Walvis Bay, Namibia

Walvis Bay is a coastal city in central western Namibia, on the bay of the same name. It covers 29 sq km (11 sq mi) and has a population of 85,000 people (2011 estimate). The city has a natural deepwater harbor that is ideal for sea-going vessels. A sand spit protects the harbor from the elements.

Walvis Bay was first reached by Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão in 1485. In his wake came Bartolomeu Dias. The Portuguese did not stake a claim on the area, and left it to the British to claim it in 1878, to forestall similar claim by the Germans. Walvis Bay became part of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

During World War I, Walvis Bay was occupied by Germans until 1915, and it came under the administration of South-West Africa in 1922. When South-West Africa gained independence as Namibia in 1990, Walvis Bay remained under the rule of South Africa until 1994.

Walvis Bay experiences an arid climate. Coldest months are July and August, when the average low temperature drops to 10°C (50°F). Warmest months are January to March, when the average high temperature rises to 22°C (72°F). The area receives just 13 mm (0.51 in) of rainfall annually.

In the past decade Walvis Bay has been developing itself as an upcoming tourist destination. Among its attractions include its sand dunes, salt works and bird life. There is a man-made Bird Island, a platform off the coast that serves as a breeding ground for birds, particularly the Cape Cormorants.

Walvis Bay, Namibia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Walvis_Bay_aerial.jpg
Brian McMorrow

Visiting Walvis Bay

You can drive from Windhoek to Walvis Bay, a journey that takes about 5 hours. There are also flights to Walvis Bay Airport from Windhoek as well as from Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Places of Interest in Walvis Bay

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

About this website

Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.