The Ocean
The Ocean was our theme for this week. Powerful and majestic, no one can deny it’s beauty. As a man that spent the largest part of my life at sea, these images do bring a sense of peace and right-ness.
My career in Oil and Gas saw me on ships from 1999 until 2018, sailing all over the world. Massive storms and strange sights were the order of the day, just like in the storybooks.
Kicking off the festivities is the shipwreck of the Zeila, just a little ways away from Henties Bay. It is the newest of shipwrecks on the Skeleton Coast. On stormy days the ocean beating up on it is simply amazing to watch.
The story of the Zeila is not that interesting, unfortunately. It is also getting beaten up by the waves pretty quickly. As it is blocking the ocean current a little, it has turned into a favorite fishing spot for the locals.
Flamingo has the habit of standing on one leg wile resting. They have a way of locking the support leg into position, and the other tucked away under a wing to minimize heat loss, and usually sleep in this position.
The lagoons at Sandwich Harbor is quite shallow and protected from wind and humans, so this is a favorite place for the Flamingo to rest. Also in this picture is sea-beans, which has a salty taste and a crisp crunch. It’s also edible, of course, and apparently sold at quite a high price in Europe.
The guano island near Walvis Bay is an attraction along the coastal highway connecting Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. It’s steel structure has graced the harbor as long as anyone living can remember, and is cleaned of guano yearly. The brid droppings make a great fertilizer, or explosive if you know how to treat it.
The rock banks on which the platform is built is a favorite spot for crayfish divers, and was a playground for us when we were young.
The Yach Club of Walvis Bay is the only bit of beach in Walvis Bay, as the Lagoon has a cement walkway, and the rest is harbor, resting on reclaimed land. This little corner of Walvis Bay is what is known as the “Waterfront” of Walvis Bay.
You can see the yachts on their moorning points in the background, and some shops on the harbor grounds. These shops stock curios and there are a couple of restaurants, coffee shops and a bar. The Yach Club itself is home to Rojo’s, which serves fine food and has a great atmosphere.
It is also very kid friendly!
Walvis Bay has a great international airport, railway connections and a world class harbor. This makes it an ideal place to park oil platforms and supply vessels during downturns in the oil industry.
On a clear day like the day that the picture above was taken, you can see the sand dunes of the dune belt all the way across from Pelican Point. In the foreground there is a Cape Fur Seal colony on the beach, and some very lucky tourists taking in all the splendour around them.
Dolphin beach resort was originally constructed for the less fortunate, and opened to everybody after Namibia’s independence. The rocks just outside the resort has some lovely tidal pools, and mussels which taste great.
The tidal pools flood during high tide, and the ocean kicks up some nice splash for great pictures!
The lagoon of Walvis Bay is a RAMSAR site, as well as the star attraction of the city of Walvis Bay. Teeming with wildlife, from dolphin to pelican and flamingo, it is a joy to observe, especially on nice calm mornings.
The weather in Walvis Bay is usually calm in the mornings, and windy in the afternoons, with the main wind direction being South-Westerly coming in over the cold Benguella current. This cold ocean current keeps the temperatures in the desert in check, and also causes the aridity of the desert.
