Greater Flamingos, Walvis Bay

Arriving back in Swakopmund after an amazing drive through the sand dunes of the Namib Desert we had a quick turnaround before venturing to Walvis Bay, about 25 miles south. Walvis Bay is well known for large flocks of Lesser and Greater Flamingos as well as a colony of Cape Fur Seals. With only one afternoon in which to explore the area we made a couple of quick stops to watch the flamingos, opting for longer with the seals out on a spit of land called ‘Pelican Point’. To get to ‘Pelican Point’ you have to drive to the end of the road south-west of Walvis Bay and drive across bumpy sand. Fortunately, Siggi was well used to this type of driving and, having let air out of the tyres, we headed to the Point. By reducing the air in the tyres, they have a wider footprint and ‘float’ better over soft sand than hard, fully inflated tyres. They have less resistance and therefore less chance of getting stuck.