Walvis Bay (; ) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The city covers an area of of land. The bay is a haven for sea vessels due to its harbour, protected by the Pelican Point sand spit, which is the only natural deep-water harbour along the country's coast. Being rich in plankton and marine life, these waters also draw large numbers of southern right whales,Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis, The Namibian Dolphin Project attracting whalers and fishing vessels.
A succession of colonists developed the location and resources of this strategic harbour settlement. The harbour's value about the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope had caught the attention of world powers since it was discovered by the outside world in 1485. The importance of the harbour, combined with its extreme isolation by land, explains the complicated political history of the town. For much of its history, Walvis Bay was governed as an exclave separate from the rest of the territory that today is Namibia.
The town is situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn in the Kuiseb River delta and lies at the end of the TransNamib Railway to Windhoek, and on B2 road.
Walvis Bay, with its large bay and dunes, is an important centre of tourism activity in Namibia. Attractions include the artificial Bird Island, centre of a guano collection industry, the Dune 7 dune, the salt works, the abundant birdlife, and a museum. Kuisebmund Stadium, home to two clubs in the Namibia Premier League, is also located in the city. The beach resort of Langstrand lies just a few kilometres north. The Walvis Bay Export Processing Zone is an important facet of the local economy.
Etymology The Dutch referred to it as and the English as Whale Bay. In its eventual formal incorporation, it was named Walfish Bay, which was changed to Walvish Bay, and ultimately to Walvis Bay. It has also been referred to as Walwich BayNarrative of a voyage to the South Seas Charles Medyett Goodridge, Hamilton and Adams, 1832, page 16 or Walwisch Bay.The World of Waters or A Peaceful Progress o'er the Unpathed Sea, Fanny Osborne, R. Carter, 1852, page 337 The Herero people of the area called it .
History
Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão reached Cape Cross, north of the bay, in 1485.Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415–1580, Diffie Bailey University of Minnesota Press, 1977, page 156 There followed Bartolomeu Dias, who anchored his flagship São Cristóvão in what is now Walvis Bay on 8 December 1487, on his expedition to discover a sea route to the East via the Cape of Good Hope.Historical Dictionary of European Imperialism, James Stuart Olson, Robert Shadle, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1991, page 170 He named the bay "O Golfo de Santa Maria da Conceição".Às portas da Índia em 1484, Abel Fontoura Costa, Imprensa da Armada, 1935, page 31 However, the Portuguese did not formally stake a claim to Walvis Bay.
Walvis Bay was founded at the end of the 18th century as a stopover for sea travel between Cape Town and the Netherlands by the Dutch East India Company. No permanent (year-round) settlement was attempted and little commercial development occurred on the site until the late 19th century. In the meantime, the Cape Colony had become British, and during the Scramble for Africa, the British claimed Walvis Bay. They permitted the Cape Colony to complete the annexation of the territory in 1884, together with the Penguin Islands, following initial steps that had been taken in 1878.Britannica, Walvis Bay, britannica.com, USA, accessed on 7 July 2019Succession of States and Namibian territories, Y. Makonnen in Recueil Des Cours, 1986: Collected Courses of the Hague Academy of International Law, Academie de Droit International de la Haye, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1987, page 213 The land surrounding the territory was annexed by the German Empire as German South West Africa.
In 1910, Walvis Bay, as an exclave of the Cape Colony, became part of the newly formed Union of South Africa.Debates of Parliament, Hansard, Volume 9, Issues 19–21, Government Printer, 1993, page 10179 A boundary dispute with Germany was settled in 1911, with Walvis Bay having a confirmed area of .Walvis Bay: exclave no more, Ieuan Griffiths, Geography, Vol. 79, No. 4 (October 1994), page 354
The exclave was overrun by the Germans during the South West Africa Campaign early in the First World War, but the Union Defence Force (UDF) of South Africa eventually ousted the Germans in 1915. Subsequently, Walvis Bay was quickly integrated into the new martial law regime in South West Africa.Biennial Conference: Papers nos. 33–59, African Studies Association of the UK, 1996, page 5
South Africa was later awarded control (a Class "C" mandate) over South West Africa by the League of Nations to administer the territory.The Namibian War of Independence, 1966-1989: Diplomatic, Economic and Military Campaigns, Richard Dale McFarland, 2014, page 67 Civilian rule was restored in South West Africa in 1921 and the administration of Walvis Bay was transferred to South West Africa under the South West Africa Affairs Act of 1922.Strategic territory and territorial strategy: the geopolitics of Walvis Bay's reintegration into Namibia, David Simon, Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit, 1995, page 8
Despite the territory never having been part of German South West Africa, the Act stated that: "the port and settlement of Walvis Bay, which forms part of the Cape of Good Hope, shall for judicial and administrative purposes be regarded as if it were part of the mandated territory of South West Africa". However, South Africa had also sought to annex South West Africa itself and had presented such a proposal to the League of Nations. Consequently, in 1949, the Act was amended to give representation in the Parliament of South Africa to whites in South West Africa.Official Documents of the 4th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations, 1949, page 11
On 14 December 1971, the Namibian general contract workers strike began in Walvis Bay, after starting the day before in Windhoek. The goal of the strike was the abolition of the contract labour system, to oppose apartheid, and promote Namibia's independence.
In 1977, following increasing international pressure to relinquish its control over South West Africa, South Africa repealed the Act, but transferred control of Walvis Bay back to the Cape Province, thereby making it an exclave.The Green and the dry wood: The Roman Catholic Church (Vicariate of Windhoek) and the Namibian socio-political situation, 1971-1981, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, 1983, page 6 From 1980, it was represented in both the Provincial Council and the House of Assembly as part of the Green Point constituency in Cape Town, before becoming a separate constituency in 1982.Sub-Saharan Africa Report, Issues 2578-2584, Foreign Broadcast Information Service., 1982, page 48
In response, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 432 (1978), which declared that "the territorial integrity and unity of Namibia must be assured through the reintegration of Walvis Bay within its territory".
In 1990, South West Africa gained independence as Namibia, but Walvis Bay remained under South African sovereignty, with South Africa increasing the number of troops.Namibia Nears Freedom, But S. Africa Tugs On Its Lifeline, David Zucchino, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 January 1990 However, in 1992, the two countries agreed to establish a transitional Joint Administrative Authority for Walvis Bay and the Offshore Islands.Namibia Yearbook, Issue 3, pages 18 The Authority was headed by two Chief Executive Officers, Nangolo Mbumba, then Secretary to the Namibian Cabinet, and Carl von Hirschberg, former South African Ambassador to the United Nations.Country Report: Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho, Economist Intelligence Unit, 1992, page 13
In August 1993, prior to the end of apartheid, the Multiparty Negotiating Forum in South Africa passed a resolution calling for "the incorporation-reintegration of Walvis Bay and the Off-Shore Islands into Namibia."Pretoria to quit Walvis Bay: Multi-party body's policy breakthrough, The Independent, 17 August 1993 The Transfer of Walvis Bay to Namibia Act was passed by the Parliament of South Africa that year.No. 203 of 1993: Transfer of Walvis Bay to Namibia Act, 1993. Following the signing of a treaty between the two countries, South Africa formally transferred sovereignty of Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands to Namibia on 1 March 1994.
Geography
Suburbs Due to its South African administration, Walvis Bay was developed as a segregated town. The suburb of Kuisebmond, located 3.2 kilometres (1.8 mi) northeast of Walvis Bay city centre, housed Black people; Narraville, located 3.3 kilometres (2 mi) east northeast of Walvis Bay city centre, was inhabited by Coloureds; and Whites lived in the city centre.
After the incorporation of the town into Namibia, many people have settled in shacks around it. In an effort to reduce the impact of the informal settlements, the municipality formed the Tutaleni Housing Project to the northeast.
Climate Despite its location within the tropics, Walvis Bay features the very rare mild variation of the cold desert climate (BWk) according to the Köppen climate classification. It is caused by the rain shadow of the Naukluft Mountains and the cooling effect of the coastal sea temperature by the Benguela Current. Walvis Bay receives only average precipitation per year, making it one of the driest cities on Earth. Despite its dry climate, the city is relatively humid. Average relative humidity throughout the year remains above 80%. The warmest month is February with an average temperature , while the coolest months are August and September with average temperature . The diurnal temperature range is also low, averaging only .
A weather station operated on the Pelican Point headland from 1958 to 1984. Unusually, the highest temperatures are not recorded during the summer; autumn, spring, and even winter have all seen higher temperatures than the hottest days in summer. These record highs occur when offshore winds blow downwards from the high plateau inland and are nonetheless mild by comparison to many other cities in the tropics at the same latitude. Higher temperatures have been recorded, even just slightly inland, such as a report of at the airport on 15 April 2016.
Demographics As of the 2023 census, Walvis Bay has a population of 102,704, with significant growth from 62,096 in 2011 and 43,611 in 2001. This expansion is largely attributed to internal migration, particularly from Namibia's northern regions, driven by employment opportunities in the port and fishing industries.
The city is characterized by its diverse population, encompassing various ethnic groups such as the Aakwanyama, Aandonga, Ovaherero, Damara, Nama, and others. Languages commonly spoken include English, Afrikaans, German, Oshiwambo, and Damara.
Walvis Bay's urban landscape includes suburbs like Kuisebmond, historically designated for Black residents during apartheid, and Narraville, which was inhabited by Coloureds. Post-independence, the city has experienced rapid urbanization, leading to the development of informal settlements. To address housing challenges, the municipality initiated the Tutaleni Housing Project, providing affordable housing with basic amenities.
Economy
Tourism
Tourism has had an increasing influence in the town's economy, with international tourists arriving at its airport and port facilities. Several cruise liners visit the port each year. With many tourism activities hosted by small and large tour operators the town has turned into a tourism destination.
Fishing