In the morning, you are on a boat. The ocean is all around you. Seals swim up close. Flamingos stand in the shallow water of the bay. Pelicans dive for fish right next to you.
In the afternoon, you are on top of a 100-metre sand dune. The ocean is far below. The desert is behind you. The same water you were floating on a few hours ago now looks tiny from up here.
This is the Sandwich Harbour and boat cruise tour. Two places. One day.
The Boat Part of the Tour
The day starts on the water in Walvis Bay. You board a catamaran or a motorboat in the morning. The boat takes you into the bay and out along the lagoon.
Walvis Bay is one of the best places in Africa for water birds. Thousands of flamingos live here. They feed in the shallow parts of the bay. Up close, they are much bigger than most people expect. Their legs are long and thin. Their colour is bright pink in good light.
Cape fur seals swim right up to the boat. They are curious and playful. Some of them jump out of the water. Dolphins sometimes join the group along the outer bay. The whole boat ride takes about two to three hours.
The Sandwich Harbour Part of the Tour
After the boat, you get into a 4×4. Your guide drives you south to Sandwich Harbour. The drive takes about 45 minutes. You cross the tidal flats and enter the Namib-Naukluft National Park.
The dunes at Sandwich Harbour rise over 100 metres above the sea. Standing on top of them feels very different from being on the water. The same ocean looks completely different from here. Big. Flat. Far away.
You stop at dune viewpoints, walk on the sand, and watch the beautiful lagoon below. Flamingos are here too, at the edge of the water. The landscape is quiet and open.
Good to Know
This tour takes six to eight hours. Food and water are usually included. Book in advance.
The best time to go is May to October. This is when the weather is best and the wildlife is most active in both the bay and at Sandwich Harbour.
If you want to get even closer to the seals, the Sandwich Harbour and Seal Kayaking tour lets you paddle right among them.