- A Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão landed at the headland in 1486 and erected a stone cross (padrão) to mark the landing. A replica stands there today and Cape Cross is recognised as a heritage site.
- During the late 1800s Cape Cross became a site for guano collection — dried droppings from fish‑eating seabirds used as fertilizer, exported to Europe in big quantities. Seal skins and seal harvesting were also part of the early exploitation.
- A small settlement grew around that industry: around 100 workers lived there, with a police station, customs office, post office and even a small railway built across the salt pan to transport guano and seal products to the harbour.
- Conditions were harsh; many workers died. The guano and seal‑harvest operations ended when resources depleted.
- In 1968 the area was officially proclaimed as a reserve — the Cape Cross Seal Reserve — to protect the seal colony and coastal ecosystem.
- Cape Cross is on the central‑north part of Namibia’s Atlantic coast. It lies about 120 km north of Swakopmund and roughly 60 km north of Henties Bay.
- The reserve covers around 60 km². Landscapes include a rocky bay, sandy beaches, a salt pan, and arid desert scrub that borders the coast.
- The coastline is shaped by the cold Benguela Current; that brings sea‑fog, cool air and supports a mix of marine and desert‑coast conditions.
- The seal breeding season — November to December — is when the colony is at its peak. As many as 210,000 seals may be present then.
- Outside breeding season, you’ll still see seals, though less crowded. Some sources say July to November gives a mix of moderate weather and good seal activity.
- Morning visits help: light is softer, the coastal wind cooler, and seal activity often high. Be ready for strong wind and colder sea‑air even when days seem mild.
- Walk the wooden walkway along the seal colony. It keeps a safe distance, protects pups, and gives good views of seals basking, fighting, caring for pups, or entering the sea.
- Visit the historic landmark: see the replica of the cross erected by Diogo Cão. Reflect a bit on Namibia’s coastline history.
- Check out the coastal and salt‑pan landscape. The raw mix of ocean, desert and salt flats makes for moody scenery — good for photographers, or anyone who feels drawn to solitude and rugged beauty.
- Bird‑watch from the reserve — the coast attracts seabirds, shorebirds and species adapted to desert‑coast life. Keep eyes open for terns, oystercatchers, gulls and other coastal birds.
- Camping or staying at nearby lodge. For people doing a road‑trip or coastal circuit, Cape Cross can be a stopover between Swakopmund, Henties Bay and the Skeleton Coast further north.
- The reserve is home to the largest breeding colony of Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus). During peak season the population can reach 210,000.
- On land you might also spot predators like Black-backed jackal and Brown hyaena — the seal‑colony draws attention from scavengers.
- The coastal and desert‑fringe vegetation is sparse. You’ll find hardy shrubs like dollar bush (Zygophyllum stapfii) and pencil bush (Arthraerua leubnitziae), and various lichens on gravel plains and salt pan edges.
- Birdlife is good — coastal and marine‑shore species, adapted to ocean and desert mix: sea gulls, terns, shorebirds, sometimes migratory birds.
Eco-friendly campsites, reliable 4x4s, 24/7 support
Budget-friendly Self-drive Camping Tours
