The arid Skeleton Coast Park environment lies within the northern reaches of the true Namib Desert, yet this area is home to a rich diversity of wildlife.
Early morning fog generated by the icy Benguela Current in the Atlantic Ocean meeting the warm desert air of the Skeleton Coast drifts inland over the Namib Desert - providing precious water to the flora and fauna in this incredibly harsh environment. It also creates the sense of mystery and impenetrability for which the region is so famous. Adaptation to the desert environment is the miracle of all that survives here.
Obviously these arid conditions do not support large volumes of big game species, but rather offers a cultural journey into the exploration of the smaller desert wonders. Freshwater springs permeate through the barren sands to create rare oases in the desert that sustain pockets of wildlife. Springbok, gemsbok (oryx), the rare desert-adapted elephant, brown hyaena, black-backed jackal, and occasionally even lion and cheetah enter this rugged domain. The famous Cape fur seals are present in their thousands on the beaches, attracting predators as well.
Skeleton Coast Park boasts fascinating desert-adapted vegetation such as welwitschia and lithops, the succulent 'flowering stones', and the bizarre elephant's foot found in rocky crevices. More than a hundred species of lichen are found on the gravel plains and hot west-facing mountain slopes, which change colour as they absorb moisture when the coastal fog presses inland.
Birding in the area is also very good, with over 200 species recorded. This includes several of Namibia's desert endemic species - such as Tractrac Chat, Rüppell's Korhaan and Gray's Lark. The seal colonies often have Jeagers and Skuas in attendance with Parasitic Jaeger, Pomarine Jaeger and Subantarctic Skua all possible in summer.
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