Namib Desert

The Namib Desert is the oldest in the world. It has been an arid environment for the last 55 million years. These conditions were brought about by the continental split of west Gondwana 130 to 145 million years ago, and the area that is now the Namib Desert moved north toward the Tropic of Capricorn. Because the region's climate remained stable for such an extended period, it allowed for an evolutionary environment specific to arid environment species found nowhere else on earth. Fog constantly forms as cold air brought about by the Benguela Current, and warm air from the Hadley Cell collide. As a result, the coastal region experiences 180 days of fog a year.

The constant coastal fog has been disastrous for ships and caused more than a thousand to meet their end here. The Skeleton Coast gets its name from these wrecks that litter the landscape. This unforgiving, arid environment has seen very little human habituation over time. Stone tools and some rock art indicate that the Stone Age Bushmen that followed a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, once occupied the area. Even today, very few people live here. There are only some small scattered settlements of pastoral groups like the Topnaar Nama in the central region and Ovahimba and Obatjimba Herero in the north.

Due to the unmatched age of the desert, it is the home of more endemic animal species than any other desert in the world. An example of this is the endemic darkling beetle species. The beetle is one of these species and survives by capturing morning fog with bumpy elytrons that consist of hydrophilic bumps and hydrophobic troughs. The elytrons then condense the fog into droplets that roll down the beetle's back to its mouth. Collectively, these beetles are known as "fog beetles." Another endemic specie of darkling beetle that is only known by the scientific name 'Lepidochora discoidalis' builds webs to trap the fog.

The coastline seasonally produces large amounts of prey in the form of Cape fur seal pups. Predators include leopards, lions, black-backed jackals, brown hyenas, and some spotted hyenas in the east. Cape fur seals provide abundant prey, but only during the breeding season - other prey species include springbok, steenbok, klipspringer, Chacma baboon, feral horses, and gemsbok. The predators here have also adapted to eat insects and fruit to survive. Desert bird species attract birders from far and wide. Birds one might find here include Herero chat, Karoo lark, lesser honeyguide, and Karoo eremomela.

The Namib is described as the only true desert in Southern Africa. It is understandably not particularly famous for its diversity in terms of vegetative species. The desert is, however, known for its unusual flora and enchanting terrain. One of the prominent features of the area's geology is the sand seas on the coast. With dunes that reach 300m in height and span 32km, these are some of the giant dunes in the world. Moving away from the Atlantic Coast, the desert transforms into dry, cracked plains and stone mountains. It covers an area of more than 80 000 km2, larger than some countries, including Ireland, and is almost twice the size of Switzerland.

After the rainy season, in the inland mountains, you can find several temporary rivers in Namib. However, they last only a short time, and most never make it to the coast. Upon exploring the area, you are sure to find some plants whose sheer will to survive and method of survival will surprise you. For example, the Welwitschia mirabilis, or tree tumbo, only produces two leaves that grow endlessly along the ground and can become thousands of years old. The Camelthorn tree also plays a vital role in providing shade for other plants and animals - especially nesting birds during the spring – and for seed distribution. It is truly remarkable to see how the vegetation has adapted to survive.