Flamingos, Hundreds & Hundreds of Flamingos

Day 76 of this tour brought us to Walvis Bay, Namibia on the southwestern coast of the African continent, a long way from Horseshoe Bay in more ways than geography. The city of Walvis Bay is named for the bay on which it sits, which means Whale Bay so named for the massive numbers of whales and other sea creatures discovered here in the 15th century. It is the second largest city in the country, which is the second least populated country in Africa. English is the national language. Unfortunately the whales were almost harvested into extinction but are now beginning to make a come back. We saw no whales but we did see thousands of flamingos of both the greater and lesser species. How anyone dare call that magnificent fowl pictured above "lesser" is beyond me.

My excursion of choice for this port was a birding tour. Our guide, Rudy, was born in South Africa but moved to Namibia as an infant. One would be hard pressed to find anyone more proud of their country anywhere! Five of us were in Rudy's care for the fabulous four hour tour. Though advertised as a birding tour with the exception of the huge numbers of flamingos, there were almost as many other creatures as birds. I snapped photos as quickly as I could but I missed more awesome sights than I captured.

Rudy's vehicle this day was an old safari jeep-type with three rows of tiered seats requiring a step ladder and some contortions to board. Once on board, it was the perfect vehicle for this trip. Because we were spending the majority of our time traveling off road over many miles of large sand dunes, he had reduced the tire pressure. We traveled along perfectly maintained streets through a very affluent area with beach on one side and mansions on the other. NO liter, homelessness, graffiti, slums, or street vendors were to be seen. All day wherever we were was spotless! One thing was a bit of a struggle for me, being a former British colony, Rudy and everyone else drove on the wrong side of the road. Yikes! Once we got to the dunes, no worries, there were no roads or oncoming traffic. Before reaching the dunes a flock of some eight or so "lesser" flamingos flew across the highway just in front of us. It was then that I saw the brilliant coloring on the underside of their wings which are outlined by a wide stripe of jet black against the most beautiful shade of deep coral I have ever seen. All five passengers gasped simultaneously. It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight to behold.

Rudy explained the greater flamingos are white in color, larger than the lesser and eat mainly fish and such while the lesser are smaller in size and eat plants and algae. Their color is determined by the amount of acid contained in their diet. He also explained that their "dancing" while they are feeding is to stir up food attempting to hide in the sandy bottom. Whatever the reason, it is such fun to watch them dancing from one foot to the other. Sea salt is now the major export of Walvis Bay. The mining of which provides this wonderful habitat for all these wonderous creatures. Here mankind is helping wildlife and making money in the process. Win/win. We saw a small pink sea created by blue and green algae growing within, per Rudy. After trivia our team was discussing this pink sea and questioning how it came to be pink, so I told them what Rudy had explained to us. Some discussion ensued but ultimately Rudy's theory was dismissed as impossible. Hmm, considering how poorly our team is performing in trivia, I choose to believe Rudy.

At one stop, I saw three seals far out into the lagoon on a sandbar and others in our group were trying to get a picture of them, not having encountered any since Antarctica. Rudy told us not to worry about the seals, that we must proceed. What I didn't realize was that our next stop was to be a seal haven with hundreds of seals sunning on the shore while many hundreds more frolicked in the water. The large numbers of seals here is a problem due to their rapid reproduction and relative scarcity of food. Conservation efforts are being taken to control the numbers of seals and increase the whale population. Balance of nature, a tricky process. On our way to the lighthouse, we saw a couple of natural seal predators - jackals. One was enjoying a sunbath by the sea and could not have cared less about our presence.

Each time the lighthouse came into view, Rudy muttered an apology for its dilapidated state.

Everything else we had seen all day long was in pristine condition so I guess that's why he was so bothered by its appearance. Everything except our old vehicle that is for which he also seemed to be a little embarrassed. Plans are in place to give the lighthouse a face lift within the next year. For Rudy's sake, I hope it happens s0oner rather than later. As to our vehicle, it performed beautifully up until the last moment. When we pulled up to the pier at the end of our tour, Rudy opened his right side driver's door and it fell off. A perfectionist that Rudy and he delivered the perfect experience.

Just look at all these flamingos, and I saw only one in all the Galapagos Islands!

Those are flamingos feeding on the distant shore.

Seals smell!

Unknown species - at least to me. Rudy told us but alas I did not retain.

The seemingly dead vegetation in background is supposedly fit for human consumption in salads. I'll take their word for it.

We also saw sandpipers, terns. turnstones, a pelican, gulls, and much more. Another first to check off my list. Perhaps a tad more likely to go birding again than attend another voodoo ceremony or pet another crocodile. Life is an adventure. Let it continue.

Today Is Someday! Live!