Wreck of the Edward Bohlen, Namibia

DECEMBER 2006 – Aerial view of the Edward Bohlen, a ship wreck resting at the shoreline of the Namib-Naukluft-Park in Namibia. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com


The story behind the image

The shore of the Atlantic Coast in southern Africa can be dangerous, especially for ships and their crews.

This photo shows the wreck of the Edward Bohlen, captured from a flight across the Namib-Naukluft-Park and the Atlantic Coast. On the 5th September of 1909, the ship sailed in thick fog from Swakopmund to Cape Town and came off-course, stranding about 100 kilometers south of Swakopmund at the end of Conception Bay. The German Wikipedia article has details about the ship.

It’s fascinating to see the remains of a steel ship that stranded more than 110 years ago. Despite the heavy weather and sea, the main elements of the body were still present. More recent close-ups from other photographers show that the steel is rusty but sturdy. So it will take several more decades before the wreck will be gone entirely.

When in this part of Namibia, you will want to consider a scenic flight. It’s certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Should this exceed your budget, a guided tour may be right for you, on a 4×4 that gets you directly to the wreck and other scenic locations along the route.


The high resolution image

Capture Date & Time05-DEC-2006, 18:10
LocationNamib-Naukluft-Park, Namibia
CameraCanon EOS-1Ds Mark II
LensCanon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
ISO800
Exposure1/2000 sec at f/5.6
Digital Image Source FormatJPEG, 24 bits/pixel, AdobeRGB
Edited Image FormatJPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB
Edited Image Dimensions4992 x 3328 Pixels
Copyright© by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com

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