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Aerial photo of where the Namib desert and the Atlantic ocean
Skeleton Coast Park
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Skeleton Coast Park

Overview

Take a trip to Skeleton Coast Park on your Namibia vacation.

The Skeleton Coast National Park of Namibia stretches from the Kunene River in the north to the Ugab River in the south, protecting around one-third of Namibia’s coastline. It was established as a national park in 1971 and was named after the larger area that it inhabits. 
On a Namibia safari, the park is divided into a southern section and a northern section. The south can be accessed by four-wheel drive vehicles on a Namibia tour but only as far north as the Ugab River, while the north can only be reached by a fly-in safari.

Ever since European navigators began to explore the region, it has been the site of many shipwrecks. The name Skeleton Coast initially referred to whale and seal bones that once washed up onshore due to the area’s whaling industry. However, it soon became a reference to the many skeletal remains of ships that were caught in fog or by offshore rocks. 

Despite its rather ominous name and somewhat inhospitable appearance, the park and larger coast is home to a wide variety of species including elephants, the black rhino, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, zebra and more. Shipwrecks are best viewed from the sky on a Namibia tour and provide excellent environments for both Cape fur seals and seabird colonies while the waters host endemic Benguela dolphins as well as humpback and killer whales.  

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CurrencyNamibian Dollar (NAD)
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