DEFINITION OF SKELETON COAST, NAMIBIA

Namibia’s Atlantic coastline is known as the Skeleton Coast, named for the grief and death

that beset many sailors attempting to navigate the difficult

waters moved by the cold Benguela current that sweeps the

coast and warm winds coming off the Namib Sand Sea and

Kalahari Desert. The coastline is littered with numerous shipwrecks,

testifying to the difficult and often unpredictable

nature of shifting winds and ocean currents. Giant sand

dunes of the Namib sand-sea reach to the coast, and in places

these dunes are also covered in bones of mammals that have

searched in vain for water. Many dune types are present,

including transverse dunes and barchans, and the winds in

the region often cause a steady roar to grow from the blowing

sands. The Desert Elephant lives in the region, eating and

drinking in generally dry inland riverbeds, but sometimes

venturing to the harsh coast. Oryx, giraffes, hyenas, springboks,

ostriches, rare rhinos, and lions also roam the area,

whereas Cape fur seals populate parts of the coast. Whales

and dolphins swim along the coast, and occasionally, giant

whale skeletons are washed up and exposed on the shore.

The cold Benguela current breaks off from the circum-

Antarctica cold current and forms a cold sea breeze that often

shrouds the region in mist and fog, especially during winter

months. This mist sustains an unusual plant life in the desert

and forms an additional navigational hazard for ships.

See also DESERT.

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