This is our favourite place on earth! Not just because it is in our home country, Namibia but because of the vast beauty of everything that thrives here; from animals, birds to fauna and flora.
Let us take you to Etosha and show you a bit of this magical place with our photo gallery:
To join us in Etosha, read more about our safaris on www.naturetravelnamibia.com or customize your own safari.
As part of our Classic Namibia Safari, we visit the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, breeding place of over 200,000 Cape Fur Seals. This is a protected area owned by the government of Namibia and also a National Heritage Site.
The Cape Fur Seals are so-named for their thick soft pelt, which is protected by a layer of longer, harder hair.
It’s a fascinating species and in their way, really beautiful.
A few quick facts: The male seals can weigh up to 350kg (770 lbs) and are very territorial whilst looking after their harem of 5 to 25 females. Cow seals are a lot smaller than bulls, they only weigh up to 80kg (176lbs). Most youngsters are born in November / December and they weigh about 4.5 to 7kg (10 to 15 lbs).
The youngsters’ fur is pitch black and they start sucking on their mother immediately. Youngsters start feeding on fish when they are about 4 to 5 months old. The seals are traditionally most fond of pilchards and anchovies, but since the numbers of these fish have been dwindling, mostly due to overfishing, seals have had to look for alternative sources of food. Fortunately, they are rather opportunistic and highly adaptable, happily snacking on anything from crayfish and shrimps to seagulls and even penguins.
There is a 200m long walkway, constructed of recycled plastic suitable for wheelchairs from where you can view the seals. Other facilities include information points, toilets, campsites and a picnic spot.
This is a place of both historic and biological significance and definitely a must-visit. Read more about our Classic Namibia Safari or get in touch with us on info@naturetravelnamibia.com
Large red dunes everywhere you look…they make you feel small and almost embraced by the desert. When you’re here, pick a spot, sit down and just take it all in….look up, look around you… Sossusvlei is breathtakingly beautiful!
Situated in the largest conservation area in Africa (the Namib-Naukluft National Park), Sossusvlei is possibly Namibia’s best-known attraction. Sossusvlei is a large, white, salt and clay pan surrounded by large red dunes.
Some of these are of the highest in the world, reaching almost 400 meters, providing photographic enthusiasts with wonderful images.
The characteristic red dunes of the Namib Desert have developed over many millions of years. The red sand that forms the dunes was deposited into the Atlantic Ocean from the Orange River. The Benguela current then carried this sand northwards, to be deposited back onto the land by the ocean’s surf. From here the wind carried the red sand inland to form the dunes over time.
Sossusvlei literally translates to “dead-end marsh”, as it is the place where the dunes come together preventing the Tsauchab River from flowing any further, some 60km east of the Atlantic Ocean. However, due to the dry conditions in the Namib Desert, the river seldom flows this far and the pan remains bone-dry most years. During an exceptional rainy season, the Tsauchab fills the pan, drawing visitors from all over the world to witness this spectacular site. Photographic enthusiasts are spoilt with a glassy “lake” holding reflections of the surrounding dunes. When the pan fills it can hold water for as long as a year.
Despite the harsh desert conditions in the area, one can find a wide variety of plants and animals that have adapted to survive. These include insects, reptiles, birds, mammals and many desert-adapted plants, flowers and fruits, like Namibia’s national plant, the welwitschia.
There are a number of attractions around Sossusvlei for visitors to explore, including
• Sesriem Canyon – spectacularly carved-by-water
• The most photographed dune on earth: Dune 45
• Hiddenvlei
• The tall Big Daddy dune
• Deadvlei, any photographers paradise
To see this incredible natural wonder for yourself, visit us at www.naturetravelnamibia.com. We have numerous guided and self-drive options for you to choose from, and many of our Namibia tours include this famous area. We highly recommend the Classic Namibia Safari, showcasing the best of our beautiful country on a personalised trip with our expert guide.
Get in touch at info@naturetravelnamibia.com
The Bwabwata National Park in the northeastern Caprivi strip of Namibia is what is known as ‘a people’s park’ as it supports both large wildlife numbers and a population of about 5,500 people. This unique and special arrangement benefits the local people and the wildlife of the area equally, with conservation and rural community development both coming out as winners from sharing this spectacular area.
Bwabwata is named after a village in the reserve and means ‘the sound of bubbling water’, and was established in 2007 after the merging of the Caprivi Game Park and the Mahango Game Reserve. The park is 6,100km² (2,350 sq2 miles) in size and extends for about 180km from the Kavango River in the west to the Kwando River in the east, with Angola to the north and Botswana to the south.
It is a flat region of swamps, floodplains and riverine woodland, with a few sand dunes on the horizon. The deciduous woodlands are dominated by trees such as wild seringa, false mopane, camelthorns and Zambezi teak. Bwabwata forms a crucial trans-boundary link for wildlife movement (especially African Elephants) between Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.
The park is home to 35 large and numerous small mammal species, including African Elephant, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Greater Kudu, Red Lechwe, Sitatunga, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and Spotted Hyaena.
Almost 450 bird species have been recorded in the park and surrounds, including regional specials like Black-winged Pratincole, Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane, Western banded Snake Eagle, African Skimmer, African Pygmy Goose, Coppery-tailed Coucal, White-backed Night Heron, Allen’s Gallinule and Dickinson’s Kestrel.
A favourite and famous spot in the park is Horseshoe; as the name suggests, a large oxbow lake on the Kwando River with picturesque white-sand beaches, surrounded by beautiful Zambezi teak woodlands.
Bwabwata has three community-operated campsites within the park, and several lodges are situated outside Bwabwata on its borders. Tour operators offer game drives, boat trips and walks in the Park.
Join us on safari to have a chance to visit the extraordinary park. For more info, get in touch with us on info@naturetravelnamibia.com
Endemics are species of plants and animals that occur only within a certain area, habitat, biome, country (like Namibia) or region (like southern Africa). Species can be endemic to an area as specific as a mountain range, or over broader areas such as the Namib desert or the arid lands of southern Africa.
The proportion of endemic plants, insects, reptiles and frogs is fairly high in Namibia. Endemism in mammals, birds and fish is lower, as these species tend to be more mobile and are distributed over wider areas.
The majority of Namibia’s endemic species are distributed in a belt along the western edge of the escarpment (escarpment zone). This region is a transition zone between the desert, karoo and savanna biomes and represents a hotspot of endemism.
Namibia has a special responsibility to conserve endemic species as an essential part of its biodiversity, because these species occur nowhere else on earth. If we allow them to go extinct here, they are lost forever to the world. Endemic species are a unique biological heritage.
There are an incredible 708 endemic plant species in Namibia. A further 275 species are near-endemic (75 in the Namib extending into Angola, 200 in the succulent Karoo, extending into South Africa). Most of the endemic species are arid-adapted. The totally bizarre welwitschia is endemic to the Namib desert within Namibia and Angola and is thus considered a near-endemic of Namibia.
Furthermore, there are 71 endemic reptile species in Namibia – 28% of all species!. The majority are endemic to the escarpment zone, in particular the Brandberg and surrounding area as well as the succulent Karoo.
When it comes to mammals, there are 16 endemic species in Namibia, excluding marine mammals such as whales, dolphins and seals. 11 of the endemic species are rodents (e.g. mice) and small carnivores. Only one species of large mammal, the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, is endemic to Namibia.
Namibia actually only has one true endemic bird species, the diminutive Dune Lark. It occurs in western Namibia on the fringes of the Namib dune-sea between the Koichab River in the south and the Kuiseb River in the north. A further 15 species are considered near-endemics.
The only amphibians found in Namibia are frogs. There are 6 endemic frog species in Namibia. There are also 1541 endemic insect species in Namibia. It is predicted that less than 25% of all insect species have been recorded, with new species and endemics being described regularly.
For a chance to see some of these incredible endemics, come join us on one of our personalised Namibia tours. Go to www.naturetravelnamibia.com for more information on all the fantastic trips we offer, or get in touch on info@naturetravelnamibia.com and we will set up the perfect endemic-high itinerary for you!