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Otjikoto Lake & Lake Guinas

Introduction & planning tips

One of the most interesting stops en route to the Etosha National Park (Von Lindequist Gate) is at Otjikoto Lake, a national monument and a site with a lot of history, some mystery and ecological fascination below its surface. And, itinerary permitting, visits to the Tsumeb Museum and its sister lake, Lake Guinas, may also be included. Read more >>

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Consultants' map

Otjikoto Lake & Lake Guinas fall in the malaria area. See basic Malaria precautions and guidelines

Consultants' folder

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Planning information

* If only visiting Otjikoto Lake, allow for about an hour. This will let the visitor look at the lake, take photos and visit the information centre.
* If also visiting Guinas Lake, allow for half a day in the area, at least.

Note: The Tsumeb Museum, in Tsumeb, has a desplay on the arms and artefacts retrieved from Otjikoto Lake and gives detailed information on the geology and history of the are. A visit to Otjikoto Lake should, if possible, be combined with a visit to the Tsumeb Museum.

Otjikoto Lake
* There is a small kiosk
* Information Centre
* No petrol station
* No banking facilities
Note: Travellers should be adviced to refuel and obtain cash for entrance fees and the kiosk in the closest town before departing to Otjikoto Lake.

Lake Guinas
There are NO facilities whatsoever at Lake Guinas.
Note: Travellers should be adviced to refuel and stock up their coolbox in the closest town before departing to Lake Guinas.

Itinerary
As Otjikoto Lake is located right next to the B1 en route from Tsumeb to the Etosha National Park or Oshakati it is easy to include a quick one hour stop at the lake.

As Lake Guinas is not near a main road, a bit more planning and time is required. If driving from Otavi to Etosha or the other way around, Lake Guinas can be included by taking a detour via the D3031 and D3043. Please note this cuts out a visit to Tsumeb.

Malaria
Otjioko Lake lies in the malaria area. Travellers should read the basic Malaria precautions and guidelines.

Cash
For a visit to Otjikoto Lake traveller should carry enough Namibian Dollars to pay the entry fee and buy cooldrinks and snacks at the kiosk. If visiting Lake Guinas, no cash is required, however a coolbox stocked with water and other refreshments should be carried.

Swimming & diving
Swimming is not permitted. Diving is permitted, but requires a diver certification and a permit. The easiest way to go diving is to liaise with a local diving club.

Otjikoto Lake is subject to the rules of the National Monuments Council. On no account should travellers attempt to remove anything from the site.

Both lakes are home to a critically endangered species of fish, the Otjikoto tilapia. Under no circumstances litter or pollute in or around the lakes.

Lake Otjikoto
* The lake
* A sense of history

visited by Charles Andersson and Francis Galton,
site of dumping of ammunition prior to cessation of hostilities between the Union of South Africa and the Germans during World War 1

* Birdwatching
* Geology
* Diving to the underwater museum (with a special permit)
* Home to the critically endangered Otjikoto tilapia
Note: There are related displays at the Tsumeb Museum.

Guinas Lake
* Somewhat off the beaten track
* The lake
* Birdwatching
* Geology
* Home to the critically endangered Otjikoto tilapia

Otjikoto Lake is a small circular lake that was formed when the roof of a huge, water-filled, underground cave collapsed. Beneath the surface, the lake is in the shape of an inverted mushroom. The lake is estimated to reach a depth of between 62 and 142 m. Stalactites submerged in the lake place the age of the cave from which the lake was formed at about 80,000 years old. The lake is surrounded by high dolomite sides, where the roof of the cave collapsed.

The bush around the lake is dense, so travellers are limited mainly to an area that has been cleared at the access point to the lake. There is a small display board on the history and other points of interest about the site, and a kiosk which sells refreshments and snacks. A larger display can be seen at the Tsumeb Museum.

The main point of interest is the fact that German colonial troops dumped weapons and ammunition into the lake to prevent it falling into the hands of British forces, before surrendering in 1915. Other points of interest include

that it was visited by Andersson and Galton,
the legend that the lake is bottomless,
fossilised algae dated from 600 – 700 million years old,
rare fish species,
geology and
bird watching

Diving is possible, but only recommended for expert divers due to the considerable depth. A permit is required for diving. Divers should be advised to liaise with the local diving club.

Otjikoto Lake is part of a system of underground caves. The cave system connects Otjikoto to its sister lake, Guinas. Guinas Lake is more picturesque and larger than Otjikoto, but without the sense of history. In order to reach Guinas Lake, the traveller will need to drive a distance of 1 km on tar and 30 km on gravel making for a round trip of 62 km.

What is particularly interesting about Lake Guinas is that it has existed for so long that a unique species of fish Otjikoto tilapia, Tilapia guinasana, evolved in its depths.

The Tsumeb Museum lies in Main Street, Tsumeb, next to the Lutheran Church and opposite the park.

The museum houses excellent displays of:

the area's rare minerals and mining history
Bushmen and Himba artefacts
details the history of the German colonial forces in the area
arms and artefacts retrieved from Otjikoto Lake

Open:
Monday to Friday: 09:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00
Saturday: 09:00 to 12:00
Sunday & Public Holidays: CLOSED (For groups of a minimum of 10 guests and under the condition of a minimum 24 hour prior reservation, special arrangements can be made)

Entrance Fees:
Monday to Saturday
Adults: N$ 25
Children under 14 years of age: N$ 3
Sunday & Public Holidays by special pre arrangement: N$ 25

Contact details:
Tel: +264 - (0)67 - 220 447
E-mail: tsumus@iway.na

Note: Entrance fees were provided on the 12.02.2010 and are a guideline only and may change without advance notice.

First visited by Europeans, Francis Galton and Charles Andersson, in 1851. The lake is well known for the fact that retreating German forces dumped ammunition and weapons in the lake before surrendering to British troops in 1915. Some of these are on display at the Tsumeb Museum. There is also an underwater museum in the lake that is accessible to divers.

Two interesting myths have sprung up:

that the German forces dumped a safe containing 6 million gold marks in Otjikoto, and
that the lake is bottomless.

In 1907, a pump house was erected to pump water from Otjikoto Lake to Tsumeb. The pump hose is still in use today, but instead of transporting water from Otjikoto to Tsumeb, it now pumps drinking water from Tsumeb to houses around Otjikoto.

A group of stromatolite fossils is on display at Otjikoto Lake. These fossils of primitive algae plants flourished 600 – 700 million years ago in a warm, shallow sea that covered the northern part of Namibia at the time.

Otjikoto Lake is part of a large karst formation, and was formed from the remnants of a huge cave in the karst formation in the area. The age of the cave is known to be at least 80,000 years, and has been deduced from the age of a stalactite brought up from the waters of the lake. The depth of the lake is unknown, as it slants off to depths that are not measurable, but it is estimated to reach a depth of between 62 and 142 m. It is likely that the lake is connected to huge cave formations, and is linked to Lake Guinas.

In nearby Tsumeb, a huge mineral pipe consists of polymetallic ore containing copper, lead, silver, gold, arsenic, germanium and zinc. It also contains over 240 mineral specimens, including rare and unique minerals, such as feinglosite, leiteite and ludockite. Tsumeb is considered by many as one of the greatest mineral localities in the world. The town museum features displays on the minerals found in the Tsumeb mine.

Otjikoto Lake
Originally the only species of fish found in Otjikoto Lake was the Southern mouthbrooder, Pseudocrenlabrus philander. The Otjikoto tilapia, Tilapia guinasana and the Mozambique tilapia were introduced later.

Lake Guinas
The Otjikoto tilapia is the only fish found in Lake Guinas. Due to its critically endangered status and its sensitivity to other species, every effort is being made to protect the species, and captive breeding programmes have been suggested.

Travel details

* Otjikoto Lake can be visited in a small 2 X 4 sedan all year round.
* The gravel road to Lake Guinas may require a 4 X 4 during the rainy season (October to April).

* Tsumeb
* Hoba Meteorite
* Grootfontein
* Otavi
* Etosha National Park (Von Lindequist Gate)
* Oshakati
* Otjiwarongo
* Waterberg
* Rundu

Tsumeb
Tsumeb to Otjikoto Lake is approx. 20 km
* From Tsumeb drive northwest on the B1 to the Otjikoto sign (approx. 20 km)
The entire route is on tar road.

Grootfontein
Grootfontein to Otjikoto Lake is approx. 77 km
* From Grootfontein drive on the C42 to Tsumeb (approx. 57 km)
* From Tsumeb drive northwest on the B1 to the Otjikoto sign (approx. 20 km)
The entire route is on tar road.
Detour attraction: Hoba Meteorite

Otavi
Otavi to Otjikoto Lake is approx. 82 km
* From Otavi drive on the B1 to Tsumeb (approx. 62 km)
* From Tsumeb drive northwest on the B1 to the Otjikoto sign (approx. 20 km)
The entire route is on tar road.

Etosha National Park (Von Lindequist Gate)
Etosha (Von Lindequist Gate) to Otjikoto Lake is approx. 79 km
* From the Von Lindequist Gate take the C83 to the B1 turn off (approx. 25 km)
* Turn right into the B1 and drive to the Otjikoto sign (approx. 54 km)
The entire route is on tar road.

Oshakati
Oshakati to Otjikoto Lake is approx. 265 km
* From Oshakati take the B1 south east to the Otjikoto sign (approx. 265 km)
The entire route is on tar road.

Otjiwarongo
From Otjiwarongo to Otjikoto Lake is approx. 201 km
* From Otjiwarongo drive north on the B1 to Otavi (approx. 119 km)
* From Otavi drive north on the B1 to Tsumeb ( approx. 62 km)
* From Tsumeb drive northwest on the B1 to the Otjikoto sign (approx. 20 km)
The entire route is on tar road.

Waterberg
Waterberg to Otjikoto Lake is approx. 294 km
* From Waterberg drive south on the D2512 to the C22 turn off (approx. 24 km)
* Turn right into the C22 and continue to the B1 turn off (approx. 41 km)
* Turn right into the B1 and drive to Otjiwarongo (approx. 28 km)
* From Otjiwarongo drive north on the B1 to Otavi (approx. 119 km)
* From Otavi drive north on the B1 to Tsumeb ( approx. 62 km)
* From Tsumeb drive northwest on the B1 to the Otjikoto sign (approx. 20 km)
The D2512 is gravel road. The rest of the route is tar road.

Rundu
Rundu to Otjikoto is approx. 329 km
* From Rundu drive south west on the B8 to Grootfontein (approx. 252 km)
* From Grootfontein drive north west on the C42 to Tsumeb (approx. 57 km)
* From Tsumeb drive northwest on the B1 to the Otjikoto sign (approx. 20 km)
The entire route is on tar road.
Detour attraction: Hoba Meteorite

Otavi to Lake Guinas
From Otavi to Lake Guinas is approx. 48 km
* From Otavi take the D3031 and drive to the Lake Guinas sign (approx. 48 km)
* Walk down to Lake Guinas (approx. 100 m)
The entire route is gravel road.

Tsumeb to Lake Guinas
From Tsumeb to lake Guinas is approx. 53 km
* From Tsumeb take the B1 and drive to the D3034 turn off (approx. 26 km)
* Turn left onto the D3034 and drive to the D3031 turn off (approx. 19 km)
* Turn left onto the D3031 and drive to the Lake Guinas sign (approx. 8 km)
* Walk down to Lake Guinas (approx. 100 m)
TheB1 is tar road. The rest of the route is gravel road.

The closest airstrip to Otjikoto Lake and Lake Guinas is the Tsumeb Airport

Tsumeb Airport (FYTM)
South: 19 degrees 16’ 00”
East: 17 degrees 44’ 00"
Length: 1,470 meters
Width: 17 meters
Elevation: 4,353 feet
Direction: 12/30
Surface: Tar

Information provided by Red Sky Ventures

Accomms index

Marketing descriptions

Background for clients & guides

The San knew Otjikoto as ‘Gaisis’, which means ‘ugly’. The Herero gave it the name ‘Otjikoto’ which means ‘deep hole’.

During summer, the temperature rises to approximately 30 C. In winter temperatures during the midday range between 18 and 25 C, however temperatures can fall below 0 C at night and in the early morning.

Otjikoto Lake has long been known to the original inhabitants of the area. The San knew it as ‘Gaisis’, which means ‘ugly’. The Herero gave it the name ‘Otjikoto’ which means ‘deep hole’.

On 26 May 1851, European explorers Galton and Andersson came upon the lake, and Galton noted in his book "The Narrative of an Explorer in Tropical Southern Africa". "Without the least warning we came suddenly upon that remarkable tarn, Otchikoto. It is a deep bucket-shaped hole, exactly like Orujo, but far larger ....". He further noted "There were small fish in the water; it is curious how they got there."

Subsequent exploration proved that the area around the lake was rich in copper. This had long been known to the people living in the area, and trading in copper artefacts formed part of the traditional economy of the area. The skills required to smelt the copper are believed to have been introduced to the area around 500 AD by Hamitic people who migrated from north Africa and intermarried with the San.

In the second half of the 19th century, the area was settled by German colonials, who were attracted by water and copper. The copper was mined by the Otavi Minen und Eisenbahn Gesellschaft, OMEG. Otjikoto became an important trading post.

In 1914 war broke out. In June 1915, German colonial forces, known as Schutztruppe, retreated from Union forces, and were on the point of surrender. In order to prevent their arms and ammunition falling into the hands of the Union forces, they dumped large amounts of material into the lake. Some of this was retrieved by the advancing forces. Two of these cannons are on display outside the Tintenpalast in Windhoek. Most of the material, retrieved by divers in the late 20th century, is on display at the Tsumeb Museum. Some of the ammunition forms part of the underwater museum beneath Otjikoto Lake, and can be seen by divers, with special permits.

Legend has it that a sealed safe containing 6 million gold marks was deposited in the lake in June 1915. However a large amount of intense and hopeful diving has failed to yield this treasure.

Legend also has it that the lake is bottomless. This is due to the fact that a postmaster drowned while swimming in the lake in 1927 and his body was never recovered.

Originally the only species of fish found in Otjikoto lake was the Southern mouthbrooder, Pseudocrenlabrus philander but the Otjikoto tilapia, Tilapia guinasana and Mozambique tilapia were introduced later. The Otjikoto tilapia is the only fish found in Lake Guinas. Due to its critically endangered status and its sensitivity to other species, every effort is being made to protect the species, and captive breeding programmes have been suggested. Both the Otjikoto tilapia and the Southern mouthbrooder are harmless.

The Otjikoto tilapia

The Otjikoto tilapia, Tilapia guinasana, was first noted by Dr Karl Jordan, a naturalist who travelled through the country noting new species in the early 20th century. Although its common name is the Otjikoto tilapia, it was discovered in Lake Guinas where it evolved on its own, and later introduced to Otjikoto Lake. It has since been introduced to several reservoirs and has been found in underground rivers.

It survives best in sinkhole lakes with a depth of 100 m or more. It prefers fairly clear water and temperatures of between 19 and 27 C. It feeds on algae and diatoms, microscopic single-celled plants.

Otijkoto tilapia gather on the high vertical sides of the lakes to feed. They breed on narrow shelves of the underwater cliffs and in shallow hollows in the cliffs. Both the male and the female fish defend their territory and eggs. If a nest is left alone for more than a few minutes, the eggs will be eaten and / or taken over by another pair of fish.

Although Otjikoto tilapia are capable of doubling their population in 15 months, they are regarded as critically endangered due to depletion of the groundwater level and introduced species such as the Mozambique tilapia.

The Otjikoto tilapia grows to a length of 14 cm, is ray finned and lives to an age of about 5 years. In Lake Guinas, it shows a wide range of colors, ranging from black to silver with mottled spots of black, blue, green, pink and red. There is no explanation for the unusual variety of colours, but one theory is that the fish has developed the wide range of colours due to the fact that it has no predators in its natural environment. This is supported by the fact that the Otjikoto tilapia in Otjikoto Lake are threatened by other species, and the population has developed a barred, olive-green colour.

The Southern mouthbrooder

The Southern mouthbrooder, Pseudocrenilabrus philander, is known as a mouthbrooder due to the fact that it looks after its young, known as fry, in its mouth, until they are able to fend for themselves.

The fish is found across most of southern Africa, including the Orange River system, Cunene, Okavango, the Zambezi system, and Lake Malawi. It is not endangered, but it is interesting nonetheless, for its method of looking after its young. Its preferred habitats are sinkholes such as Lake Otjikoto and quiet spots in flowing rivers. Habitats with some vegetation are preferred. Its preferred temperature is between 22 and 25 C.

The fish breeds from early spring to late summer. The males build a simple, cleared nest and defend a territory to attract females. When the female lays eggs, the male fertilizes them. The female then collects the eggs and carries them to a nursery area. When the eggs hatch, she takes them in her mouth and in this way defends them against predators. Southern mouthbrooders can double their population between 18 months and four-and-a-half years.

The Southern mouthbrooder grows to about 13 cm long and lives for about 5 years. It feeds on insects, shrimp and small fish. It has a small, rounded pectoral fin and a rounded caudal fin. It has a greenish, yellow colour.

Otjikoto Lake

Otjikoto is part of a large karst formation. A karst formation occurs when mildly acidic water dissolves softer carbonate minerals such as dolomite, limestone or gypsum leaving a network of grooves, wide cracks and caves in the surrounding rocks.

Otjikoto Lake was formed from the remnants of a huge cave in the karst formation in the area. At a certain point, the top of the cave collapsed leaving an exposed open area, and in this area the lake formed. The remains of the cap can be seen in the lake below. The age of the cave is known to be at least 80,000 years, and has been deduced from the age of a stalactite brought up from the waters of the lake.

The depth of the lake is unknown, as it slants off to depths that are not measurable. It is likely that the lake is connected to huge cave formations, and is linked to Lake Guinas.

The Tsumeb Deposits

A huge mineral pipe stretches downwards, for at least 1,300 m from the base of Tsumeb. The pipe lies in the Precambrian Otavi dolomite which has an age of between 740 and 750 million years. It is believed that the rock in the pipe was formed by sand that seeped through with water into the same karst formation as Otjikoto Lake. However some believe that the rock may be volcanic.

The ore is polymetallic, with elements of copper, lead, silver, gold, arsenic, germanium and zinc. It also contains rare and unique minerals, much prized by collectors, such as feinglosite, leiteite and ludockite.

The area has long been the site of mining. In the 20th century, much of the ore was removed by cut and fill methods. Mining is still a mainstay of the economy of Tsumeb, but on a reduced scale.

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