Most shipwrecks in a desert

The Namib Desert, located in western Namibia, abuts the Atlantic Ocean for almost 1,600 km (1,000 mi) in a region that has come to be called the "Skeleton Coast". The reason for this ominous name is that it is one of the most treacherous stretches of coastline in the world, plagued by fog, strong currents and heavy surf; it has been the final resting place of many whales (whose bones are found scattered on the shore) but it is also a graveyard for unfortunate ships. There are at least 137 known shipwrecks on the Skeleton Coast, 40 of which are more than 100 years old. Some speculate that several hundred vessels (not all identified) have met their fate here.

Many of the wrecks now lie a significant distance inland because of the ever-shifting desert sands, particularly near the coast. One of the Namib's wrecks, the Eduard Bohlen, which ran aground in September 1909, is now more than 400 m (1,300) from the sea, surrounded by desert.