleton Coast National Park. It's always best to opt for a guided safari drive rather than attempt to sightsee independently.
The Skeleton Coast is nourished in part by the Ugab River. The river only flows above the surface of its sandy bed a few days each year, but when it does the freshwater lures an abundance of wildlife, including rare desert elephants and the vulnerable Hartmann's mountain zebra.
The Kaokoveld is a harsh coastal desert of drifting sand dunes and rocky mountains located in northern Namibia. It extends beyond the northern reaches of the Skeleton Coast and should only be explored under expert outdoor guidance. If you do make it here, you'll likely be rewarded with sightings of the rare black rhino, among other endangered species.
The indigenous OvaHimba people have their home in the Kaokoveld. They also inhabit the other side of the Kunene River in southern Angola. They are considered the last (semi-) nomadic people of Namibia.
