The beautiful and lonely Namib Desert in the African country of Namibia stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west, to the Namib Escarpment in the east and from the Usiab River in the north to the town of Luderitz in the South. It is about 1600km in length and the width varies from 50 - 160 km across. The Southern Namib has a vast sea of dunes, some of them the tallest and most impressive dunes in the world. They are known not only for their impressive sizes, sometimes exceeding 300 meters, but also for their amazing colours ranging from vivid oranges to vibrant reds and soft pinks.
The desert is almost completely barren and receives less than 10 mm rain annually. Rain is super scarce and unpredictable. Fog drifting in from the coast is often the only source of water plants and animal life can steadily rely on. The fact that the Namib is so dry is also apparent in the fact that there are almost no bodies of water on the surface as most rivers flow underground or are dry for almost the entire year.
The northern desert along the coast, interaction between the water-laden air from the sea and the dry air of the desert causes severe heavy fog and strong currents, treacherous to sailors. Along the Skeleton Coast evidence of this is apparent as the coast is littered with shipwrecks, some of them as far as 50 meters inland due to the slow westwards movement of the desert reclaiming land slowly as time goes by.
Fascinating plant and animal species can be found in the desert, all of them highly adapted to the arid conditions. The most famous and well known plant in the desert is most probably the strange Welwitschia mirabilis. The plant can grow to be hundreds of years old, survive in the driest conditions and looks like something straight from a science fiction movie, almost surreal in its existence.The animals found in the Namib mostly comprise of little animals who can survive on very little water but a variety of antelopes and gazelles as well as ostrich and the famous desert elephants also survive there. Many species of lizards can also be found in the desert, all specially adapted to survive the harsh environment, extreme heat and severe drought.
Touring companies in Namibia and South Africa do offer walking trips and 4x4 trails through the desert if you would like to experience this unique landscape first hand. I recommend contacting Ecoventures for an unforgettable trip through the Namib desert!
The desert is almost completely barren and receives less than 10 mm rain annually. Rain is super scarce and unpredictable. Fog drifting in from the coast is often the only source of water plants and animal life can steadily rely on. The fact that the Namib is so dry is also apparent in the fact that there are almost no bodies of water on the surface as most rivers flow underground or are dry for almost the entire year.
The northern desert along the coast, interaction between the water-laden air from the sea and the dry air of the desert causes severe heavy fog and strong currents, treacherous to sailors. Along the Skeleton Coast evidence of this is apparent as the coast is littered with shipwrecks, some of them as far as 50 meters inland due to the slow westwards movement of the desert reclaiming land slowly as time goes by.
Fascinating plant and animal species can be found in the desert, all of them highly adapted to the arid conditions. The most famous and well known plant in the desert is most probably the strange Welwitschia mirabilis. The plant can grow to be hundreds of years old, survive in the driest conditions and looks like something straight from a science fiction movie, almost surreal in its existence.The animals found in the Namib mostly comprise of little animals who can survive on very little water but a variety of antelopes and gazelles as well as ostrich and the famous desert elephants also survive there. Many species of lizards can also be found in the desert, all specially adapted to survive the harsh environment, extreme heat and severe drought.
Touring companies in Namibia and South Africa do offer walking trips and 4x4 trails through the desert if you would like to experience this unique landscape first hand. I recommend contacting Ecoventures for an unforgettable trip through the Namib desert!
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Experience an unforgettable walking tour in the Namib desert along with a host of other Namibian activities. Go on unforgettable Namibian tours and enjoy the best this gorgeous and amazing country has to offer.
