The Do's and Don'ts of Water Hole Behaviour

On a recent family safari we stopped off at Ongongo Spring, near Warmquelle. Those who know this little jewel of shade will agree it is impossible to ignore the temptation of a refreshing dip and merely drive past on the main road. Turning off and tackling the arduous 20 kilometres to the gorge with its fig-tree shaded spring, one is rewarded with the sound of splashing, gurgling water and an eyegasmic sight of opulent greenery in an otherwise bleak terrain. There is hardly a more inviting, clearer, refreshing - adjectives don't do justice here - natural rock pool, complete with rock-overhang and waterfall, to be found anywhere else in Namibia.

The local community has done its best to turn it into a pleasant and tidy community campsite, although the management style still leaves room for improvement: while they are quick to take money, reminding patrons to stick to the rules is not part of the job description. The following incident occurred: On arrival amongst the big limestone rock sites, the main camp was vacant and although not massively cool, there was at least some shade to be had under a big Mopane tree. Besides, the community has erected reed shade ports for most camp sites.

Yet we had to discover that this was obviously not sufficient for some Visitors from South Africa. Instead they churned up the river bed with their four-wheel drive, flattening some of the precariously surviving flora, to park in the shade of a lovely fig tree. Besides, from there one would only have to step out the car and into the cool pool: 'Have-four-by-four-drive-will-park-where-I-want'.

The sheepish looks and over-friendly banter with which we were greeted on arrival at the pool, indicated that the driver and his party where probably well aware of their heinous crime. And despite Namibians being generally friendly and hospitable people, we very quickly let them know we did not agree with this type of behaviour. Soon enough they left, executing another 10 point turn, flattening more tenuous plant life and leaving the river bed looking like a battle field.

This is the point: Fresh water in our day and age, but particularly in the desert, is a resource more precious than oil. And to then have the privilege of a cool swim to boot, but completely disrespecting the environment in the process can only be considered as arrogant. It doesn't take rocket science to realise that the water in this arid environment nurtures and engenders life which otherwise would not be there.

The ground close to water holes is particularly sensitive to contamination, and even the organisms living in some of the rock pools in the Erongo Mountains for instance are susceptible to the cosmetics of modern day living. The copious amounts of sunblock, lotion, insect repellent (with active ingredient: diethyltoluamid, which has the ability to melt plastics) all gets washed off in the pools when we take a swim.

These are pools not treated with chlorine and with visitors to some of our more well-known springs and rock pools totalling thousands per annum you can work out the statistics.

Similar are cases of visitors with the incorrigible urge to drive down riverbeds only to see if they might get through a particularly daunting piece of terrain or merely to have a look if there is water. Normally these are regular cavalcades which would make the father-of-the-nation proud, yet the drivers of these vehicles don't stick to protocol by staying all behind each other. Instead it is every man to himself, and all leave the riverbed, a sensitive ecosphere, churned up like a field ready for sowing. That most of the ephemeral riverbeds in Namibia are life sustaining oases, where wildlife congregates and seeks shelter from the inhospitable plains does not seem to occur to these ignoramuses. (The Tinkas River Gorge in the Namib Naukluft Park is a case in point. Time and again yahoo-cowboys plough up this extremely important source of life when the park regulations clearly stipulate no driving in the river beds!) Besides, taking a few hours to explore a riverbed on foot is so much more rewarding as one first of all gets out of the stuffy car and secondly has time and leisure to truly experience the environment.

And then there is still the issue of camping near, or right next to, water holes. Consider that springs like Gai-As for instance are probably singular in their occurrence, and sustain life up to a radius of up to 50 or 60 kilometres. Some animals would have spent the better part of two days to get to the water hole, only to find a party of campers frolicking at the only source of their livelihood. In short: Water holes in the wilderness serve predominately the flora and fauna that lives there. Wildlife in general will be intimidated by human presence, particularly when the smells of human occupation still cling to the ground and rocks. Visitors, who in any case bring their own clean water with them, and only besmirch the source by indulging in the luxury of perhaps a tadpole enriched cold shower or merely to be looking onto water as they turn their "chops 'n wors" is not reason enough to keep the wildlife from utilising their only means of survival. Thus: don't camp near water holes and best observe them only from a distance and very quietly to facilitate the free flow of wildlife. Your patience will be rewarded especially early in the morning or late afternoon when the animals come to drink.

Practical tips for worst case scenarios, on how to treat water from the wild for human consumption will be dealt with in the next issue.