<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 text-lg-center">History Whale Bay International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para pb-lg-2">Map showing location of Walvis Bay and reference to South Africa before the handover to Namibia</p>
<p class="blog-para pb-lg-2">Portuguese navigator Diogo C&atilde;o reached Cape Cross, north of the bay, in 1485. There followed Bartolomeu Dias, who anchored his flagship S&atilde;o Crist&oacute;v&atilde;o in what is now Walvis Bay on 8 December 1487, on his expedition to discover a sea route to the East via the Cape of Good Hope. He named the bay "O Golfo de Santa Maria da Concei&ccedil;&atilde;o". However, the Portuguese did not formally stake a claim to Walvis Bay.</p>
<p class="blog-para pb-lg-2">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 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.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="History Whale Bay International Airport" src="https://www.jodogoairportassist.com/main/img/airport/wal/12.webp" alt="History Whale Bay International Airport"></p>
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<h2 class="blog-hed2 my-4">Etymology</h2>
<p class="blog-para pb-lg-2">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 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.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="Etymology" src="https://www.jodogoairportassist.com/main/img/airport/wal/27.webp" alt="Etymology"></p>
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