Sandwich Harbour from Walvis Bay, Namibia
I have been lucky enough to visit Walvis Bay in Namibia eight times so far, all thanks to Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and it is probably my favourite port to visit anywhere because of the sheer range of excursions available there that have a strong wildlife interest. My favourite is the excursion to Sandwich Harbour, south from Walvis Bay along the coast where the Namib Desert meets the Atlantic Ocean. The trip is often offered as an excursion by the cruise ships, although I have done it privately on three occasions. The photographs below are from my latest visit on Seven Seas Voyager in December 2023.
Typically, the tour starts at the Walvis Bay Salt Works (see photo left) which now produces more than 1 million tonnes of salt per year from saltwater evaporation pools. As water evaporates from the pools in the dry heat of the Namib, the pools become more and more hypersaline and support high densities of specialist shrimps which, in turn, make great feeding for a wide range of water birds (see gallery photos below). The jeep tour continues along the narrow strip of shore between the sea and the dunes to Sandwich Harbour itself, and then moves inland to do some 'dune burning' (see photo above) ‒ for the fun of it, and to seek out some of hardy wildlife that survives in the dunes. The dunes are part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, so only a limited number of vehicles are licenced under permit to enter the dunes. They have a informal code of conduct to avoid excessive damage to the dunes, but constantly mobile sand quickly covers any tracks they leave in the dunes.
The hypersaline pools of the saltworks are coloured pink by what is technically a green alga!
Lots of birds feed on shrimps in the saline water, like these Avocets, Stilts and flamingos.
Greater and Lesser Flamingos feeding in a natural lagoon beside the saltwork pools.
The pup of a Cape Fur Seal temporarily abandoned by its parent on a stormy shore.
It's vital to time the tide right for crossing this narrow strip of shore between sea and the dunes!
A high level view over Sandwich Harbour, long since buried by the encroaching sand.
The drivers love to take us burning up the dunes - not good for anyone with vertigo!
A Black-backed Jackal making its way across the dunes, unperturbed by our presence...
...but the jackal did briefly stop to pose for our cameras on top of the dune.
Our driver did well to find us this small herd of Gemsbok, well-hidden in the more vegetated dunes.
Our driver Elmer serves lunch for the three of us, including fresh oysters and sparkling wine.
Nara (Acanthosicyos horridus), one of the few tough plants that can flower in the parched Namib.
The succulent fruits of the Nara, filled with moisture scavenged from the morning fogs.
A herd of Springbok that we found sheltering in a hollow between the vegetated dunes.
Two of the young Springboks play-fighting, in practice for territorial disputes in later life.