Natural Splendours of Namibia, by Gerald Cubitt

Natural Splendours of Namibia, by Gerald Cubitt. Clifton Publications. Cape Town, South Africa 2014. ISBN 9780620590518 / ISBN 978-0-620-59051-8

Gerald's ability to capture the moods and colours of Namibia, his extensive travel experience, dedication and innate understanding of photography permeate the character of Natural Splendours of Namibia. It is moreover evident from the people he has photographed that he has successfully ignited the innate candour and welcoming nature of Namibians.

Gerald Cubitt  

The Touaregs in the Sahara say that you can never remember the desert, you can only experience it. This can well apply to Namibia, which with good reason is today regarded as one of Africa's top safari destinations. Gerald, like so many who visit Namibia, has clearly been captivated and enraptured by the cosmetic variety of the different seasons, the strong shades of colour at any given time of day, and by the sheer diversity of scene from the perspective of aerial panorama right down to the tiniest terrestrial detail. The Etosha National Park with justification features prominently. For those lacking the luxury of time to travel widely, this great wilderness provides one of the best game viewing and photographic experiences in all of Africa. Framing the confines of a massive dry salt pan, an interspersed series of water holes and artesian springs provide vital sustenance to a charismatic cast of elephants, lions, black rhinos, leopards and cheetah, zebras and giraffes as well as large herds of springbok, kudu, eland, wildebeest and the rare black- faced impala (endemic to this region and parts of southern Angola), and not least a host of lesser creatures of no less significance. This is one of the best localities in Africa to view black rhino. Namibia's epic efforts to protect and conserve this vulnerable and endangered species well merit continued support. Besides mammals and reptiles, Namibia is renowned for the richness of its 'birding' and this attracts enthusiasts by the thousand each year. The key to this success lies in its ornithological wealth (600 species-some 30% of Africa's avian diversity). The country's excellent road network, tourist accommodation infrastructure together with the wealth of professional information available are a boon to this and other specialist pursuits, as indeed for those of a more general nature. Ostriches racing across desert sands and the gravel plains of the Namib, the chance encounter with a crimson breasted shrike, the ever present lilac-breasted roller, the raucous northern black korhaan, regal blue crane, dainty pygmy falcon, ever-industrious weaver bird, gorgeous violet-billed waxbill, mysterious Herero chat and the brilliant inflamed colonies of carmine bee-eaters along the northern river ways - all provide lingering memories of a lifetime. The Namib desert's geriatric accolade as the world's oldest desert is significant in that nowhere else of similar formation has life taken to evolve and adapt so perfectly to the harsh conditions that prevail here. The ingenuity and adaptability of the wealth of species in this harsh environment can be experienced with time and a sharp eye on any dune: slithering coiled Peringuey's adders, so well camouflaged against the grains of sand, rolling 'White lady' spiders, curious Tenebrionid beetles that absorb moisture from the coastal mist, dune dancing shovel-snouted lizards, cryptic Damara chameleons, colourful Palmato geckoes - and not least, on the gravel plains, the unique bizarre and long-living Welwitschia plants with their strange orange flowers and tentacle-like ribbon leaves. Namibia's natural wealth is superlative for a country so dominated by desert. Recent new discoveries are testament to this diversity. These include in the last decade a new carnivore species from the Central Plateau (Black mongoose), a new near endemic and possibly breeding bird species along the Kunene river (Angola cave-chat) - and (in 2002) an entire new order of carnivorous 'phasmid' cricket known as 'Gladiator' which heralds from the Brandberg inselberg and Erongo mountain craters. In true form Gerald acknowledges and celebrates the rich ethnic diversity of this amazing land. [...]

This is an excerpt from Natural Splendours of Namibia, by Gerald Cubitt.

Title: Natural Splendours of Namibia
Author: Gerald Cubitt
Genre: Photobook
Publisher: Clifton Publications
Cape Town, South Africa 2014
ISBN 9780620590518 / ISBN 978-0-620-59051-8
Softcover, 22 x 29 cm, 136 pages, 182 colour photographs, 8 colour maps