Marine Desert Adventure
The Ultimate Land & Sea Adventure - Experience the very best of Namibia’s wild beauty in a single, unforgettable day. Begin your morning with a leisurely sail on the South Atlantic in search of the Marine Big 5, then trade your sea legs for a thrilling 4x4 expedition. Conquer the majestic dunes of the Namib Desert to reach the breathtaking Sandwich Harbour, where the giant sands meet the sea in a spectacular display of nature's power.
Experience the ultimate Namibian odyssey. This full-day adventure combines our Marine Big 5 educational cruise with an iconic 4x4 expedition to Sandwich Harbour. From the deep blue of the Atlantic to the golden peaks of the Namib, discover why this is Africa’s most spectacular meeting of land and sea.
Morning: The Atlantic Safari
08:30 – Departure: Meet us at the Walvis Bay Waterfront for a warm check-in. We set sail by 09:00 with a steaming cup of coffee or tea in hand.
The Marine Big 5: We head into the bay in search of our maritime legends: Whales, Dolphins, the surreal Mola (Sunfish), Leatherback Turtles, and Seals.
Pelican Point: We glide past the nutrient-rich oyster farms toward the historic lighthouse, where a colony of 60,000 Cape Fur Seals creates a boisterous welcome.
Encounters at Sea: Watch for the acrobatic displays of Bottlenose, Heaviside, and Dusky dolphins. From July to November, witness the majestic breach of Humpback and Southern Right whales. Throughout the journey, friendly Pelicans and Kelp Gulls often join us on deck for a "hitchhiker's" view of the bay.
Midday Feast: As we weave through the harbor’s impressive fleet of ships and oil rigs, we serve our signature lunch: fresh Namibian oysters, chilled sparkling wine, savory snacks, and sweet treats.
Midday: The Transition
12:30 – From Sea to Sand: We return to the Waterfront, where your professional Sandwich Harbour 4x4 guide awaits. The transition is seamless—simply step off the boat and into your luxury 4x4 vehicle.
Afternoon: The Desert Frontier
Lagoons & Salt Pans: Our first stop is the Walvis Bay Lagoon, a protected RAMSAR site where thousands of Greater and Lesser Flamingos paint the water pink. We then traverse the massive salt pans, a 4,500-hectare landscape producing 700,000 tons of salt annually.
Adrenaline & Icons: Crossing the Kuiseb River Delta, we enter the dunes. Depending on the tide, we’ll race along the shoreline or navigate the high-dune "rollercoasters" for an exhilarating ride toward Sandwich Harbour.
The World’s Best View: We reach a lookout point atop the towering dunes, offering a breathtaking panorama where the massive Namib desert plunges directly into the Atlantic Ocean.
Photography & Wildlife: This is a photographer’s paradise. Capture the unique textures of the dunes before spotting desert-adapted wildlife, including Oryx, Springbok, Black-backed Jackals, and the elusive Brown Hyena. Keep an eye out for the "Little 5," such as the Palmato Gecko and Shovel-snouted Lizard.
Dune-Top Sundowners: We round off the afternoon with more world-class oysters and sparkling wine, served in a secluded spot among the dunes or on the beach, depending on the day’s weather.
16:30 – The Journey’s End
We return you to Walvis Bay with a camera full of memories and a heart full of adventure.
Gallery
Itinerary
Walvis Bay, Waterfront
The day starts with a marine educational cruise on one of our luxury catamarans at 09h00 in search of the marine big 5: Whales, Dolphins, Mola, Leatherback turtle and seals.
Pelican Point
hile serving hot coffee and tea, our initial route takes us past oyster farms as we approach Pelican Point with its landmark lighthouse and 50,000 resident cape fur seals.
In season (July to November), larger mammals such as the Southern Right Whale and Humpback Whales are often spotted, while other whale species, such as the Gray whale and the Pygmy Right whale have made appearances.
Bottlenose, heaviside and dusky dolphins are regularly seen, as are Mola Molas and Leatherback Turtles. Accompanying our three catamarans throughout are a variety of seabirds, such as the Kelp Gull, Hartlaubǯs Gull, Pelicans, Skua and Cape Cormorant.
Pelican Point - Waterfront, Walvis Bay
Our journey from Pelican Point takes us past some of the more interesting ships in the bay as we serve fresh oysters with sparkling whine, savoury snacks and desserts together with light drinks, cooldrinks and water.
We return to the waterfront at 12h30, where your Sandwich Harbour 4x4 guide will meet you with one of our all-wheel drive vehicles.
Kuiseb River Delta via the Walvis Bay Saltpans
On the way to the Sandwich Harbour Area, we stop at the Lagoon to view the flamingoes, before we head towards the Kuiseb River Delta via the Walvis Bay Saltpans.
Depending on the tides and the swell, we will try to reach the Sandwich Harbour Lagoon along the beach, one of Southern Africa's richest and unique wetlands.
Alternatively, we will take an exciting dune ride to our lookout dune to get an aerial view of the Sandwich Harbour Lagoon. We have lots of time to stop along the way for photography.
Light meal overlooking the Atlantic Ocean
We stop along the way to enjoy our world famous oysters, sparkling wine, drinks and coldrinks.
Depending on the weather condition, we do this on top of a high dune overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, on the beach, or among the dunes.
Back to Catamaran Charters HQ
The route homewards will take us past the area's typical fauna and flora, including the endemic Nara plant.
Animals which have developed ways to adapt to the desert include the black-backed jackal, fog-basking beetle, dancing spider (white lady of the Namib), golden mole, shovel-snouted lizard, palmato gecko, springbok, oryx, brown hyaena and ostrich. We return to Walvis Bay at 17h00.
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