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Skeleton Coast Cape Cross Seal Colony Tour: Unique Desert Conditions, Plant Life, and Shipwrecks
4.3
12 Ratings
Wlotzkasbaken
Embark on a captivating tour of the Skeleton Coast’s Cape Cross Seal Colony. Explore the unique desert conditions, discover fascinating plant life sustained by fog, and encounter shipwrecks. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness thousands of Cape Fur Seals!
Embark on a captivating tour of the Skeleton Coast’s Cape Cross Seal Colony. Explore the unique desert conditions, discover fascinating plant life sustained by fog, and encounter shipwrecks. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness thousands of Cape Fur Seals!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Wlotzkasbaken - Various houses are situated along the coast between Swakopmund and Henties Bay. These are popular vacation homes.
- Zeila Shipwreck - A stop is made en route to Cape Cross, between Swakopmund and Henties Bay, to view the Zeila Shipwreck in the ocean.
- Gallows Monument - Visitors can see the Gallows Monument, erected in…
- Wlotzkasbaken - Various houses are situated along the coast between Swakopmund and Henties Bay. These are popular vacation homes.
- Zeila Shipwreck - A stop is made en route to Cape Cross, between Swakopmund and Henties Bay, to view the Zeila Shipwreck in the ocean.
- Gallows Monument - Visitors can see the Gallows Monument, erected in 1978, as a reminder to keep the beach clean.
- Cape Cross - The journey includes learning about the Orania Desalinization Plant, its builders, and purpose, followed by a visit to Wlotzkasbaken, a local holiday resort, and its history. A walk through a Lichen Field offers insight into how these tiny lichens survive in arid conditions. Stops include the Zeila Shipwreck and Henties Bay for a light lunch platter. The route passes the updated Gallows Monument and leads to the Cape Cross seal colony, where Diego erected a Marble Cross. A walkway allows close encounters with thousands of seals. After photographing these charming animals, the journey home begins.
- Hentiesbaai - After visiting the seal colony, the return trip includes a stop to refuel the car, ensuring a smooth and safe journey back to the accommodation.
- Cape Cross - The tour includes learning about the Orania Desalinization Plant, its construction, and purpose, followed by a visit to Wlotzkasbaken, a local holiday resort, and its history. A walk through a Lichen Field offers insight into how these tiny lichens survive in arid conditions. Stops include the Zeila Shipwreck and Henties Bay for a light lunch platter. The route passes the updated Gallows Monument and leads to the Cape Cross seal colony, where Diego erected a Marble Cross. A walkway allows close encounters with thousands of seals. After photographing these charming animals, the journey home begins.
What's Included
- Brunch
- Brunch
Additional Information
We provide a light lunch in the serene and unique desert setting. The Skeleton Coast features harsh desert conditions and distinctive plant life, such as tiny lichens and fog-dependent plants. You can also see shipwrecks, jackals, and thousands of seals at the site where Diego erected the first cross during his 1493 voyage in search of a route around…
We provide a light lunch in the serene and unique desert setting. The Skeleton Coast features harsh desert conditions and distinctive plant life, such as tiny lichens and fog-dependent plants. You can also see shipwrecks, jackals, and thousands of seals at the site where Diego erected the first cross during his 1493 voyage in search of a route around Africa. This is a must-see location to witness thousands of Cape Fur Seals. If you’re interested in seeing more shipwrecks, you should book the full-day Shipwreck Tour, which extends another 200km further north.
- We require a minimum of 2 participants tp start the tour, should this not be met, we will offer you another date or experience or a full refund.
- This tour is seldom cancelled due to bad weather, as it never rains, but we have sand storms, should we have to cancel or postpone the tour we will offer you another time slot/date, or experience or a full refund.
- Please advise us of any special dietary requirements and allergies on booking
- Should you wish to see more shipwrecks along teh Skeleton coast please book the full day Skeleton Coast Shipwreck Tour
- This tour is not recommended for cruise liner guests as its very far to travel
- Please note German guides are limited and we do not have the capacity to give everyone a German guide, These will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Please note we can not guarantee a German guide on every tour!!
- please note all Cruise Liner passengers, your tour pick up time starts an hour after you have docked. The tour will depart latest an hour and a half after the pick up time. Late comers are considered a no show
- Please note this tour is not meant for cruise liner passengers as the distance you travel is very far and it is a very long drive. Please contact us before booking
Location
Wlotzkasbaken
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(12 Ratings)
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Stefanpj9352yr
Jan 23, 2026
Skeleton Coast - Seal Colony Tour - We had a wonderful time with our tour guide Stephan. He showed us some spectacular places and made the trip an unforgettable experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diana_h
May 25, 2025
Skeleton Coast, Seals, Desert &More - A full day of diverse scenery and experiences. Our knowledgeable guide Hannes was able to adjust our schedule and experience with our interests. An excellent tour combines the coast, desert, history and of course the very loud and smelly seals!
Review provided by Viator
Miguelc706
May 4, 2025
Great day trip on the Skeleton Coast! - This tour was amazing! We only had so much time in Swakopmund and wanted to see as many sights as possible. Our guide, Winton, was fantastic. Arrived promptly, helped us pick out our lunch, and we were off. He explained the shipwreck, the flora, and the seal colony, as well as the local history. When it was lunchtime, he set up a table right on the beach, which we also off-roaded - that was a fun addition. We highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ali921
Nov 12, 2024
Can't recommend them enough - Another superb day with this company. Great service and professional guides. Lots of information. Took us to all the places wished to visit. Happy to make stops as requested if we saw something that interested us. Great lunch (too much in actual fact) provided in a atmospheric spot. Can't recommend them enough
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauraantwerp
Nov 11, 2024
Cape Cross Seal Colony Tour - This guided tour in Namibia was a highlight of our trip! Booking was easy —our accommodation took care of everything. Our guide William was wonderful: friendly, knowledgeable, and a skilled driver who made us feel at ease from the start. We had a great time with him, learning so much about the fascinating nature and history of the area. Though we could have done the trip independently, the guide added immense value, offering insights we’d never have known on our own.
The seal colony was definitely worth a visit (even with the strong smell), and the small towns along the way were filled with character and history that brought the journey to life. The price was very fair for the quality of the experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dena
Mar 10, 2024
A lovely days outing - A great days outing with John van Wyk. Such a beautiful coast line. Just a word on the second shipwreck ... its not there anymore! The sea has done its own clean up job!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Szego_a
Feb 10, 2024
Amazing adventure! - Winton's tour was outstanding, he's knowledge is really vast and delivered the stories properly. Keep up the good work!
Review provided by Viator
Martinwarnette
May 26, 2024
Good experience - The Skeleton Coast is just that. Few and far between things through the desert. We saw 2 out of the 3 possible shipwrecks but that was only due the tide being high at the time. Great to see the old mining works and the Seal Colony is just humbling, you get up so close that I wouldn't have believed it, until I took this trip. Our guide was helpful and knowledgable about the area and was able o provide us with much information and valuable knowledge of Namibia as a whole when we asked questions. It is a long day and a lot of travelling but well worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laurentiu_n
Jan 15, 2024
Average experience - Besides the Cape Cross stop, the other itinerary check points were quite shallow. Friendly and knowledgeble guide.
Review provided by Viator
Inspire15709336470
Apr 30, 2024
Please do not recommend - I did a tour with this group back in March of 2024. Of all my time in Namibia, this was my worst experience. I am not exaggerating. There was so much driving and nothing to see. It was so bad that after the seals, we had the driver take us back. The vehicle was not the best. At one point, the doors would not open and the driver had to crawl through the trunk. As for shipwrecks, we seen one and then went to a piece of metal that could have been from anything. Save your money and do this on your own. Even the snacks were bad. I have the pictures to back up all that I wrote. The tour is misleading, the company that books is not the one that executes. Good luck in trying to get someone to take responsibility because all point fingers at the other.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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