Port: Walvis Bay
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Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay is a port in Namibia and the bay on which it lies. The port of Walvis Bay exchanged hands numerous times, belonging to Britain, Germany, the Union of South Africa, and South-West Africa. In 1990, South-West Africa gained independence as Namibia, but Walvis Bay remained under South African sovereignty. It was not until 1994 that sovereignty over Walvis Bay was formally transferred to Namibia.
The following Shore Excursions are available for this port on this cruise, and may be reserved beginning 180 days before the cruise begins.
Dolphin and Seal Cruise
Tour Code: WAL-006
Duration: 4 hours
Price: Free
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The splendid natural beauty of Southern Africa's West Coast is yours to discover during this half-day dolphin and seal cruise on the Walvis Bay Lagoon.
Depart the pier for the brief drive along the coastal road to Swakopmund, and on to the jetty. Upon arrival, you will embark your open ski boat for a 2.5-hour cruise in the Walvis Bay Lagoon. As a RAMSAR Natural Heritage Site and one of the most important wetlands along Southern Africa's west coast, the Walvis Bay Lagoon is renowned for its native bird species, and a vast array of intra-African and Palaearctic migrants. The water here is usually very calm, and abounds with bird and marine life.
After cruising around the harbor area, you will proceed to Bird Island, a huge wooden sea platform built to provide coastal birds with a place to roost. From here, you will cut across the lagoon to the moored Russian trawlers. Here, inquisitive seals will swim up to the boat for something to eat. More adventurous guests will have an opportunity to feed fish to these playful creatures.
Next, you will continue on to Pelican Point, where you may find a large seal colony, and schools of heavyside and bottlenose dolphins swimming alongside the boat. This area also abounds with pelicans and cormorants, as well as the white-chinned petrels, Wilson's storm petrels, cape gannets and black oystercatcher. Sparkling wine, fresh oysters, a selection of open sandwiches and soft drinks will be served during the cruise.
After returning to the jetty, you will disembark your boat and re-board your coach for the return drive to the pier.
Please note: Guests are encouraged to wear a windbreaker or warm jacket for this tour, which involves approximately 3 hours of boating on open water, in weather that can be windy and cold. There is a drastic change between high and low tide, which makes it difficult to embark and/or disembark the boat. This tour is not recommended for guests with limited mobility, or those who utilize a wheelchair. Operation of this tour is entirely dependent upon prevailing weather conditions.
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Terms & Conditions:
Free Unlimited Shore Excursions are for full fare guests only, capacity controlled and subject to availability. Requested excursions may not be available at time of booking. Supplement will apply on Regent Choice excursions (indicated by the 
above) and excludes Private Arrangements and all Adventures Ashore programs. In order to ensure quality guides and sufficient transportation, we must provide the tour operator with passenger counts at least 36 hours in advance. Therefore no refunds will be given within 36 hours of tour departure for cancellations or no-shows. Please pay special attention to scheduling and tour lengths when booking your shore excursions. In many cases, it is not possible to participate in more than one tour per day in a given port. Tours operate rain or shine. Tours require minimum participation levels to operate so please sign up as early as possible. Tours may be cancelled if minimum participation levels are not met. Prices, Itineraries and General Information shore excursion prices are subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases or currency fluctuations. Please consult the Destination Services Desk onboard for information. During local or national holidays, access to certain facilities (such as museums or archaeological sites) may be limited or denied. In such instances, adjustments will be made to minimize inconvenience to guests. Some tours have limited availability. Tours are generally available for reserving 180 days prior to the beginning of a cruise. Please sign up early to avoid disappointment. Regent Seven Seas Cruises reserves the right to require guests to complete a liability waiver for select shore excursions. For more information, please visit the Destination Services Desk onboard.