The Skeleton Coast is located on the west coast of Namibia, where the upwelling of the cold Benguela current gives rise to dense ocean fogs for much of the year. The frigid waters of the north-flowing Benguela current move from the Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica along the west coast of Africa as far as Angola. ...

The nature of the coast

The outstanding feature of this coast is the fact that the Namib Desert adjoins the South Atlantic Ocean. The winds blow from land to sea so that little or no rain falls and the climate is completely inhospitable. However, there is a constant, heavy surf on the beaches. In the days of man-powered boats, it was possible to get ashore through the surf but impossible to get off. The only way out was a march hundreds of miles long, through the hot and arid desert - hence the skeletons by the beach. The coast is generally of low relief occasionally relieved by rocky outcrops. The southern section consists of gravel plains, while north of Terrace Bay the landscape is dominated by high dunes.

Wildlife

Namibia has declared a 16,000 km² national park for much of the area, from the Ugab river to the south and the Kunene river to the north. The northern half of the park is a designated wilderness area. Notable features here are the clay castles of the Hoarisib, the Agate Mountain salt pans and the large seal colony at Cape Fria. Ugab River from space Ugab River is an ephemeral river that only flows above the surface of its sandy bed a few days each year, but its subterranean water is an important resource for species in the Damaraland region of northern Namibia, including the rare desert elephant. ... The Cunene River (sometimes transliterated Kunene) is a river in Southwest Africa. ... A salt pan is a geological formation found in deserts. ... Families Odobenidae Otariidae Phocidae Pinnipeds (fin-feet, lit. ...

The Coast has been the subject of a number of wildlife documentaries, particularly about adaptations to extreme aridity. Many of the plant and insect species of the sand dune systems depend for their moisture on the thick sea fogs which engulf the coast and windblown detritus from the interior as food. The desert bird assemblages have been studied in terms of their thermoregulation, coloration, breeding strategies and nomadism. Documentary film is a broad category of cinematic expression united by the intent to remain factual or non-fictional. ... This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when temperature surrounding is very different. ... Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. ...