They Call This Beautiful Coast ‘The Gates Of Hell...’

Skeleton Coast is a stretch of African shore that has become the graveyard of many ill-fated explorers. The coast is littered with rusted shipwrecks and animal bones. Portuguese sailors call it “The Gates Of Hell.”

Take a closer look.

ViralNova

Cocciag

Arebbusch

Skeleton Coast stretches from Namibia to Angola.

Educated Earth

The coast itself is a breathtaking landscape blanketed by a vast area of rolling sand dunes.

Tatyana Kildisheva

Over a thousand rusting ship hulls are littered all over the infamous coast. It's most notable residents include the Eduard Bohlen, Dunedin Star, Otavi and Tong Taw.

Marilee Potthoff

Tatyana Kildisheva

Shipwreck of the Eduard Bohlen. On September 5, 1909, the ship ran aground off Skeleton Coast due to thick fog.

Michael Poliza and Paul Merrill

Tom Brouns

Whale and seal bones from the former whaling industry are strewn all over the coast.

Tom Brouns

Tom Brouns

Only 800 people evert year are allowed to visit the place. The best way to get there is by joining a rather exclusive and expensive fly-in safari. A typical four-day trip costs around $6,000 per head.

Maurits Vermeulen