Cruise liner Special: Swakopmund and Namib Desert Treasures

Our Walvis Bay tour starts in the Walvis Bay Harbor or Walvis Bay Port, then we drive north towards Swakopmund, past the Bird Island, the only manmade Guano Island and into Swakopmund. At the Jetty we go for a walk on the Jetty and the Mole and share the history of this small German colonial town. We walk around and see some old buildings

then we drive onto the gravel Plains of the Namib desert and our first stop is the Lichen field. This tiny plant is a joint venture between a mushroom and an algae, we learn how they compliment each other and how they survive

Traces of lava flow periods and ice ages are apparent all around you. You feel like you are on another planet, walking on the moon... We some Uranium exploration sites, and maybe some desert animals like Zebra or Springbuck

Goanikontes is an oasis in the Swakopmund River. Very important location for the history of the area as it was the first watering hole in the desert from Swakopmund, an old Police post and vegetable were grown here. We learn the interesting History as we pass through the dry river bed

Amazingly on the hard gravel plains where nothing grows we find the age old Welwitschia plant. This unique plant has no stem and only two leaves, it has adapted to absorb moisture from the fog and the little rain, and can grow to be hundreds of years old. There are male and female plants, these are pollenated by little brown and orange bugs that live in the plants. Thousands of seeds are produced that spread by the harsh prevailing winds. Nature is amazing

After a long ride through the desert we pass Dune 7 close to Walvis Bay. Unfortunately we do not climb the dune we only have time to view it. we sadly return to the Walvis Bay harbour

rds, comprising 54 bird Species, palearctic migratory birds, pelicans terns and Cormorants can be seen from time to time.