Continuous CTD data from a series of recent cruises show that the distribution of the water mass characteristics in the central Benguela region from the Orange River mouth to Walvis Bay is discontinuous in the central and intermediate waters at about the latitude of Luderitz, Namibia. The central and intermediate water masses at the shelf edge and shelf break north of the Luderitz upwelling cell have a high salinity relative to the potential temperature compared to similar waters south of the upwelling cell. It is shown that the feed waters for the wind-induced upwelling on the shelf to the north and south of the Luderitz discontinuity are different in character and source.