The lions that hunt in the surf

Namibia has lions that live in a desert, can swim up to 400m and prey on an unlikely food source: seals.

These big cats of the Skeleton Coast are the first documented maritime lions — the only ones on earth living in the dunes near the ocean. Their presence has posed unfortunate surprises for anglers and tourists, prompting a closer look at what the future of these “vanishing kings” might be.

“Three lion prides inhabit the Skeleton Coast National Park and rely on marine food sources along the coastline,” says Flip Stander of Desert Lion Conservation.

Samantha Nicholson, senior carnivore scientist at the Endangered Wildlife Trust, says lion populations are categorised as “vulnerable” in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature red list of threatened species. The organisation estimates the global wild lion population to be between 22,000 and 25,000. 

Nicholson says: “A wild lion is able to live, breed and feed in a natural environment with limited or no human intervention.”

For an indication of the number, take the home ground of the Lions teams, Ellis Park. Its stands hold about 62,500 spectators; the word’s wild lion population is only a third of this.

Stander says the number of desert lions has declined from about 130 in the late 2010s to fewer than 30 at the end of 2024.

“Apart from its scientific importance, the return of maritime lions to the Skeleton Coast holds enormous tourism potential and value for Namibia,” he says.

Stander studied at Cornell University in the US and later at Cambridge in the UK, where he completed his PhD. For his doctoral studies he was given the TH Huxley award, named for the 19th-century biologist and anthropologist who was known as “Darwin’s bulldog” for his advocacy of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Stander’s studies on desert-adapted lions span three decades. He uses a small structure in Möwe Bay, about 570km west of Etosha in the northern Kunene region, as his main base, with the aim of developing this into a research site over the next decade.

I’ve recorded the movements and activities of seven generations of lions and documented their return to the ocean

—  Flip Stander

“I regard myself as incredibly fortunate to have been allowed to study the behaviour and ecology of all six large carnivores in Namibia. The majority of my work, however, has been focused on the unique population of desert-adapted lions in the northern Namib,” he says.

He co-authored the 2018 book Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib Desert and was featured in the award-winning 2024 film Lions of the Skeleton Coast, by Will and Lianne Steenkamp.

“In the past 20 years, I’ve recorded the movements and activities of seven generations of lions and documented their return to the ocean, where they regained the skill to use marine resources,” Stander says.

He’s been working alone in the field for a long time. “It’s not easy, but you get used to it. It became clear to me quite early on that it was the only way to collect the data and gain an unbiased understanding of the lions’ behaviour. The biggest challenge has been working at night without any lights.”

The lions have adapted to the scarcity of water. They can go for long periods without drinking. Living close to seawater, or in it, presents a challenge, with the added pressure of facing an ocean polluted with heavy metals and plastics.

Stander says desert-adapted lions once roamed the Skeleton Coast, using the ocean for food like seals and birds. In the 1980s, harsh conditions and livestock farming reduced their numbers until they disappeared from the area.

“After Namibia gained independence in 1991, things improved for wildlife. By 2002, lions began returning to the Skeleton Coast National Park — by 2012 five lion prides had made their homes in the park again. They had forgotten how to hunt marine food during their decline, but by 2017 some lionesses started eating seals and birds. This recovery shows the resilience of these remarkable animals,” says Stander. 

Stander tracked these ups and downs through field work over many years.

“Technology has completely changed the way I work,” he says. “I embrace technological advances and am constantly modifying and adapting my methods to improve the quantity and quality of my observations and data collection. For example, the vehicle I use in my research is equipped with a server, a Wi-Fi network and numerous infrared security cameras and thermal cameras. These allow me to drive and observe lions in total darkness. It has only one seat.”

This equipment enabled Stander to observe lions swimming up to 400m to a rocky island, where they slither onto wet rocks being pounded by waves.

“Lions have adapted to hunt larger seals, stalking through pools and pursuing them into the surf. They consume part of the seal on the island and swim back with the rest. Their remarkable interactions with seals highlight an intriguing development in their hunting behaviour,” says Stander. “They hunted cormorants before tackling Cape fur seals, refining their skills through trial and error as they navigated the tides and waves.”

The data Stander has collected over the years is crucial in developing an understanding of the protection the lions need in an unstable and deteriorating environment, one that is “undeniable and alarming”, he says.

“The climate crisis is real. The dramatic changes, characterised by frequent sand and dust storms, are affecting all forms of life, as well as the geomorphology of the northern Namib Desert,” he says.

“Marine foods have greatly benefited lions, contributing 65% of their biomass intake. This resource allows lions along the Skeleton Coast to hunt fewer livestock when natural prey is scarce. The lions’ territorial nature allows them to travel vast distances — as much as 10,000km². They have adapted to reduce inland habitat usage to 55% and to increase foraging along the intertidal zone on the beaches.

“Carnivores like coyotes and brown hyenas that forage in intertidal zones are known as maritime carnivores. Unique among them are these desert-adapted lions, which hunt marine resources. This plays a vital role in nutrient flow between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, especially in the Skeleton Coast National Park.”

But Stander’s behavioural ecology study also exposed new risks.

“The lions, initially unaware of two seal colonies, began hunting them after a pride discovered one in late 2018. This led to the deaths of two lionesses from pansteatitis — a disease that is linked to high oxidised fat consumption and low consumption of antioxidants — and exposure to oceanic poisons and heavy metals.

“But the ecology risks are not limited to the lions,” says Stander. Lions near the Möwe Bay seal colony pose safety risks to tourism staff and visitors. Stander urges urgent collaboration among those involved, including in the tourism industry, to reduce conflict and harness the tourism potential of the area.

“As the lions have now discovered the Möwe Bay seal colony, they are expected to return regularly. The colony is 2km from Möwe Bay station, so the potential for human-lion conflict will increase.”

Angling is technically illegal in this area, but it occurs regularly and on occasion is a source of food and income for local residents. 

“I have spent several months over the past two to three years monitoring interactions between anglers and lions. The results were alarming. Intervention was required on 48 occasions to prevent potentially dangerous conflict. We need to develop guidelines to ensure public safety, conserve the lions and optimise tourism.

“This presents an intriguing challenge that will require the use of the latest advances in satellite and AI technology. It’s necessary to establish guidelines to ensure public safety and a harmonious relationship between an amazing ecological development and human activity.

“A concerted effort is under way to engage the tourism industry in conserving the lions and developing viable attractions [for visitors]. This will require training tour guides and developing protocols,” says Stander.

While Stander considers this effort his “last chapter” in a life that unfolded almost parallel with the story of these creatures, in the bigger scheme of things it is a brand-new chapter for lion conservation in Africa.

⁠Stander reflects on what he has learnt, specifically from desert-adapted lions. “I remain astonished by the complexity of their social structure. It is not only the level of their co-ordinated co-operation, especially when hunting, or their cognitive abilities, but their continuous learning and adaptation to their challenging environment. Their knowledge of the habitat and prey is passed on to every generation. It has become a cultural key to their survival.”