A Glimpse of Walvis Bay

We had a brief stopover at Walvis Bay on our way to Swakopmund. Walvis Bay (Walvisbaai in Afrikaans, which means, “Whale Bay” in English) is a port town on the Atlantic coast of Namibia.

The name conjured images of whales, dolphins, sea gulls, and busy harbours with ships and fishing boats. Our guide added pelicans, flamingos, Cape Fur seals, lighthouses, and palm trees to the list, but said that there are almost no more whales. They were wiped out by the avid whalers of the 19th century, which is sad.

This area has an interesting history. Throughout the years, from the establishment of the South African Union to the First World War, and then to the declaration of Namibian independence in 1990, the territory had been alternatively annexed to South Africa, then Namibia (from the time it was known as Southwest Africa), and back, as if these two nations were playing a game of tennis. A resolution of the UN stipulated that South Africa was to hand over Walvis Bay to Namibia after the war, but it never happened. Only with the end of the apartheid regime in 1994 was the Walvis Bay area was permanently annexed. Today, Walvis Bay is the third largest town in Namibia.

Our short stop only allowed us to walk along the boardwalk, explore The Esplanade (the main street), and look at the boats.

The boardwalk runs along the Flamingo Lagoon, where, depending on the season and water levels, you will be able to admire big flamingo colonies in the shallow, close-to-shore water of the Atlantic Ocean. Apparently, three species of flamingos can be spotted here – American flamingos, greater flamingos, and lesser flamingos. But we were there in the wrong season, so we did not see any.

At the other end, on a peninsula, stands the Pelican Point Lighthouse named after the pelicans that frequent the area, most notably the Great White Pelicans. In addition, water birds and a colony of Cape Fur seals also inhabit the place. However, since this eco-sensitive area is mainly sea sand, it can only be reached via a four-wheel drive vehicle as a part of a guided tour or as part of an escorted self-drive or by a four-wheel drive transfer from the local Pelican Point Lodge. In short, regular vehicles and unaccompanied self-driving is not allowed. Alternatively, one can paddle there on a kayak-tour. I made a note that this would have to be arranged if we ever go back to Walvis Bay.

Along the waterfront, there were a couple of hotels and clusters of cafes, restaurants, and marine-themed shops. My fellow female companion and I were glad we were finally able to use a decent washroom after hours of being on the road. Our guide said that most tourists use this as base to explore nearby areas, such as Swakopmund, the Namib Desert, and the sand dunes, but that there are plenty of things to do within the town itself.

Apart from its attractions ranging from dolphin-viewing boat cruises to bird-watching excursions, salt field visits to sandboarding on dunes, cultural tours to flamingo viewing, it is known for superb local fish, oysters and rock lobsters.

We should definitely plan a day or two in Walvis Bay if we get the chance to visit Namibia again.