Walvis Bay

• Rhenish Mission Church

  Made of timber shipped out from Germany and put up in 1880. It served as a mission church until the start of the 1960s, when the congregation moved to a new building in Kuisebmond, and the Lions Club saved it from demolition. It has been a national monument since 1972.

  Wikipedia (German): Rheinische Missionskirche (Walvis Bay)
• Hope Locomotive

  A national monument. The engine was landed in the harbour in 1899 and worked there before failed attempts to run it on the narrow-gauge line to Plum.

  Municipality of Walvis Bay: tourism activities
• Walvis Bay Museum

  The municipal museum in the civic centre covers the town's history, Namib archaeology, maritime history and the natural history of the coast, from gemstones to marine fossils.

  Museums Association of Namibia: Walvis Bay Museum
• Pelican Point Lighthouse

  A 34 m cast-iron tower painted in black and white bands, opened by the South African government in 1932 on the Pelican Point sand spit that shelters the harbour. Boat trips pass it on the way to the seals.

  Wikipedia: Pelican Point Lighthouse
• Nathaniel Maxuilili Monument

  It honours Nathaniel Maxuilili (1927 to 1999), a SWAPO veteran of the independence struggle who later served as a deputy minister. He was killed in Walvis Bay in June 1999 when the ambulance taking him to hospital was hit head-on by another vehicle.

  Wikipedia: Nathaniel Maxuilili
• Kuiseb delta

  South of town, wind uncovers traces of the past in the silt: 18th century elephant tracks and the ox-wagon ruts of the Bay road of 1844, the trade route between Walvis Bay and Windhoek.

  Municipality of Walvis Bay: tourism activities

• Bird Island, the wooden platform off the road to Swakopmund, was put up by Adolf Winter to catch the guano of the coast's seabirds. The first platform, finished in 1930, was four metres square; it now covers 17,000 m², and its guano is still collected and sold as fertiliser. source
• The salt works south of town make about a million tonnes of salt a year, simply by letting the sun evaporate sea water. source
• The wetland holds about 60% of the world's chestnut-banded plovers, and 80 to 90% of southern Africa's flamingos winter here or at Sandwich Harbour. source
• The Kuiseb River no longer reaches its own delta, because it was dammed off in 1962 to stop it flooding the town. source
• Walvis Bay's hottest days are not in summer. The record highs come in autumn, winter and spring, when hot winds blow down off the inland plateau, and the airport, just inland, once recorded 42.8°C on 15 April 2016. source
• Walvis Bay airport began as AFB Rooikop, a South African Air Force base, which closed in 1994, the year the town became Namibian. source

Checked 7 October 2026.

• very likelyGreater and lesser flamingosThe lagoon and the evaporation ponds of the salt works south of town, close to public areas. All year, in largest numbers in winter, when 80 to 90% of southern Africa's flamingos winter here or at Sandwich Harboursource
• very likelyGreat white pelicanAround the lagoon and the waterfront, and hungry pelicans often fly in to the cruise boatssource
• very likelyCape fur sealThe colony at Pelican Point, seen on boat and kayak trips; curious seals often come right up to the boatssource
• likelyHeaviside's dolphin (Benguela dolphin)In the bay on morning boat tripssource
• likelyBottlenose dolphinIn the bay on morning boat tripssource
• likelyChestnut-banded ploverMudflats of the lagoon and the salt pans; this wetland holds about 60% of the world populationsource
• likelyPalearctic waders (curlew sandpiper, little stint, bar-tailed godwit and others)Lagoon mudflats at low tide. Southern summer, when over 100,000 birds use the wetland, most of them migrantssource
• likelyCape cormorantBird Island, the guano platform off the road to Swakopmund, which is mainly their breeding groundsource
• possibleDamara ternAround the lagoon; it breeds in the areasource
• possibleOcean sunfish (mola mola)In the bay on boat tripssource
• possibleHumpback whaleIn and off the bay on boat trips. July to Novembersource
• possibleSouthern right whaleIn and off the bay on boat trips. July to Novembersource
• rareLeatherback turtleOccasionally seen from kayaks and boats in the baysource

Likelihood is for a normal visit of two or three days, from the sources linked. Nothing is guaranteed in the wild.

• Lagoon promenade3 KM · EASY

  An easy walk along the edge of the lagoon, the simplest way to see the flamingos and waders.

  Permit: None

  Municipality of Walvis Bay (tourism activities)

Malaria

Erongo is not among the regions where the CDC recommends malaria tablets; it says malaria is rare outside the listed northern and eastern regions, so insect bite precautions are enough here. Take advice if you go on to Kunene or the far north. source

Tides at Sandwich Harbour

The beach route to Sandwich Harbour narrows for a few kilometres where the dunes reach the sea and is impassable at high tide or in rough seas. An ordinary 4x4 is too heavy to cross the dunes beside it, so check tide times for the return too, or go with a guided tour. source

Driving in the dunes

Vehicles and quads may only go off road in the marked off-road area of the dune belt between Langstrand and Walvis Bay, with a free permit from the environment ministry office in Walvis Bay or Swakopmund. Quads are banned on the beaches between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. These rules date from 2011, so check with the ministry office. source

Gravel roads

Accidents are common on gravel roads. Drive slowly, carry two spare tyres and plenty of water, and avoid driving outside towns at night, when wildlife and livestock are on the road. Check what your hire car insurance covers, as most policies exclude accidents that involve no other vehicle or animal. source

Sun in the fog

Sunburn is a real risk on cool, foggy days on this coast, when you do not feel the sun. Wear sunscreen and a hat on the water and in the dunes. source

• The catamaran cruises leave the Walvis Bay waterfront at 09:00 and are back around 12:30. Oysters and sparkling wine are served on the way back. several sources
• Book a seal kayak trip if you want to be on the water at eye level with the seals; the trips paddle in the sheltered water of the bay while the seals swim round the kayaks. several sources
• Sandwich Harbour is inside Namib-Naukluft National Park, so you need a park permit, issued by the environment ministry office in Swakopmund. If you go on a tour, ask whether the operator includes it. several sources
• Fill up and stock up in Walvis Bay before heading south on the C14. Solitaire, at the C19 turn-off, has a petrol station and a general dealer. several sources
• Dune 7, in Dorob National Park, is run for the environment ministry by a private concessionaire, Sandwich Dune Tours and Safari. When it won the bid, the ministry said the company would charge for the activities there, though not for entry to its restaurant. one source
• Anglers need a fishing permit from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources office in town before casting a line. several sources

Checked 7 October 2026. Conditions change, so confirm with the park or venue before you go.