World's most dangerous beach dubbed 'end of the Earth' with lions and skeletons

14 October 2023 , 06:35

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Skeleton Coast is one of the world's most dangerous beaches (Image: Shutterstock / Vladimir Lutsenko)

A beach which boasts breathtaking views from a distance has been compared to the "end of the Earth" due to skeletons scattered along the dunes, shipwreck disasters, seal colonies and "elusive desert lions."

Skeleton Coast, a 40 km wide and 500 km long coastal stretch in Namibia, has been dubbed one of the world's most dangerous beaches as the beasts hunt their prey amongst the tranquil sand. The beach is so much of a hazard, that a large part of it can only be accessed through "insane" sky safaris because it is believed to be too much of a risk for visitors.

Shipwrecks can be found from hundreds of years ago (Info Namibia travel services)

Hyenas, leopards and cheetahs have also dominated the desert landscape of north-western Namibia, which clashes with the harsh waves of the Atlantic Ocean, with 11 shark species lurking beneath the surface. The captivating animals feast on their marine time meals which include hundreds and thousands of Cape fur seals, reports CNN Travel.

The beach, which is also a national park, is split into two sections, with the first being the southern part which is freely accessible. South of the Skeleton Coast Park is the National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area which features an array of fish making it a huge attraction for anglers. However, the northern part cannot be reached unless you have a tour operator qualification, but the area is "arguably the most remote, adventurous and exciting safaris of their type in Africa at the moment,” says Greg Welby, founder of African Travel Resource.

The beautiful sea is popular with anglers (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

He added: “Days are filled with an endless stream of remarkable experiences, amazing landscapes, desert and coastal wildlife, historic shipwrecks and abandoned diamond mines, as well as visiting authentic Himba villages further inland. A truly life-punctuating adventure.” Authorities have also set up an invisible fence, known as a geofence, to track lions and separate them from humans, reports Hakai Magazine.

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The enchanting paradise consists of alluring animals of contrast such as elephants, flamingos and giraffes. Despite humans being few and far between for obvious reasons, some surfers are brave enough to enter the park in a bid to take on the monstrous waves. But locals warned the fierce waters aren't worth the risk. “You don’t want to swim out too far,” said one person. “The current will take you 200 kilometres out.”

The roadless dunes can be explored by authorised tour operators (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The mysterious dunes have captured skeletons of around 500 ships, with the remains scattered along the coastline, with the shipwrecks largely caused by the uncontrollable fog or the rough sea. Bones of beached wales can also be found, reports Info Nambia. Friede, who is a ranger at Skeleton Coast National Park, has photographed 112 wrecks. He explained: “Even if you survived the wreck you were probably doomed. You struggle ashore, overjoyed that you’ve been saved, and then realize that you landed in a desert and probably should have gone down with the ship.” The shipwrecks are said to belong to wooden Portuguese galleons that submerged a century ago, to modern steel-hulled vessels.

Monica Charsley