Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fish River Canyon is part of the
|Ai- |Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
, one of an
increasing number of 'peace' or cross-border parks in southern Africa. Straddling south-
ern Namibia and South Africa (and measuring 6045 sq km) it boasts one of the most
species-rich arid zones in the world. It also encompasses Richtersveld National Park (in
South Africa) and the Orange River valley.
History
The San have a legend that the wildly twisting Fish River Canyon was gouged out by a
frantically scrambling snake,
Koutein Kooru,
as he was pursued into the desert by hunters.
However, the geological story is a bit different…
Fish River, which joins the Orange River 110km south of the canyon, has been gouging
out this gorge for aeons. Surprisingly, Fish River Canyon is actually two canyons, one in-
side the other, which were formed in entirely different ways. It's thought that the original
sedimentary layers of shale, sandstone and loose igneous material around Fish River
Canyon were laid down nearly two billion years ago, and were later metamorphosed by
heat and pressure into more solid materials, such as gneiss. Just under a billion years ago,
cracks in the formation admitted intrusions of igneous material, which cooled to form the
dolerite dykes (which are now exposed in the inner canyon).
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FISH RIVER CANYON
The canyon, seen most clearly in the morning, is stark, very beautiful and seemingly carved into the earth by a
master builder - it flaunts an other-worldliness. The exposed rock and lack of plant life is quite startling. Its roun-
ded edges and sharp corners create a symphony in stone of gigantic and imposing proportions. If you have a view-
point to yourself it's a perfect place to reflect on this country's unique landscape, harsh environment and immense
horizons.
The surface was then eroded into a basin and covered by a shallow sea, which eventu-
ally filled with sediment - sandstone, conglomerate, quartzite, limestone and shale -
washed down from the surrounding exposed lands. Around 500 million years ago a period
of tectonic activity along crustal faults caused these layers to rift and to tilt at a 45° angle.
These forces opened a wide gap in the earth's crust and formed a large canyon.
This was what we now regard as the outer canyon, the bottom of which was the first
level of terraces that are visible approximately 170m below the eastern rim and 380m be-
low the western rim. This newly created valley naturally became a watercourse (the Fish
