New gates and facilities in the Cape Cross Seal Reserve and the Skeleton Coast National Park

Nobody knows how many skeletons are hidden by the cold and rough waters of the Atlantic or under the sand of the Skeleton Coast in Namibia. They are not only the remains of vessels and poor nameless souls from the days of sailing ships and early explorers, but also from modern times when sailors and pilots went missing on Namibia’s notorious north-western coastline. A number of skeletons are visible in the sands of the Namib Desert between the Ugab River mouth in the south and the Kunene River in the north. They are from marine and land mammals, sometimes reptiles and birds. But there are man-made remains too, mainly from mining days and tragic accidents.

This narrow stretch of coastline, measuring 16845 km², was proclaimed a national park in 1971. The 8118 km² area south of the Ugab River mouth down to the Swakop River, became Dorob National Park in 2010. Before that it was known as the National West Coast Recreation Area. Within Dorob National Park, 120 km north of Swakopmund, is the Cape Cross Seal Reserve. It was proclaimed in 1969 to protect Namibia’s biggest breeding colony of Cape fur seals. The reserve covers an area of 60 km². At Cape Cross the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão erected a padrão (limestone pillar) on January 9th, 1486.

The Skeleton Coast is mainly known for the numerous skeletons of seals, whales and dolphins found on the beach above the high water mark. But this barren landscape is also home to animals which have adapted to the harsh desert conditions. Desert-adapted elephants, lions and giraffes encounter desert animals like the brown hyena, black-backed jackal, springbok and gemsbok who are known to live in arid areas and on the coast of this unique part of Namibia. It is tough for animals and plants to survive in the Namib and – especially in the early days of conservation, mining and exploring–even the men and women stationed in these areas had to be a special breed of people.

To make it easier for staff of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) to perform their duties in Skeleton Coast National Park and the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, new infrastructure to the tune of N$136 million was set up within 18 months and officially inaugurated at Springbokwasser by the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, and the German Ambassador to Namibia, Herbert Beck, on 27 April 2023. The KfW Development Bank on behalf of the German government financed the project together with MEFT as part of a NamParks (Namibia National Parks) programme. New houses, offices, garages, service buildings, wastewater treatment plants and new PV power supply systems were built at Ugabmond, Springbokwasser, Möwe Bay and Cape Cross. At Cape Cross, Ugabmond and Springbokwasser new entrance gates were installed and at Möwe Bay a new symbolic gate. New recreation facilities for staff were built at Springbokwasser, Möwe Bay and Ugabmond.

Ugabmond is the southern entrance to Skeleton Coast National Park, Springbokwasser the eastern gate and Möwe Bay, which is not open to tourists, is a coastal station 80 km north of Terrace Bay.

Dirk Heinrich

Nobody knows how many skeletons are hidden by the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the sand of the Skeleton Coast. Some man-made remains of mining activities are visible in the water and on land.

Skeleton Coast National Park does not only protect animals but also plants and the very sensitive landscape. The Welwitschia, a near endemic plant of Namibia, is a living fossil that can reach an age of several hundred years. It is only found in the Namib Desert and adjacent arid areas in southern Angola and northern South Africa.

Cape Cross is the biggest breeding colony of Cape fur seals on Namibia’s coast and tourists can get very close to these marine mammals.

At Cape Cross two 2-bedroom houses and five 1-bedroom houses were built for MEFT staff, and two existing houses were renovated. The old office was converted into a guest house.

Scavengers are found everywhere on the Skeleton Coast: like the Pied Crow feeding on a dead Cape fur seal.

This is the spot where the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão erected a padrão (limestone pillar) in 1486. He and his crew were the first Europeans to set foot on Namibian soil. According to old documents there were no seals at Cape Cross.

The new park facilities at Cape Cross, Ugabmond, Möwe Bay and Springbokwasser were officially inaugurated on the 27th of April 2023 at Springbokwasser by Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta (left) and the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Namibia, Herbert Beck (middle). On the right is Bennet Kahuure, Director of Wildlife and National Parks of MEFT.