The Land God Made in Anger

Namibie_Skeleton_Coast_02, originally uploaded by calips96.

Namibia's northern coast has been called many names. Portuguese sailors who happened upon the foggy, super arid shore called it the "Gates of Hell." The coastal area is extremely dry since winds come out of the East and not from the ocean. If that weren't enough the heavy surf makes it nearly impossible to launch a dinghy from the beach. Beached survivors faced an unforgiving march through one of the driest places on earth.

Those unlucky sailors soon learned why the native people of Namibia called this "The Land God Made in Anger." Now it is known as the Skeleton Coast after the bones left behind from hundreds of shipwrecks caused by this treacherous sea.

Ecologists study the area for two reasons: it's inhospitality to life, and the enormous seal colony that comes ashore at Cape Cross.