Jack Dykinga / Dead Vlei, with dessicated 900 year old trees standing in the salt pan surrounded by towering red sand dunes. Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia. June 2013.

Jack Dykinga / Dead Vlei, with dessicated 900 year old trees standing in the salt pan surrounded by towering red sand dunes. Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia. June 2013.

Jack Dykinga / Dead Vlei, with dessicated 900 year old trees standing in the salt pan surrounded by towering red sand dunes. Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia. June 2013.

Tony Phelps / Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) Immature male hunting in thorn bush above deHoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa, December

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead tree with dunes in background, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Jose B. Ruiz / Camelthorn tree in Namib desert {Vachellia erioloba} Sossus Vlei, Namibia

Pete Oxford / Aerial view of sand dunes, near Sossusvlei, Namibia

Jose B. Ruiz / Giant sand dune Sossus Vlei, Namib-Naukluft NP, Namib desert, Namibia, Southern Africa

Tony Phelps / Lesser flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor) standing in water with reflection, DeHoop Vlei, DeHoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa, August.

Jen Guyton / Dead trees stand in a salt pan in the Namib-Naukluft National Park at the Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei, Namibia.

Jen Guyton / Dead Acacia trees in a salt pan in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei, Namibia.

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand patterns, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Colorful sunset clouds near Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand patterns, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Dead trees in front of sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Dead trees in front of sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Dead trees in front of sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Dead trees in front of sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Tourists hiking among tall sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Tourists hiking on tall sand dune, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Oryx (Oryx gazella) in desert, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dune, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dune, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dune, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dune, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Ann & Steve Toon / Nerine (Nerine laticoma) Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Ann & Steve Toon / Nerine (Nerine laticoma) Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Tony Phelps / Three-banded sandplover (Charadrius tricollaris) De Hoop Vlei, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa.

Tony Phelps / Three-banded sandplover (Charadrius tricollaris) De Hoop Vlei, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa.

Tony Phelps / Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus) related females with their infants relaxing. deHoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa.

Tony Phelps / Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) female grooming baby with young male, in sleeping tree. deHoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa.

Tony Phelps / Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) troop at sleeping site. deHoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa.

Tony Phelps / Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) male, female and infant relaxing in evening. Dehoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa.

Jiri Slama / Sociable Weaver (Philetairus socius), Sossusvlei, Namibia

Ann & Steve Toon / Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) footprints, Dead Vlei, Namib Desert, Namibia, April

Ann & Steve Toon / Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) footprints, Dead Vlei, Namib Desert, Namibia, April

Tony Phelps / Greater Flamgo (Phoenicopterus ruber roseus). DeHoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa.

Theo Allofs / Red sand dunes, Tsauchab River Valley near Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namib Desert, Namibia

Theo Allofs / Rock outcrop and red sand dunes near Sossusvlei at sunrise, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namib Desert, Namibia

Tony Phelps / Chacma baboon (Papio hamadryas ursinus), alpha male drinking from vlei. deHoop, Western Cape, South Africa, September.

Tony Phelps / Chacma Baboon (Papio hamadryas ursinus), alpha male walking along water's edge. deHoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa, September.

Tony Phelps / Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) immature male hunting on ground above deHoop Vlei. Western Cape, South Africa, December

Tony Phelps / De Hoop Vlei wetlands. Western Cape, South Africa, January 2011.

Tony Phelps / Blackwinged Stilt (Himantopus homantopus) wading in shallow water, DeHoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa

Tony Phelps / Brown water snake (Lycodonomorpus rufulus) on fallen log, near edge of lake, DeHoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa

Ingo Arndt / Sociable Weaver (Philetairus socius) nests, near Sossus Vlei, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead trees with dunes in background, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead tree with dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead tree with dunes in background, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead tree with dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead tree with dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead trees with dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead trees with dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead tree with dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Stephen Belcher / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead trees with dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Michele Westmorland / Skeleton trees in Dead Vlei Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia, World Heritage Site

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) trees among sand dunes at Sossus Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Sand dunes near Sossus Vlei, among the highest in the world, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Jouan & Rius / Vlei / Nerine lily (Nerine laticoma) flowering after rain, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kalahari desert, South Africa

Jouan & Rius / Vlei / Nerine lily (Nerine laticoma) flowering after the rains, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kalahari desert, South Africa

Pete Oxford / Vlei lily {Nerine laticoma} in flower. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Richard Du Toit / Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) aerial view of group, Zeekoei Vlei, Cape Town, South Africa

Jose B. Ruiz / Giant sand dune, Sossus Vlei, Namib-Naukluft NP, Namib desert, Namibia.

Philippe Clement / Nerine / Vlei lily (Nerine laticoma) flowering along dry riverbed after the rains, Kgalagadi NP, Kalahari desert, South Africa

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Sand dune and Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Namaqua Chameleon (Chamaeleo namaquensis), Sossusvlei, Namib Desert, Namibia

Pete Oxford / Aerial view of sand dunes after a good rain year near Sossusvlei, Namibia

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Sand storm over dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Gemsbok (Oryx gazella) feeding on Tsama Melons, Sossusvlei, Namibia

Jose B. Ruiz / Gemsbok and sand dunes at Sossus Vlei, Namibia.

Jose B. Ruiz / Camelthorn tree in Namib desert {Vachellia erioloba} Sossus Vlei, Namibia

Jose B. Ruiz / Camelthorn tree in Namib desert {Vachellia erioloba} Sossus Vlei, Namibia

Jose B. Ruiz / Camelthorn tree in Namib desert {Vachellia erioloba} Sossus Vlei, Namibia

Andrew Parkinson / Desert salt pan with shadow of dead Acacia tree Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei, Namibia

Andrew Parkinson / Sand dunes with shadows and dead Acacia tree Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei, Namibia

Hiroya Minakuchi / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead trees with sand dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Hiroya Minakuchi / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead trees with sand dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Hiroya Minakuchi / Camelthorn Acacia (Acacia erioloba) dead trees with sand dunes in background, Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand patterns, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand patterns, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Dead trees in front of sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dune, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Sand dunes, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Onne van der Wal / Small dinghies racing in a regatta during the Zeekoe Vlei Yacht Club (ZVYC) Races in Zeekoevlei, Cape Town, South Africa.

Onne van der Wal / Racing Dabchick Dinghies during the Zeekoe Vlei Yacht Club (ZVYC) Races in Zeekoevlei, Cape Town, South Africa.