NATURAL HISTORY
Sand dunes come in a variety of guises and the Skeleton
Coast Park has hummock dunes, transverse dunes and crescent
dunes - given to roaring when millions of tiny granules
slide down the steep surface. At times the dunes are stopped
in their flow by large seasonal rivers which often do not
make it all the way to the sea.
The windswept dunes and flat plains give way in places
to rugged canyons and extensive mountain ranges with walls
of richly coloured volcanic rock. Such is the extraordinary
geology of this area, that some beaches contain a profusion
of multi-coloured pebbles consisting of agates, lava, granites
and others.
The attraction for visitors to this park is its untouched
and mysterious barren beauty, swept by cold sea breezes
and often enveloped in a dense fog. This sea mist accounts
for the many maritime remains and with each shipwreck, goes
a story of man against nature. Nature almost always wins!
Desert elephants have
been seen in the interior of the Skeleton Coast Park and
have even been filmed surfing down sand dunes like snow-boarders.
Desert dwelling oryx are completely
at home in such dry conditions and springbok,
giraffe, brown
hyena, ostrich,
rare black rhino and even
lion are found inland where
riverine bush supports the grazers and fresh water can usually
be found.
Cape Frio seal colony contains several thousand Cape fur
seals, and whales and dolphins swim this coast on their
way to and from breeding grounds.
