Namib Desert Live Stream

NamibiaCam’s Namib Desert waterhole lies within the Gondwana Namib Park - bordering the Namib Naukluft Park. Built in 2006, the special character of this waterhole, has not only an impact on the surrounding wildlife, but stretches across the globe, from home to home through live streaming. This particular waterhole is situated within an open plain, 8km from Namib Desert Lodge. A solar-powered borehole fills a nearby reservoir and is monitored by a water float that opens as the waterhole’s levels decline. Being situated within a remote destination like the Namib Desert, intermittent interruptions are likely to occur at times.

GPS coordinates : -24.074923, 15.887410

Our Live Stream receives between 500 to 2000 views at any given time during the day.

Where is the camera located?

The waterhole is within the privately owned Gondwana Namib Park, bordering the Namib Naukluft Park in the oldest desert of the world, called Namib Desert. This desert is largely located in Namibia, Southern Africa.

GPS coordinates : -24.074923, 15.887410 Elevation: 942m

In this private park, all man-made barriers have been removed, creating a space over 56,540 square kilometers (i.e. 21,830 sq mi) for Ecotourism as it was the only sustainable form of land use with the potential to balance the scales and restore the wildlife and vegetation, while nurturing the land.

Wildlife moves freely between the two parks and the other privately owned guest farms.

What do the animals eat - it looks dry?

There is grass, trees and bushes within one kilometer radius of the waterhole which currently provides sufficient food for the animals.

What predators are prevalent in the area?

There have been sightings of the following:

Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta)

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas)

Bat-eared fox ( Otocyon megalotis)

Cape fox (Vulpes chama)

Small spotted Genet (Genetta genetta)

What rock are the animals licking?

The animals are licking on a salt block or lick put out by the rangers of the park.

Salt blocks are deposit of mineral salts used by animals, primarily herbivore, to supplement essential nutrients like calcium magnesium, sodium and zinc ensuring enough minerals in their diets.

What animals can be seen?

Animals seen at the water include:

Gemsbok (Oryx gazella)

Angolan giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis)

Blue wildebeest \ Gnu (Connochaetes taurinus)

Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis)

Hartmann's mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae)

Burchell's zebra (Equus quagga burchelii)

Ostrich (Struthio camelus)

Common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)

Steenbok (Raphicercus campestris)

Common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia)

Cape hare (Lepus capensis)

Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis)

Feral Horses

Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta)

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas)

Bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis)

Cape fox (Vulpes chama)

Small spotted genet (Genetta genetta)

Aardwolf (Proteles cristata)

A variety of birds (Birding list to follow)

Where do the horses come from?

There are two feral or free-roaming horses that visit the waterhole at times.

These are from one of the surrounding farms and have entered the Park as there are no boundary fences.

Why are there people on bicycles?

The Namib Desert Lodge, which is 8km south of the waterhole, offers nature drives, alternatively guests can hire an e-bike to explore the Namib Desert on well-marked trails.

Will the water run dry?

A pipe feeds the waterhole from the reservoir and the flow is regulated via a float valve as the waterhole’s levels decline and refills as animal numbers reduce.

Animals could also drink at the reservoir 150m behind the camera but prefer the waterhole.

There is another waterhole 8km to the south at the Namib Desert Lodge.

Is the waterhole artificial or natural?

In response to reduced availability of natural water sources for wildlife, this artificial waterhole was build in 2006 after the farm was converted by Gondwana Collection Namibia into a nature reserve and game species which had once been indigenous to the area was reintroduced .

The waterhole was reconstructed in June 2021 with the round "rock" in the middle to reduce evaporation and provide birds a perch.

A solar-powered pump on a 100m (300ft) deep borehole draws water from the aquifer (groundwater) into a reservoir 150m to the north-east behind the camera. A pipe feeds the waterhole from the reservoir and the flow is regulated via a float valve and water refills automatically.

Are there lions, elephants, rhino or hippos?

These animals are not found in this area of Namibia.

They do however occur in the northern parts of Namibia.

How is the camera mounted?

The camera was installed in 2016 and is mounted on a pole 3 meters from the waterhole facing south-southeast.

It is powered by solar-panels and the data is sent via Wireless signal over 35km of dunes to the nearest service provider. Initially a live stream was sent to a website and changed to YouTube in June 2021. A microphone was installed in August 2021 to enhanced the experience watching the game. The camera was replaced in December 2021.

Is there any accommodation in the area ?

Yes we have a range of six different accommodation options within the area around and near the Namib Desert Waterhole :

The Desert Grace with modern mystique, the Namib Dune Star Camp with a bed under a starry canvas, the Desert Whisper as a luxurious lonely island in the sandy sea of the desert

and the Namib Desert Lodge is as elegant as it is down-to-earth at the foot of petrified dunes. Closer to nature is also possible with Namib Desert Camping2Go or at the Namib Desert Campsite.

The Gondwana Namib Park was established in 2004, when the Gondwana Collection purchased a local guest farm. Throughout the years more land was acquired and systematically all the fences were removed from the area. This includes the fences between neighbouring farms, creating a space over 56,540 square kilometers (meaning 21,830 sq mi) - wildlife moves freely between the two parks and the other privately owned guest farms. In Gondwana Namib Park the Namib experience covers two sides, three, in fact, as under the reddish sand there is brown sandstone – the fossilised dunes of an ancient Namib. Then there is the World Heritage Site of ‘Namib Sand Sea’, and only 60 km further south, the Namib shows yet another face: the valley of the ephemeral Tsauchab River – which cuts through the surging sand-sea and ends in famed Sossusvlei. But along with the fossilised dunes, Namib Sand Sea and Tsauchab River, a glorious new display has risen.

The Gondwana Namib Park protects the sensitive ecosystem of the desert. Finances nature conservation with environmentally conscious hospitality. And creates jobs with training and promotion opportunities for Namibians.

All to accommodation offerings based in the Gondwana Namib Park is built ecologically and include water-recycling plants, solar power, and responsible waste management programmes.

The waterhole seen on the Namibia Cam channel, is not the only water source available in the park. However, it is the only waterhole that is monitored.

Accommodation in the area

Oasis for heart and soul, only the whispering wind. On the dunes. In the desert. Under the stars. Feet in the cool water of the pool. A glass of wine in your hand. And your head full of impressions of an eventful day...

The accommodation at Gondwana Namib Park is an oasis for heart and soul. They allow you to arrive, to find yourself. Each space in its own way: The Desert Grace with modern mystique, the Namib Dune Star Camp with a bed under a starry canvas, the Desert Whisper as a luxurious lonely island in the sandy sea of the desert...

... and the Namib Desert Lodge is as elegant as it is down-to-earth at the foot of petrified dunes. Closer to nature is also possible: with Namib Desert Camping2Go or at the Namib Desert Campsite.