DUNE TOUR
Is there life in the dunes of the Namib? Let’s find out!
Batis Birding Safaris offers birding tours all over Namibia, but they’re based in Swakopmund and also give tourists the chance to explore the animal life in the dunes. It’s cool and misty when I meet up with guide Colin Araseb and we drive a few kilometres into the desert.
Before Colin starts looking for tracks in the sand, he explains the geology of the region and how rivers like the Swakop and Kuiseb contributed to the formation of the dunes. He also sweeps a magnet over the sand to demonstrate how rich it is in iron. I’m already fascinated and we haven’t even seen a single animal!
Colin knows exactly what to look for. Within minutes he’s uncovered a Namib web-footed gecko (pictured here). The
gecko is almost translucent and spends all day under the sand. It comes out at night to hunt insects. But it doesn’t take offence at this change in its routine and stands still in my shadow so we can study it and take photos. Then it tunnels into the sand again.
The shovel-snouted lizard we find next isn’t as patient. Colin has to hold the lizard to show us what it looks like. The moment he puts it down, it sprints 10 m and dives into the sand head first.
You may also meet some feathered desert inhabitants: Gray’s lark, redcapped lark and Stark’s lark, as well as Burchell’s courser, rufous-eared warbler and Ludwig’s bustard. Colin points out a tractrac chat. He and the chats have worked out how to help each other: “They’ve noticed that I always have mealworms with me to feed the chameleons,” he says. “When I arrive, they point out a chameleon in the dunes for a worm or two.”
Just as our tour is nearing its end, Colin finds one last reptile: a sidewinding adder, or the “holiday spoiler” as he calls it. This snake doesn’t grow much longer than a ruler and burrows into the sand until only its eyes are showing. Its camouflage technique makes it easy to miss and step on, leading to a day in the emergency room…