Surreal landscapes of Namib-Naukluft Park

These are not paintings, as it may seem at first glance. These are photos that were taken in the Namib—Naukluft National Park in Namibia, in a strange and almost "alien" place called Dead Vlei. And although many people call this place a Dead Valley, it's not really a valley. The name translates as "dead swamp".

This is a huge layer of white clay, located next to the more famous salt marsh of Sossusflei.

There are hundreds of dead acacia trees that once bloomed here when this wasteland was fed by the Tsauchab River.

About 900 years ago, the river changed its course.

And after that, the valley dried up.

The sand dunes surrounding this place are considered the highest in the world.

The highest of them reach 300-400 meters.

The clay layer was formed after the rain, when the Tsauchab River overflowed its banks, creating temporary shallow pools, thanks to which dried trees sprouted due to the abundance of water.

When the climate changed, a drought came here, and the valley was covered with sand dunes that blocked the river from the sea.

The trees died because they didn't have enough water.

There are, of course, some plant species, for example, solyanka and nara, which have adapted to life here - they absorb moisture from morning fog and rare rains.

The remaining skeletons of trees, which may be about 900 years old, have turned black, because they burned out in the sun.

The trees, though not petrified, but also not rotted, because they are too dry.

The first photo in this post was taken in the rays of the morning sun, which illuminated a huge red dune dotted with white grass. And the valley floor remained in shadow.

In the first photo, the valley floor appears blue because it reflects the sky above.