Read More...

Himba People, History, Kaokoland, Kunene River, Skeleton Coast, Wildlife

History

The northern portion of the Skeleton Coast was first protected in 1907 as part of an enormous reserve which also stretched from the Angola border, south and inland all the way to, and including Etosha. Although sparsely populated and little visited, hunting around Etosha prompted the country to protect this vast area used as the migratory grounds for the animals and thus included areas far north of Etosha.

After the First World War and via a League of Nations mandate, Namibia (then called South West Africa), was administered by South Africa. During the 1950s, South Africa granted mining and fishing rights along the Skeleton coast to private companies. A new harbor was planned at Cape Frio, with investors obtained and research completed during the 1960s. At the 11th hour, South Africa decided to pull the plug on the project in order to protect the very profitable Walvis Bay.

In 1967, the original reserve was reduced in size, Etosha was made a national park, and Kaokoland, Damaraland, and the Skeleton Coast were downgraded to 'homeland' status. In order to protect the fragile environment along the northern coast of Namibia, the Skeleton Coast was granted national park status in 1971.

Note: Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990.

The northern section of the park was declared a wilderness area and was to be left essentially untouched and pristine. A single company, Skeleton Coast Fly-in Safaris, was granted permission to operate tours in this area. Stringent rules were mandated to minimize the impact of tourists, including a ban on any permanent structures, all trash removed, very limited numbers of tourists permitted per year, and only fly-in safaris allowed (no driving). Only a few sand tracks were allowed and off-road driving was forbidden.

Today there are still only a handful of operators with camps in the region and the entire region, including the Kunene River, Skeleton Coast, and interior Kaokoland remains one of the least visited destinations in southern Africa.

Kaokoland

Kaokoland (part of the Kunene Region) is Namibia's least populated area and one of sub-Saharan Africa's last true wildernesses. It spans the area directly inland from the Skeleton Coast and north of Damaraland. It is defined by its wild and rugged landscape of desert mountains, scrubland, and the indigenous Himba people, which have maintained their ancestral way of life.

In spite of the inhospitable environment, some species of animals have learned to survive and even thrive here, albeit in small numbers. The critically endangered desert-adapted elephant lives in this arid place in small herds that trek long distances in search of water and food. Kaokoland is also home to black rhinos, which are well adapted to desert life.

Only a single paved road runs north-south thru the territory plus a few sandy tracks that were constructed by the South African Defense Force long ago. Because of the harsh conditions prevalent here, there are very few people and only a handful of lodges and camps. Visiting independently in a vehicle is not recommended. Overland guided tours are possible using 4x4 vehicles.

We recommend a fly-in safari to visit to one or more of the organized camps in the region.

Skeleton Coast

The historically treacherous, but wildly beautiful shoreline covering the northern third of Namibia's Atlantic Ocean border is known as the Skeleton Coast. It begins in the south at the Ugab river and continues for 315 miles (510 kms) all the way to the Angola border.

Dubbed the "Coast of Death" by early Portuguese explorers in the 1600s, its name is testament to the numerous shipwrecks, lost human lives, and the whale and seal bones that once littered the shore in the times of the whaling industry. Hundreds of ships have wrecked along this coast over the years.

Few tourists are fortunate enough to have visited this relatively unknown and mostly inaccessible destination. Driving in is possible, but most visitors fly in to one of the private airstrips for a 3-5 day stay at one of the safari camps.

The Skeleton Coast was granted national park status in 1971 (read more above) and it has strict regulations on what safari operators are permitted in terms of activities and numbers of guests. It remains one of the most pristine wildernesses in the world and our experiences there are memorable and unlike anything we have ever seen.

The landscape in the Skeleton Coast is known for its towering barchan dunes, which are huge crescent-shaped ridges of sand that have been shown to move across the land at up to 10 feet per year. In other places, there are expansive gravel plains, salt flats, barren hills, and rocky outcrops. There is a constant heavy surf along the Atlantic Ocean beaches.

The ocean water here is frigid, brought north from the Antarctic via the Benguela current. This cold water means rain clouds do not develop along the coast and this contributes to the parched climate prevalent in this region. Rainfall rarely exceeds 10 mm (0.4 in) per year.

The cold Atlantic water collides with the hot desert air and gives rise to dense coastal fog on most mornings. The result is morning dew, which accounts for some of the moisture used by the plants and animals that manage to survive here.

There are several rivers flowing west to the ocean, but they only flow on rare occasions and remain dry beds most of the time. Water is available to the remarkable desert-adapted elephants, which dig into the dry riverbeds to create deep drinking pools and provide sustenance for the other animals.

Kunene River

The Kunene River forms the boundary between Namibia and Angola. Two notable safari camps are situated on the river, with activities based on the river and into Hartmann's Valley and along the Marienfluss river.

Hartmann's and Marienfluss are both spectacularly beautiful valleys, with grasslands frequented by springbok, oryx, bat-eared fox, and ostrich. Marienfluss is the richer of the two valleys, especially after a rare rainfall. To the west of Hartmann's valley are towering dunes that mark the start of the Skeleton Coast. Interesting 'fairy circles' are found in Marienfluss and, to a lesser extent, at Hartmann's.

Wildlife

Only the hardiest and desert-adapted species can live in this harsh land. Still, animals do live here and are encountered on drives from the safari camps, but don't come with the expectation of seeing lots of big game.

Almost unbelievably, desert-adapted elephants have evolved to live in small herds here, but traveling long distances for food and digging for water in the mostly dry riverbeds. Desert-adapted lions are found in very small number... they survive in this place of dryness by getting water from their prey, licking dew, and even eating the tsamma melon.

Other species that are commonly seen include black rhino, Hartmann's mountain zebra, giraffe, oryx, springbok, brown hyena, black-backed jackal, and baboon. If you are extremely lucky, you may see a cheetah.

There is a cape fur seal coloniy at Cape Frio in the Skeleton Coast. The colony has around 20 000 seals and visits may also provide a glimpse of black-backed jackals or a brown hyena, which sometimes prey on the seals.

Himba people

The native people of Kaokoland are the Himba, which are estimated to number around 50 000, but live in small groups and villages spread out over this vast region. They also live across the Kunene river in Angola.

The Himba are known for their distinctive appearance due to the men and women coating their skin and hair with a paste. The ochre-colored mixture, called otjize, is a mixture of butterfat, clay and sand and serves to protect the skin from the sun and insects, as well as to cleanse as there is precious little water here for washing.

The Himba are semi-nomadic and keep cattle, sheep and goats, which they utilize for milk and meat. Because the climate in Kaokoland is so harsh, the area has never been settled by Europeans and the Himba have thus managed to maintain their ancestral culture. Visits to a Himba settlement are offered as an activity at some of the safari camps.

Read More...

Himba People, History, Kaokoland, Kunene River, Skeleton Coast, Wildlife