This half day tour takes place along the eastern part of the major dune belt which lies between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. Here the ecology of the dunes is concentrated on explaining the evolutionary aspects and the uniqueness of these adaptations. The theory part is dealt with in an informal way and the various desert adapted creatures are then searched for and the various interesting adaptations are pointed out to you. The main animals looked for are the Namib Sand diving Lizard, Web-footed Gecko, Namaqua Chameleon, Peringuey’s Adder(Sidewinder), Namib Sand Snake, Namib thick-tailed Scorpion, the fog basking Tenebrionid Beetle and several other insects only found along the dune belt. From the dunes we walk through a place known as ‘The Horse Graveyard'. Here, the mass slaughter of South African military horses marked the turning point of Namibia's (then South West Africa) involvement in the First World War. This area, holding some 1,600 carcasses, signifies the key role that Swakopmund and Walvis Bay played in the development of Namibia.
A brief description of the minerals found in the dunes is also explained as well as the formation of the dunes and the importance of the coastal fog to all the living organisms and vegetation found along the dunes. The only birds that may be encountered here depending on rainfall are Tractrac Chat, Red-capped Larks, Gray’s Lark, Stark’s Lark, Burchell’s Courser, Ludwig’s Bustard, Rock Kestrel and Rufous-eared Warbler.
Excellent photographic opportunities.
