Pelican Point Lighthouse | Walvis Bay

The Pelican Point Lighthouse is a historical maritime beacon situated at the northern tip of the Pelican Point sand spit in Walvis Bay, Namibia. It serves as a navigational aid for vessels entering the Port of Walvis Bay from the Atlantic Ocean.

Visual Characteristics

The lighthouse is a 35-meter-tall cast-iron tower featuring a distinct black and white horizontal striped paint scheme. It is capped with a red lantern house and a gallery rail. The surrounding terrain consists of flat, shifting marine sand and salt-encrusted gravel plains, with the tower standing as the only significant vertical landmark on the peninsula.

Location & Access Logistics

The tower is located approximately 35km from Walvis Bay via the sand tracks through the Walvis Bay Salt Works. Access is strictly limited to high-clearance 4x4 vehicles due to deep, unpaved sand. There is no public transportation. Visitors may also view the landmark from commercial catamarans or kayaks departing from the Walvis Bay Waterfront.

Historical & Ecological Origin

The current structure was erected in 1932, replacing a smaller light installed in 1915. It was automated in later decades. The structure sits on a peninsula formed by longshore drift. The immediate vicinity is an ecological hotspot, hosting a colony of over 50,000 Cape fur seals and serving as a roosting site for various terns and cormorants.

Key Highlights & Activities

Exterior photography is the primary activity for day visitors, as the tower itself is part of a private lodge and generally closed to the public for climbing. Kayaking in the adjacent shallow waters allows for viewing the lighthouse from the lagoon. Wildlife observation of the surrounding seal colony and black-backed jackals is common.

Infrastructure & Amenities

The lighthouse station has been converted into a luxury boutique hotel. Public infrastructure is non-existent; there are no public restrooms, shade structures, or food vendors for independent travelers. Visitors must be self-sufficient with water and fuel. 4G cellular signal is functional through line-of-sight to the mainland.

Best Time to Visit

The site is most accessible during low tide, which provides firmer sand for 4x4 transit. Photography is optimal in the late afternoon when the sun illuminates the western face of the tower. Morning visits are frequently obscured by dense advection fog, which is characteristic of the Skeleton Coast.

Facts & Legends

The lighthouse was originally manually operated, and the keepers lived in isolation on the spit, receiving supplies only by boat. A local historical oddity is the presence of the "Donkey Boiler," an old steam engine once used to distill freshwater from seawater for the lighthouse keepers before a pipeline was established.

Nearby Landmarks

Pelican Point Seal Colony – 0.2km West

Walvis Bay Lagoon – 10km East (across water)

Walvis Bay Salt Works – 15km Southeast

Paaltjies Beach – 18km Southeast