17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Oryx on the Sossusvlei Dune

Sossusvlei is known for its high dunes. This wind pattern also means that the dunes hardly move. The sand here is five million years old. It is comprised mostly of tiny grains of coated in a thin layer of iron oxide, giving the Namib its distinctive red color. I was lucky enough to get this frame wherein you can see the Qrxy standing right on the tip of the full dune crust and the fog forming a tornado right in the center of the dune with cloud in the form of rays from the top giving it a halo effect.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2019
Photo Location: Namibia
Copyright: © THOMAS VIJAYAN