Namibia Skeleton Coast - Leg/Day 4
Flora and Fauna
The grass blanket that transforms the Kunene region desert sands into a sea of yellow-green. Significant rainfall does wonders to 'waking up' (dormant) desert seeds.
Nara (Acanthosicyos horrridus)
Quite a special leafless dioecious plant (separate male and female plant). Its flowers turn into sizeable edible spiny melon-shaped fruits weighing up to a kilo. The plant is a very hardened desert species that can survive without water for several years. Its taproots are reported to run tens of meters deep into the desert sand. It is found most often on the sands of ephemeral dry river beds.
South-West Edelweiss (Helichrysum roseo-niveum)
This SW-Edelweiss has no lineage link with the Edelweiss we know from a.o. the Alps. Its beautiful contrast with the barren Nabib dessert rocks and sand is even more striking. And the block of white quartz adds to it all.
Devil's thorn (Tribulus terrestris)
Undetermined .......pretty plant.
African darter (Anhinga rufa)
The African member of the family of darter birds (also known as snakebirds). Other darter species are found in Southern America, in India/South-East Asia and in Australasia. A skilled fisher which dives and darts fish with its pointed long bill.
While they swim under water hunting fish, they lack the water repellant feathers which many other swimmer/diver birds have. One may therefore often see the darters sitting on river banks with wings spread to let these dry again in the sun.
Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)
Perched on its dry branch above the flowing Kunene River
A mighty big croccodile on the Kunene River bank. Not perturbed by our boat sliding past (.....at a respecting distance)
An imposing look