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50-456: A boatsteerer was a position on a nineteenth-century whaleship . One of the most responsible members of the crew, a boatsteerer's duty was to pull the forward oar of a whaleboat until reaching within striking distance of a whale . He would then harpoon the whale with an iron while the boat-handler (mate) guided the boat. This Cetacean -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Whaler The term whaler

100-473: A head start to whaling in the Dutch Republic . In the late 18th and early 19th century, the owners of whalers frequently armed their vessels with cannons to enable the vessels to protect themselves against pirates, and in wartime, privateers . Weapons were also carried on vessels visiting Pacific islands for food, water, and wood in order to defend themselves from the sometimes hostile inhabitants. At

150-462: A long time and left the whale to thrash around in its death throes. These harpoons inject air into the carcass to keep the heavier rorqual whales hunted today from sinking. However, the harpoon-cannon is still criticized for its cruelty as not all whales are killed instantly; death can take from minutes to an hour. Japan is currently the only country that engages in whaling in the Antarctic, which

200-544: 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. The Dutch referred to it as Walvisch Baye and the English as Whale Bay . In its eventual formal incorporation, it was named Walfish Bay , which

250-623: A new party registered in 2018, 1,207 votes), the local Joint Walvis Bay Residents Association with 945 votes, and the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM, the new name of the DTA) with 658 votes. Walvis Bay is twinned with: Walvis Bay contains open spaces, scenic beauty and unique marine and plant life. It is well suited for the outdoor lifestyle, boasting sports such as sandboarding, kiting, surfing, swimming, angling, sailing, golf and other indoor and outdoor sport codes. There

300-963: 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. 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

350-735: A sea route to the East via the Cape of Good Hope . He named the bay "O Golfo de Santa Maria da Conceição". 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

400-671: A vital logistical hub. In addition to the importance of the port, development would strengthen trade corridors which consists of current road and rail networks. In an attempt to strengthen and enhance trade relations between other African countries, Namport (the Namibian Port Authority) in April 2019 signed a five-year MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Port Authority of Dakar, Senegal. Walvis Bay International Airport provides commercial flight services to

450-467: Is Walvis Bay Lagoon and Aquatic Activities, Kuiseb River Delta and the beach itself where people enjoy swimming and catching fish. The two-kilometre ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 -mile) sand spit allows the adjacent water to remain smooth in very strong winds, ideal for record attempting vessels like that by the Vestas Sailrocket . The ocean side of the sand spit has a world-famous surf spot known in

500-539: Is a safe haven for sea vessels because of its natural deep-water harbour, protected by the Pelican Point sand spit , being the only natural harbour of any size along the country's coast. Being rich in plankton and marine life , these waters also draw large numbers of southern right whales , attracting whalers and fishing vessels. A succession of colonists developed the location and resources of this strategic harbour settlement. The harbour's value in relation to

550-454: Is a tertiary education institution based in town. International University of Management (IUM), Welwitchia Health Training Center and Monitronics Success College both have branches in Walvis Bay. Walvis Bay is governed by a municipal council that has ten seats. The 2015 local authority election was won by the SWAPO party which gained eight seats (5,818 votes). One seat each was won by

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600-471: Is carried by truck. The Walvis Bay Corridor Group is gearing up to increase import/export-business opportunities in Namibia. The Namibian National Development Plan expects to complete the expansion programme of the Walvis Bay port by 2019. Because of the harbour's geographical positioning, authorities plan to gain a footprint in providing landlocked Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries with

650-473: Is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japan , still dedicates a single factory ship for the industry. The vessels used by aboriginal whaling communities are much smaller and are used for various purposes over the course of the year. The whale catcher was developed during the Steam-powered vesselage , and then driven by diesel engines throughout much of

700-421: Is no longer the primary commercial product of whaling. Whaling is now done for whale meat for the relatively small culinary market. (Norwegian whalers account for about 20% of whales caught and Japanese whalers for about 60%.) Harpoon cannons , fired from harpoon ships with displacement in the hundreds of tons, are now universally used for commercial whaling operations. These motorized ships are able to keep up with

750-714: Is now under the protection of the International Whaling Commission as the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary . The area formerly saw large scale commercial whaling operations by numerous countries before the moratorium. The three Japanese harpoon ships of the ICR serve a factory ship that processes the catch on board and preserves it on site in refrigerators, allowing the long endurance whaling missions. These whaling operations, which are claimed by Japan to be for research purposes, sell

800-652: 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 sand 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 sand dune, the salt works, the abundant birdlife, and

850-542: Is the Pequod from the novel Moby-Dick . Walvis Bay Walvis Bay (English: lit. Whale Bay ; Afrikaans : Walvisbaai ; German : Walfischbucht or Walfischbai ) 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 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi) of land. The bay

900-560: The Nisshin Maru of Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) is the only whaling factory ship in operation. As compared to whaling before and during the 19th century, which was executed with handheld harpoons thrown from oar-powered whaleboats (depicted most famously in Herman Melville's Moby Dick ) , whaling since the 1900s has been quite different. Whale oil , which fossil-fuel based alternatives has supplanted,

950-773: The Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA, 565 votes) and the United Democratic Front (UDF, 433 votes). The 2020 local authority election was won by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), an opposition party formed in August 2020. The IPC obtained 5,043 votes and gained four seats. SWAPO was the runner-up, obtaining 3,348 votes and gaining three seats. One seat each went to the Landless People's Movement (LPM,

1000-481: The Norwegian and later British Royal Navies requisitioned a number of whalers for use in a variety of functions such as minesweeping , search and rescue , and anti-submarine warfare . Ten Allied vessels categorized as whalers were lost in the war. Since the 1982 moratorium on commercial whaling, few countries still operate whalers, with Norway , Iceland , and Japan among those still operating them. Of those,

1050-585: The South West Africa Affairs Act of 1922 . 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

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1100-636: 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 13.2 millimetres (0.52 in) 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

1150-866: The Act, but transferred control of Walvis Bay back to the Cape Province , thereby making it an exclave . 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. 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

1200-510: The Germans in 1915. Subsequently, Walvis Bay was quickly integrated into the new martial law regime in South West Africa. South Africa was later awarded control (a Class "C" mandate ) over South West Africa by the League of Nations to administer the territory. Civilian rule was restored in South West Africa in 1921 and administration of Walvis Bay was transferred to South West Africa under

1250-778: The Namibian Cabinet, and Carl von Hirschberg, former South African Ambassador to the United Nations. 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." The Transfer of Walvis Bay to Namibia Act was passed by the Parliament of South Africa that year. Following

1300-635: The Namibian government in association with French Groupe PSA signed an investment agreement to initiate a joint-venture to assemble Opel and Peugeot vehicles in Walvis Bay. The N$ 190m-project has been earmarked to commence in 2018 with a forecasted annual target volume of 5000 units by 2020, a target carried by SACU countries' market demand. However, Peugeot threatened to close the plant over disputes with South Africa over import tariffs. Walvis Bay Salt produces approximately 1 million tons of salt per year through solar evaporation of sea water. Most of

1350-865: The airport on 15 April 2016. 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. In Walvis Bay there are a variety of fishing companies like Hangana Seafood, Caroline Fishing, Benguella Fishing Company, Cadilu Fishing, Etosha Fisheries, Kuiseb Fishing Enterprises, Blue Ocean Products, Benguella Sea Products, Consortium Fisheries, Talanam Fish Processor. These companies catch diverse types of fish, like snoek , horse mackerel , anchovy , white steenbras , kabeljou, kingklip , hake , catfish , tuna , and sardines . Hangana Seafood are processors and exporters of fish and fish products. As such,

1400-595: The capacity of the port to 750,000 containers per year from 350,000. The terminal also includes a dedicated cruise liner berth. Walvis Bay has a number of public (government-run), semi-public, and private schools. Among them are Duneside High School, Duinesig Primary School, International School of Walvis Bay, The Dolphin Schools, Alexanders Private School, Kuisebmond Secondary School, Walvis Bay Private School and others. A number of kindergartens cater to young children. The Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (NAMFI)

1450-502: The city's residents, as well as to neighbouring towns and villages. Airlink services flights between South Africa and Walvis Bay. In August 2019 a new container terminal was opened, built on a 40-acre platform reclaimed from the sea. The terminal was built by the state-owned China Harbour Engineering Company with funds from the Namibian government and the African Development Bank, costing N$ 4.2b. This increases

1500-585: The fishing enterprise accounts for a major part of Walvis Bay's economy. In May 2018, a spokesman for the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor), confirmed that a new N$ 530 million onshore processing plant would be operational by September 2018. After completion, the factory (which plans to employ 700 people of which 70% will be female), promises to be the largest pelagic processing plant in sub-Saharan Africa and will process about 80 000 tonnes of fish per annum. In March 2018,

1550-585: The international surf media as "Skeleton Bay." The city is home to Eleven Arrows F.C. and Blue Waters F.C. , football clubs that compete in the Namibia Premier Football League , and the Sparta Cricket Club Ground . Among the places of worship , they are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia ( Lutheran World Federation ), Evangelical Lutheran Church in

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1600-515: The meat from these operations on the market, allowed under the current moratorium to defer research costs. They are highly controversial, and are challenged by anti-whaling parties as being merely a disguise for commercial whaling. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has clashed with the Japanese whalers in the Antarctic in confrontations that have led to international media attention and diplomatic incidents. The most famous fictional whaling ship

1650-643: The newly formed Union of South Africa . Subsequently, a dispute arose with Germany over the exclave 's boundaries, which was eventually settled in 1911, with Walvis Bay being allocated an area of 1,124 square kilometres (434 sq mi). 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

1700-665: The opportunity arise. In July 1793 the British armed whaleship Liverpool , of 20 guns, captured the French whaleship Chardon . However, the French crew succeeded in retaking their vessel. Also that year, an armed British whaleship captured the French whaleship Hébé in Walvis Bay . During the War of 1812 , the U.S. Navy captured two British whaleships, Atlantic and Seringapatam , and used them as warships. During World War II ,

1750-699: The outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, British privateers captured several French whalers, among them Necker and Deux Amis , and Anne . Dutch privateers captured Port de Paix and Penn . At the time, many French whalers transferred to the American flag, the United States being neutral in the Anglo-French war. Some whaleships also carried letters of marque that authorized them to take enemy vessels should

1800-406: The port has increased from 30,000 containers a year to 370,000 containers in 2016. As of 2017 the port was being upgraded to increase its capacity to move 1 million containers a year by 2019. Bureaucratic and logistical problems at the city's competitor port at Durban , South Africa have diverted traffic to the port at Walvis Bay. Ninety-five percent of all cargo hauled overland through Walvis Bay

1850-532: 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. However, in 1992, the two countries agreed to establish a transitional Joint Administrative Authority for Walvis Bay and the Offshore Islands. The Authority was headed by two Chief Executive Officers, Nangolo Mbumba , then Secretary to

1900-483: The salt is for industrial use but the company also produces table salt under the "Cerebos" brand. Walvis Bay is an important logistical port for the southern African region, providing port facilities for the import and export of cargo for the rest of Namibia, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Botswana. Since the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) was established in 2000, cargo moving through

1950-410: 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

2000-563: The ship's stern , whale catchers were able to transfer their catch to factory ships operating in the open sea. Previous to that was the whaleship of the 16th to early 20th centuries, driven first by sail and then by steam. The most famous example is the fictional Pequod in Moby-Dick , based on the whaling industry in Nantucket and New Bedford . Whaleships carried multiple whaleboats , open rowing boats used to chase and harpoon

2050-506: 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. 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) from Walvis Bay city centre, housed Black people; Narraville , located 3.3 kilometres (2 mi) from Walvis Bay city centre,

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2100-637: 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 which had been taken in 1878. In 1910, Walvis Bay, as part of the Cape Colony , became part of

2150-411: The sleeker and fast-swimming rorquals such as the fin whale , that would have been impossible for the muscle-powered rowboats to chase, and allow whaling to be done more safely for the crews. The use of grenade-tipped harpoons has greatly improved the effectiveness of whaling, allowing whales to be killed often instantaneously as compared to the previous method in which whales bled to death, which took

2200-415: 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 42.8 °C (109.0 °F) at

2250-408: The twentieth century. It was designed with a harpoon gun mounted at its bow and was fast enough to chase and catch rorquals such as the fin whale . At first, whale catchers either brought the whales they killed to a whaling station , a settlement ashore where the carcasses could be processed, or to its factory ship anchored in a sheltered bay or inlet. With the later development of the slipway at

2300-445: The whale. The whaleship would keep watch from the crowsnest , so it could sail to the signal and lash the dead whale alongside. Then the work of flensing (butchering) began, to separate the whale into its valuable components. The blubber was rendered into whale oil using two or three try-pots set in a brick furnace called the tryworks . Spermaceti was especially valuable, and as sperm whaling voyages were several years long,

2350-497: The whaling ships were equipped for all eventualities. There have also been vessels which combined chasing and processing, such as the bottlenose whalers of the late 19th and early 20th century, and catcher/factory ships of the modern era. The crews of whaling vessels fought small skirmishes for the control of the Spitsbergen whale fishery between 1613 and 1638. The Dutch were the first Europeans to visit Svalbard, and this gave

2400-439: The year remains above 80%. The warmest month is February with average temperature 17.9 °C (64.2 °F), while the coolest months are August and September with average temperature 13.2 °C (55.8 °F). The diurnal temperature range is also low, averaging only 5.7 °C (10.3 °F). A weather station operated on the Pelican Point headland from 1958 to 1984. Unusually, the highest temperatures are not recorded during

2450-428: Was changed to Walvish Bay , and ultimately to Walvis Bay . It has also been referred to as Walwich Bay or Walwisch Bay . The Herero people of the area called it Ezorongondo . Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão reached Cape Cross , north of the bay, in 1485. 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

2500-479: 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. Despite its location within the tropics , Walvis Bay features the very rare mild variation of

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