Tour Guide

10 Interesting things about Otjikoto Lake

By Malvika Kashyap

Lake Guide Team

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Since its discovery, Otjikoto has become a well-liked vacation spot. In the 1960s, a road to Owambo was built using its waters, which had also been used for mining and irrigation.

1. The only known habitats for the rare mouth-brooding cichlid fish are Lake Otjikoto and the adjoining Lake Guinas, which are Namibia's only natural lakes.

2. Otjikoto and Guinas are located in the Otavi mountain range, which is said to be 700 million years old and is composed of a thick sequence of well-stratified dolomite and limestone.

3. According to measurements made by Galton many years ago, Otjikoto has a surface diameter of around 100 m and a depth of 55 m. Guinas is a lot deeper, at a depth of about 100 m.

4. To prevent it from coming into South African hands, fleeing German troops dropped weapons and ammunition into the lake in 1915.

5. They allegedly threw away five cannons, ten cannon bases, three Gatling guns, and 300 to 400 wagonloads of ammunition.

6. Some of this material was saved in 1916 with the help of the Tsumeb Corporation, the National Museum of Namibia, and the South African army.

7. A Krupp munitions truck was found 41 meters below the surface in 1970 by divers, and it is now on exhibit at the Owela Museum in Windhoek.

8. Two additional ammo carriages and a sizable cannon that were rescued in 1977 and 1983 are currently on exhibit at the Tsumeb Mining Museum.

9. The location is underdeveloped, but it does include a ticket office, a nearby parking lot, a few tiny kiosks offering cool beverages and snacks, as well as a lot of shade.

10. Although it has been known for treasure hunters to wear scuba gear and scour the lake at night, diving (and swimming, for that matter) is currently prohibited.

The turn-off to Lake Otjikoto is marked by signage and is located 25 kilometres north of Tsumeb along the B1. I hope you've enjoyed reading about Otjikoto Lake.

Citation

Places to visit in south america

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