Namibia is one of the largest and driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa and is characterized by high climatic variability through persistent droughts, unpredictable and variable rainfall patterns, variability in temperatures and water scarcity. The climate is generally hot and dry with sparse and erratic rainfall. 92% of the land area is defined as very-arid, arid, or semi-arid. The country ranks second in aridity after the Sahara Desert. (Excerpt from World Bank website on climate.)
I took an excursion into the Namib desert from Walvis Bay on April 1 (Day 77). The guide stated that this is the oldest desert on earth and that it also has some of the tallest sand dunes.
We visited some of those dunes and were able to walk on them.
We stopped to see a very interesting desert plant, the Welwitschia. This plant grows to be very old and there are female plants:
And male plants:
Our guide said that fertilization takes place by a little beetle, which travels between them. Some of the online resources I consulted didn’t support that idea, but I leave it to further clarification if anyone knows.
The desert also contains a very impressive area that looks like a moonscape or badlands. This area stretches far into the distance. To get to the overlook, one has to travel what seems like a long way on a very bumpy road.
Once back on the coast, we saw that Namibia is now the home for drilling rigs, expecting this to be an economic benefit for the future. Some of this is new, so an evolving story.
The desert is very interesting looking… sort of reminds me of a man eating plant…
The beetle story could be true, as many trees have male and female counterparts that are only connected by insect pollinators. Great pictures again