Fish River Canyon
The Fish river is the longest river in Namibia, with 650 kilometres in length. The stream rises in the eastern Naukluft Mountains and flows southwest of Ai-Ais in the Orange river.
The Fish River Canyon, situated along the lower foothills of the Fish River, is one of the most impressive natural beauties in the southern part of Namibia. The area is mainly generated during the pluvial period (a very rainy period) many millions of years ago. The Fish River Canyon, with a depth of 550 meters, is the second largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon in America. The huge gap winds over a distance of about 160 kilometres through the fissured Koubis massif from Seeheim all the way down and ends in Ai-Ais.
The Fish River Canyon was formed about 500 million years ago. The ravine is not only caused by water erosion, but also by the collapse of the bottom of the valley after crustal movements.
Since the Fish River is contained in Hardap in Mariental, there remains a small amount of running water. In the winter, during the dry season, the riverbed is often completely dry or reduced to a puddle here and there. After the rainfall in the summer, the river can really change into a raging current.
