On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
lashonharangue
Driving inland from the coast toward Damaraland, we started to gain elevation and soon noticed a change in the geography.
I imagined Mars might be like this area.
The other thing we noticed was the beginning of more vegetation. I know this doesn’t look like much but it was more than we saw on the Skeleton Coast.
Namibia is kind of the reverse of the California coast. While both have coastal fog, Namibia gets more rain (more being a relative term) inland than next to the ocean. As we drove inland we started to see grasslands and these springboks.
I took a wide shot of this giraffe and its partner browsing and was going to delete it. When I zoomed in I realized the tongue was the best part of the photo.
Our destination – the Desert Rhino Camp. The next day several vehicles with guests went out to look for rhinos but the trackers never found them. However, they did find the remains of a rhino they were familiar with. They were pleased to discover it had died of natural causes, not poaching. By supporting the local communities with both jobs at the camp and donations to community programs, the camp creates incentives for the locals to identify/discourage potential poachers.
While we didn’t see any big game, our guide Jeremia took us on a drive where we did see some desert adapted fauna and flora. This is a Rüppell’s Bustard (Eupodotis rueppellii). When Jeremia first pointed at this bird I thought he was cursing. Did I mention I am not a birder?
This is the very strange and ugly Welwitschia plant (Welwitschia mirabilis) that is unique to Namibia and Angola. During its entire life, each plant produces only two leaves, which often split into segments as a result of the leaves being whipped by the wind. The largest plants have been Carbon-14 dated to over 1500 years old. No telling how old this one was but it was smaller than others we saw.
This was one of a pair of Namaqua sandgrouse that flew off as we got close.
Jeremia said there was a chick there but I couldn’t see it. I must have gotten to within a meter of it before I noticed it. Camouflage and staying still are clearly survival skills for these young birds.
Next Stop – Etosha
Late Night Open Thread: Great Dane Takeover
OzarkHillbilly
I love that pic of the Rüppell’s Bustard, and am more than a little fond of the lone tree under the waning moon.
Lapassionara
What a stark landscape. Thanks for sharing. These are lovely photos.
Betty
Mars was my first thought too when I saw that first picture. What a fascinating part of the world.
JeanneT
I’ve never felt called by desert, but I am enjoying seeing the arid space and the adapted plants and animals you are showing us. Pretty amazing!
WaterGirl
Thanks for this series, lashon! Unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I often skip a week or more between parts of longer set, but your posts are still from December, so the remaining 3 posts from this set will go up next week.
We had such a great response from everyone when I said we were down to just 2 OTR posts, which was awesome, but it also means that for the past couple of months, there have been longer wait times between submission and posting.
A much better problem to have then when we were low on posts.
eclare
lashonharangue
I’m glad people are enjoying the landscape photos. Next posts will have more critters.
Albatrossity
Not a birder! Many hard-core birders would salivate at the notion of seeing a Ruppell’s Bustard, or any bustard, for that matter!
Thanks for these images and the insights into a unique part of the planet.
Madeleine
Thank you for this series. Namibia seems so varied and extreme and strange. Yet beautiful.
munira
Great series. Love the bustard and the amazing colors in that first photo.
J R in WV
We’re a little familiar with deserts from the SW USA, from Navajo Nation clear down to the Baja Sud area of Mexico. That first photo makes the Sonoran Desert look lush and green — Mars indeed.
And the Welwitschia plant close-up, with carbon dating used to age those plants to 1500 years old, that’s pretty amazing also too.
Great photos, thanks again for sharing with us !!!