Lake Otjikoto. History and mystery

Subtitle: History and Mystery
Author: Siegfried Agenbag
Publisher: Namibia Scientific Society
4th edition. Windhoek, Namibia 2004
ISBN 9991640223 / ISBN 99916-40-22-3
ISBN 9783936858549 / ISBN 978-3-936858-54-9
Softcover, 21 x 29 cm, 19 pages, 16 photos, text: English / German

Description:

"Otjikoto" is derived from the Otjiherero language and means "a deep hole". The San called the lake "gaisis", which means "very ugly", because they were afraid of this large hole. Lake Otjikoto played an important role as a trading post before the arrival of the first Europeans and was once a large dolomite cave in the Karstveld area. The lake was exposed when the dome of the cave, which now lies at the bottom of the lake, collapsed. Its depth varies from 62 m at the sides to 71 m in the centre, although there are places where the measured depth exceeds 100 m, but no one has seen its deepest part. The diameter is approximately 102 m, with the surface covering 7 075 m . The lake is shaped like a calabash, and what the visitor sees is the stem of the calabash. What is known about Lake Otjikoto thus far, and what has been retrieved from its waters, is the achievement of professional divers who, mainly during their spare time and at their own expense, spent countless hours under water to determine the exact size of the lake and to discover more about the mysteries it holds. Using modern equipment, the divers are currently busy surveying the lake and its various underwater caves, the depth of many of which is still unknown. In Lake Otjikoto: History and Mystery, Siegfried Agenbag has compiled data and facts on the history, fauna, flora and the contemporary technical infrastructure nearby, and on the rumours and secrets about the dark and bottomless waters.

Content: Lake Otjikoto. History and Mystery

Preface
Tsumeb
Sir Francis Galton, 1822-1911
Lake Otjikoto
Geological Details
Exploration of the Lake
Fauna and Flora
The Fish of the Lake Otjikoto
Bird Species at the Lake Otjikoto
Trees ans Shrubs of the Oshikoto Region
Mammals and Reptiles at Lake Otjikoto
Historical Objects
History of the Guns in the Lake
Mysterious Lake
Underwater Museum
Proclamation as a National Monument
Description
Historical and Natrural Interest
References