Hentiesbaai
Encyclopedia
Henties Bay is a coastal town in Erongo Region
, Namibia
. It is located 70 km north of Swakopmund
and is an important holiday settlement. 70 kilometres to the north of the town is the seal
colony of Cape Cross
. The town has 3,300 inhabitants and owns 121 square kilometres (46.7 sq mi) of land. The mayor of Henties Bay is Gisela Cramer.
sailed along the Atlantic
coast in 1488. Near the area of today's Henties Bay he discovered such an abundance of fish that he named this coastline Praai das Sadhinas, Coast of Fish. The fresh water source was first discovered by Schutztruppe
soldiers in 1886. In 1920, a minerals prospector
stayed overnight. After tasting the water he was said to be healed from an affliction.
The namesake of the town is major
Hendrik "Henty" Stefanus van der Merwe who discovered the place in 1929 while looking for water. He had been hunting a rhinoceros
in the arid hinterland of the Namibian coast near the Brandberg in order to collect a reward from a museum in Pennsylvania
that was in search of a rhino skeleton. After shooting the rhino and scraping meat from the bones, water resources of the expedition diminished and forced the party to load the decomposing carcass and search for water.
They chose to head into the direction of the Atlantic coast and reached it close to Cape Cross
. From there van der Merwe and his fellows searched southwards for the mouth of Omaruru River
. A few miles south of the mouth they discovered a deep sand valley with reed grass
growing in it, advertising the presence of fresh water. Van der Merwe liked the place and after delivering the bones and collecting his reward, returned the following Christmas to build a wooden hut in the riverbed. The place became known as Henty se baai (Henty's Bay) and developed into a holiday hideout, mainly because of the abundance of fish at this spot.
In 1951 the South–West Africa Administration mandate
d to South Africa
, proclaimed erven
in the Omaruru riverbed that were available for rent, but the erection of permanent structures was not allowed. The first shop was established during that time. A light house was erected to guide ships along the dangerous Namibian coast. In the 1960s mining holes were dug after diamonds had been found in the area on a few occasions. A few years later mining was abandoned due to lack of success. In 1966 it was decided that the riverbed must not be settled in, and property north and south of it was sold. A hotel was built one year later, and the town began to develop.
enthusiasts. Its property market has expanded significantly since the late 1990s, particularly for upmarket holiday accommodation.
Henties Bay is situated in the National West Coast Recreation Area but there are few restrictions, particularly for driving off-road on the beach and across the plains. This lures tourists into the area but puts a burden on the sensitive environment. Specifically in danger are the lichen
fields which take decades to recover from tracks cut through them, and the Damara Tern
which is endemic to the Skeleton Coast
and threatened by habitat loss
.
, a local political party which contests local elections. In the 2010 local election
, the party received the most votes (approximately 44%), while SWAPO finished in 2nd place with approximately 37%. The Rally for Democracy and Progress
, which was the party of opposition in the National Assembly
following the 2009 general election, also contested the election and received 4%. From 2004-10, the local authority of Henties Bay included 3 members of the Civic Association, 3 SWAPO members and 1 member of the UDF
.
Erongo Region
Erongo is one of the 13 regions of Namibia. It comprises the Swakopmund magisterial district up to the Ugab River and includes Walvis Bay, Omaruru and Karibib magisterial districts. This region is named after Erongo mountain, a well known landmark in Namibia and in this area...
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. It is located 70 km north of Swakopmund
Swakopmund
Swakopmund is a city on the coast of northwestern Namibia, west of Windhoek, Namibia's capital. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. As a seaside resort, the weather is cooler here in December to January so the territorial administration moves to Swakopmund for these months...
and is an important holiday settlement. 70 kilometres to the north of the town is the seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
colony of Cape Cross
Cape Cross
Cape Cross is a cape in the South Atlantic on the coast of Namibia, on the C34 highway some 60 kilometres north of Hentiesbaai and 120 km north of Swakopmund on the west coast of Namibia....
. The town has 3,300 inhabitants and owns 121 square kilometres (46.7 sq mi) of land. The mayor of Henties Bay is Gisela Cramer.
History
Bartolomeu DiasBartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias , a nobleman of the Portuguese royal household, was a Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, the first European known to have done so.-Purposes of the Dias expedition:...
sailed along the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast in 1488. Near the area of today's Henties Bay he discovered such an abundance of fish that he named this coastline Praai das Sadhinas, Coast of Fish. The fresh water source was first discovered by Schutztruppe
Schutztruppe
Schutztruppe was the African colonial armed force of Imperial Germany from the late 19th century to 1918, when Germany lost its colonies. Similar to other colonial forces, the Schutztruppe consisted of volunteer European commissioned and non-commissioned officers, medical and veterinary officers. ...
soldiers in 1886. In 1920, a minerals prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
stayed overnight. After tasting the water he was said to be healed from an affliction.
The namesake of the town is major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Hendrik "Henty" Stefanus van der Merwe who discovered the place in 1929 while looking for water. He had been hunting a rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
in the arid hinterland of the Namibian coast near the Brandberg in order to collect a reward from a museum in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
that was in search of a rhino skeleton. After shooting the rhino and scraping meat from the bones, water resources of the expedition diminished and forced the party to load the decomposing carcass and search for water.
They chose to head into the direction of the Atlantic coast and reached it close to Cape Cross
Cape Cross
Cape Cross is a cape in the South Atlantic on the coast of Namibia, on the C34 highway some 60 kilometres north of Hentiesbaai and 120 km north of Swakopmund on the west coast of Namibia....
. From there van der Merwe and his fellows searched southwards for the mouth of Omaruru River
Omaruru River
The Omaruru River is a major river crossing the Erongo Region of western central Namibia from East to West. It originates in the Etjo mountains, crosses the city of Omaruru and reaches the sea a few kilometers north of Henties Bay....
. A few miles south of the mouth they discovered a deep sand valley with reed grass
Reed (plant)
Reed is a generic polyphyletic botanical term used to describe numerous tall, grass-like plants of wet places, which are the namesake vegetation of reed beds...
growing in it, advertising the presence of fresh water. Van der Merwe liked the place and after delivering the bones and collecting his reward, returned the following Christmas to build a wooden hut in the riverbed. The place became known as Henty se baai (Henty's Bay) and developed into a holiday hideout, mainly because of the abundance of fish at this spot.
In 1951 the South–West Africa Administration mandate
Mandate (international law)
In international law, a mandate is a binding obligation issued from an inter-governmental organization like the United Nations to a country which is bound to follow the instructions of the organization....
d to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, proclaimed erven
ERF
Erf may refer to:* Error function, a function used in mathematics and statistics* An erf , in anglophone southern African terminology, is a small piece of land as listed in the municipality's cadastreERF may refer to:...
in the Omaruru riverbed that were available for rent, but the erection of permanent structures was not allowed. The first shop was established during that time. A light house was erected to guide ships along the dangerous Namibian coast. In the 1960s mining holes were dug after diamonds had been found in the area on a few occasions. A few years later mining was abandoned due to lack of success. In 1966 it was decided that the riverbed must not be settled in, and property north and south of it was sold. A hotel was built one year later, and the town began to develop.
Environment and tourism
The town is predominantly a tourist destination for anglers and 4x4Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
enthusiasts. Its property market has expanded significantly since the late 1990s, particularly for upmarket holiday accommodation.
Henties Bay is situated in the National West Coast Recreation Area but there are few restrictions, particularly for driving off-road on the beach and across the plains. This lures tourists into the area but puts a burden on the sensitive environment. Specifically in danger are the lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
fields which take decades to recover from tracks cut through them, and the Damara Tern
Damara Tern
The Damara Tern is a species of tern in the Sternidae family.It breeds in western South Africa, Namibia and Angola...
which is endemic to the Skeleton Coast
Skeleton Coast
The Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean coast of Namibia and south of Angola from the Kunene River south to the Swakop River, although the name is sometimes used to describe the entire Namib Desert coast...
and threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
.
Politics
Henties Bay is home to the Civic Association of Henties BayCivic Association of Henties Bay
The Civic Association of Henties Bay is a local political party based in Henties Bay, Erongo Region, Namibia. In the 2010 local elections, the party received the most votes in the Henties Bay local authority, ahead of the ruling party nationally, SWAPO, which received 36.9%...
, a local political party which contests local elections. In the 2010 local election
Namibian local and regional elections, 2010
Namibia held elections for their local and regional councils on 26 and 27 November 2010. The terms of regional councillors and local authority representatives were originally set to expire in 2009...
, the party received the most votes (approximately 44%), while SWAPO finished in 2nd place with approximately 37%. The Rally for Democracy and Progress
Rally for Democracy and Progress (Namibia)
The Rally for Democracy and Progress is an opposition political party in Namibia. It was launched on November 17 2007 under the leadership of Hidipo Hamutenya and Jesaya Nyamu, both former leading members of the ruling SWAPO party and cabinet ministers. Hamutenya had unsuccessfully sought the SWAPO...
, which was the party of opposition in the National Assembly
National Assembly of Namibia
The National Assembly of Namibia is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It has a total of 78 members. 72 members are directly elected through a system of party-list proportional representation and serve five-year terms. Six additional members are appointed by the President.The...
following the 2009 general election, also contested the election and received 4%. From 2004-10, the local authority of Henties Bay included 3 members of the Civic Association, 3 SWAPO members and 1 member of the UDF
United Democratic Front (Namibia)
The United Democratic Front is a political party in Namibia. Justus Garoëb is the party's leader.-1989:The UDF received 37,874 votes in the 1989 election, which elected members to the Constituent Assembly of Namibia. The Constituent Assembly elected the first President and wrote Namibia's...
.