Swakopmund Hotels & Resorts

Experience Namibia’s diverse marine life on a catamaran cruise of Walvis Bay. Set on the rugged Skeleton Coast, the bay is a haven for pelagic birds and the marine Big Five: whales, dolphins, mola mola, leatherback turtles and seals. You will leave early in the morning, sailing out to Pelican Point, which has a striking lighthouse and a colony of around 60,000 Cape fur seals – you can hear them barking as you approach.

From there, pass oyster farms, huge ships and oil rigs as you sail through the bay. You may spot bottlenose, dusky and Heaviside's dolphins jumping through the waves. If you’re lucky, maybe an albatross will swoop overhead and or you may catch sight of a turtle or giant mola mola. Also known as a sunfish, adults can weigh up to 1,000 kilograms.

Most whale sightings occur between July and the end of October when various species migrate. During that time, you may see whales daily, from southern rights and grays to pygmys and humpbacks. The skippers focus on the educational aspect of the tour and will teach you all about the different animals. Following international regulations, the animals are not crowded and are observed from a distance.

If the wind comes up, the sails will be hoisted and the engine switched off. Finish the tour enjoying sparkling wine and oysters on seafood platters with fresh bread, desserts and drinks.

Meet the unique creatures of the Namib Desert on this educational tour. The aim is to get people to see the dunes with a different eye and realise they’re not just a pile of sand, they’re home to incredible wildlife. Departing from Swakopmund, you’ll be taken in a 4x4 to the coastal dune belt just outside of town. This area is part of a protected national park.

During the drive, your guide will be looking for tracks and signs in the dunes. Looking for scorpions, spiders and the group informally called the little five: the palmato gecko, sand-diving lizard, fog-basking tok-tokkie beetle, sidewinder snake and chameleon. These secretive animals are tough to spot without the help of an experienced local guide.

When something is spotted, you’ll get a closer look as your guide tells you all about the special adaptations each creature has to survive in this inhospitable environment. You never know what you’re going to encounter in the desert though. End the trip with some exciting big dune driving in custom-built safari vehicles, it’s like a rollercoaster ride.

Explore the contrasting landscapes of Namibia, beginning with a hunt for some of the most fantastic aquatic wildlife. Enjoy a hot drink on board as you approach a Cape fur seal colony and the lighthouse at Pelican Point. Between July and November, you might be able to spot southern right and humpback whales. Taste fresh oysters served with sparkling wine before visiting Sandwich Harbour Lagoon (weather permitting), or heading to the top of a dune for wonderful desert views.

Soar down the Namib Desert’s dunes on this sandboarding adventure. The tour starts in Swakopmund, where you will be driven eight kilometres into the desert. The landscape is incredible, with dune-top views of the world’s oldest desert on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. It’s brilliant for photos; sometimes, you’ll even spot palmato geckos, beetles and chameleons hiding in the sand.

Expert instructors start with a safety briefing and then teach you the techniques for lie-down and stand-up boarding, which is a bit more technical. Quality snowboards that have been customised to glide perfectly across the sand are used. It’s an exhilarating feeling, rocketing down the dunes - when you’re lying down, you can even reach speeds of 50km an hour!

Afterwards, head down to the beach to watch the waves and have a picnic. You’ll enjoy cold Namibian beers, sandwiches and a lunch platter. As well as an adrenaline rush, the tour also gives you the rare opportunity to get out of your car and immerse yourself in the extraordinary scenery of the Namib Desert.

View Namibia’s Skeleton Coast from the best seats in the house on this scenic flight. Loop from the seaside resort of Swakopmund past mountains, rivers, little towns and a staggering uranium mine before reaching the untouched beauty of the Skeleton Coast. Haunted by the remains of whales and shipwrecks, you’ll sweep over this beautifully harsh landscape where the vast sea ripples against the burnt orange of the desert in this intriguing juxtaposition of nature.