Skeleton Coast. Africa's Last Wilderness, by Thorsten Milse
The foreword to the book of Thorsten Milse, Africa's Last Wilderness, is written by Rod Braby, former Park Manager of the Skeleton Coast Park Coordinator, NACOMA Project.
I worked as a park ranger along the Namibian coastline for over 20 years, and I regard it as a special honour, and of the utmost importance, to contribute the foreword to this truly exceptional book. I hope that these photographs will enable those indigenous to the region, as well as visitors to Namibia, to realise the true value of the Namib Desert. Hopefully, it will not only shake up the Namibians themselves, but also draw global attention to Africa's rugged paradise - the Skeleton Coast. Generally speaking, the Skeleton Coast refers to the stretch of coastal land, approximately 600 kilometres in length, that extends from Cape Cross to the mouth of the Kunene River. It forms the northwestern section of the proposed Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park. To the east of this proposed park lies the Etosha National Park, and in the south and north it adjoins national park areas in both South Africa and Angola: the Richtersveld National Park and Parque Nacional do lona, respectively. This vast area represents the largest contiguous, transfrontier nature-conservation area in Africa, and the sixth largest worldwide. Another distinctive feature is that Namibia is the only country in the world whose entire coastline - with the exception of its coastal settlements - is protected. Before Western civilisation reached this coast, it was populated by nomadic peoples who lived off seafood, stranded sea mammals and fresh water from the mouths of rivers that supply water intermittently. These nomads followed the transient courses of rivers and dared to venture inland in search of a more diversified food supply and to escape the raw coastal winds.
In colonial times, the Skeleton Coast was shielded from development by natural elements such as the tempestuous sea, fog, sandstorms and its lack of harbours. For many merchant sailors, early whalers, diamond-hunters and miners in search of riches, this section of the coast spelt doom, and they all left traces of their presence.The Namibian government has since taken the courageous step of prohibiting the mining of raw materials in this unique wilderness. Only isolated activity is permitted, subject to the most stringent requirements and in line with the objectives underlying the conservation of this wilderness.
The Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis famously rejected an investment opportunity when invited here by a diamond-mining consortium in 1966. His reason was that the Skeleton Coast encompassed a 'magnificent solitude' and should be left untouched. Fortunately, the unique wilderness, the flora and fauna that have adapted to the desert, and the landforms and structures have all remained intact. Thorsten Milse's outstanding talent and singular expertise have enabled him to capture the essence of this special part of our earth. Not many people have succeeded in doing this. Through this book, we hope to awaken an awareness that this last wilderness belongs to us all and must not be destroyed by our greed.
Introduction
Namibia - an empty space... of nothing. The inhabitants of this region of southern Africa would have been hard pressed to come up with a more suitable name for the landscape. The forbidding Skeleton Coast, Africa's last wilderness, and the arid Namib Desert, one of the world's oldest deserts, and for which the country was named, extend from north to south as a long belt of sand dunes.This wide coastal stretch of sand and the wild, icy breakers of the Atlantic Ocean are hostile to life. Over the centuries, the dense fog, ferocious storms and extreme conditions of the South Atlantic have left many ships stranded along the Skeleton Coast, making it the world's largest ship graveyard.
Those who encountered the coast from the sea were confronted with the massive, inhospitable dunes of the Namib. Castaways who survived the waves and made it to dry land had little chance of navigating their way safely through this wasteland: the unforgiving sun and the lack of drinking water spelt doom for many of them. In contrast, the fauna and flora of the region have adapted perfectly to these extreme conditions.The cold Benguela Current, originating in the Antarctic, transports sustenance to the coast. When the cold fingers of its air currents reach the hot Namib, they form life-giving fog.
The animals that live here benefit from this moisture: the desert giraffes, gemsbok (oryx), Namib sand geckos and small Namib tenebrionid beetles are just a few examples of creatures that have ensured their survival here as part of a highly complex food chain. Along the coast, there are colonies of Cape fur seals of more than 100 000 individuals, and a large population of flamingos lands here regularly in search of food. Namibia is like a diamond in the rough - it is only on closer inspection that its purity and multifaceted beauty are revealed. Many visitors who have experienced this landscape have become obsessed by it, determined to see more of it and comprehend its allure.Those who have gazed up into the most magnificent starry sky on earth are reluctant to do without this glittering spectacle again. Others have come under the spell of its wild and romantic coast, with its ever-changing palette of colours keeping a firm grip on the imagination.
This is the world of the legendary desert elephant, whose very existence once appeared to be consigned to legend. Scientists long doubted their existence, being unable to imagine how large mammals could survive in a region where water is so scarce. However, by digging for water these elephants have adapted to this inhospitable world. Similarly, the desert lion - also once thought to have vanished - has adapted to the harsh desert conditions by obtaining its fluids from the blood of its prey. This book will take you on a journey through the different landscapes and habitatsofthisfascinating region,starting atthecoast,then moving to the dry rivers and finally exploring the fascinating natural world of the dunes. Africa's last wilderness is full of surprises, with unusual perspectives, changing moods and untouched landscapes. It conceals secrets just waiting to be discovered.
This is an excerpt of the book: Skeleton Coast. Africa's Last Wilderness, by Thorsten Milse.
Title: Skeleton Coast - Africa's Last Wilderness
Author: Thorsten Milse
Publisher: Randomhouse Struik
Imprint: Struik Travel and Heritage
Cape Town, South Africa 2011
ISBN 9781770079465
Hardcover, 30x24 cm, 176 pages, throughout colour photos
Milse, Thorsten im Namibiana-Buchangebot
Afrikas letzte Wildnis: Namibias Skelettküste
Die berüchtigte Skelettküste Namibias gilt als eine der letzten Wildnisse Afrikas.
Skeleton Coast. Africa's last wilderness
The Skeleton Coast is one of the earth's most forbidding places and Skeleton Coast - Africa's last wilderness, a scorched wilderness of sand dunes, gravel plains and dry riverbeds.
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