Skeleton Coast National Park

The Skeleton Coast National Park lies on Namibia’s northwest coast on the edges of the Namib Desert. The national park is named for the bleached whalebones; and the skeletal remains and the rusted carcasses of the numerous shipwrecks that litter this stark, yet strikingly beautiful coastal landscape. Established in 1971, the Skeleton Coast National Park has diverse landscapes ranging from sand dunes and windswept plains, consisting largely of soft sand occasionally interrupted by rocky outcrops to towering canyons.

Wildlife species occurring in the national park includes the desert-dwelling, African elephant (Loxodonta africana), cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) , springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), zebra (Equus burchellii), gemsbok (Oryx gazella), black rhino (Diceros bicornis), giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), crested porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), genet (Genetta genetta), caracal (Caracal caracal), African wild cat (Felis sylvestris), hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryasand), cape hare (Lepus capensis), and jackal (Canis mesomelas). Various dolphins and whales are occasional see offshore. Lions (Panthera leo) no longer make the national park their home, but sometimes stray into the national park from surrounding areas.

There are a number of bird species found in the Skeleton Coast National Park, including ostrich (Struthio camelus), common cape sparrow (Passer melanurus), titbabblers (Parisoma subcaerulum), mountain chats (Oenanthe monticola), redeyed bulbuls (Pycnonotus nigricans), bokmakierie (Telophorus zeylonus), mousebird (Colius spp.), Ruppell’s parrot (Poicephalus rueppellii), Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus), redknobbed coot (Fulica cristata), rosyfaced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis), avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) and cape teal (Anas capensis).

Skeleton Coast National Park – Other Information