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The Lovely Annette
As we prepare to attend the Captain's PartyAfter a relaxing day at sea and a fun Captain’s Party last night, we arrived at Walvis Bay, Namibia at noon and were signed up for the Dolphin & Seal Cruise that left the pier about 12:45. We were bused a short distance to another pier where we met our tour boat.
Namibia is a former German protectorate but has been independent since 1990. Namibia is often called “The Land God Made in Anger”, because of its stark surreal landscapes, untamed wilderness and harsh environment. It has sand dunes that roar, rumble and wander, shipwrecks that litter the barren coastlines, some of the most desolate and spectacular scenery in the world, and many unique plants and animals.
Walvis Bay sits on the edge of this vast country. It is formerly a South African enclave, and still linked to it by the Trans-Kalahari Highway. It’s strategically important as the coasts only deep-water port and the center of Namibia’s thriving fishing industry.
It was discovered by the western world in 1487 when the Portuguese navigator, Bartholomeau Dias anchored here while searching for a sea route to the east. He named the bay Golfo da Conceicao. It was about three centuries
Great Company
As we enter the Constellation Theater, Annette has Michael, the General Manager on her right and Mario, the ship's Captain (who just replaced Captain Dag in Cape Town) on her left. later that groups of westerners exploited the area because of the cold water currents, when it became the haunt to American and other whalers. Whaling activities continued well into the early 1900s. The first European settlers came to live in the Walvis Bay by 1670.
In 1793 the Dutch flag was raised over the Bay, but not for long, as the British soon seized control over the area, primarily for safe passage of their ships. Great Britain annexed the harbor and settlement area in March 1878. In 1910 it was incorporated into the Union of South Africa.
However, Germany also established sovereignty over what was then known as German South West Africa and declared a dispute with Britain over the area’s boundaries, but settled it in 1911. As a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the area was placed under the administration of the South West African Administration in 1922. Although, Namibia became independent in March 1990, Walvis Bay was not reintegrated into Namibia until February 28, 1994.
After arriving at our boat launch, there was a flock of pelicans swimming past us in a row. We boarded a couple of power-boats and made our
Kevin and Susan
Our very capable and enjoyable Cruise Specialists hosts. way slowly into the Walvis Bay Lagoon. We had a fantastic captain and guide, who would also be our host for food and champagne on the boat. There was a strong scent of sulphur in the air and the water had a unique cloudy color. We found out from the captain that sulphur was erupting from under the sea bed. As we went along, a very aggressive harbor seal followed us in the wake of the boat…and actually boarded via an opening between the two outboard motors. This was Oscar, and he knew exactly how to play the game. He performed for us and allowed people to pet him. The captain fed the pelicans and seagulls as we proceeded across the bay toward Pelican Point and the lighthouse. We saw a big flock of flamingos in the distance and you could start to see the many thousands of seals that lined the coast. We encountered a small sunken ship and passed through a large oyster farm. The sulphur eruptions that occur intermittently have had a very devastating impact on their oyster industry as it takes the oxygen out of the water that the oysters need to grow.
We did
Suzanne and Annette
Relaxing before we join her for dinner at Signatures Restaurant. see several dolphins surface during the cruise, but not like we’ve seen at other locations. As we slowly made our way back to the pier, Oscar rejoined us on the boat for a few treats. After that we enjoyed our treats…including plenty of fresh oysters. They were good! It was another winning excursion, and we had a great time. When we got back to the pier, we bought a few things from a couple interesting local ladies. We had to buy something from them to be able to take their photo…it was unfortunately not in their natural state as they sold their goods.
After our return to the ship, we prepared for the evening event, as everyone on the ship was invited to attend “Dinner Under the Desert Stars”. We were bused a long way on very bumpy roads to Dune 7 where there was a tent camp set up. Unfortunately we all got there after dark so we couldn’t ride the camels or really appreciate the magnitude of the surrounding dunes. They had fire dancers and a local singing group that entertained us. We enjoyed a nice meal and got to ride back to the ship in an
Not Very Sea Worthy
An old boat as display at a restaurant near the pier where we board our seal and dolphin boat. all-terrain vehicle that was much less bumpy for our return. Once we got back to the ship we were met by a huge reception from the crew similar to Bangkok, capping off another long and fabulous day.
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