Otjikoto Lake


Otjikoto Lake is the smaller of only two permanent natural lakes in Namibia. It is a sinkhole lake that was created by a collapsing karst cave. It is located 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Tsumeb and only a few meters from the main road B1. The diameter of the lake is 102 metres (335 ft); its depth is undetermined. According to a Namibian tourism information organisation, "the depth varies from sixty two meters at the side to seven meters in the centre, and in some places leading off from the side depths of one hundred meters have been recorded", while an article in the Allgemeine Zeitung explains the depth problem: "the lake tapers into a lateral cave system making it impossible to determine its exact depth, estimated to be in access (sic) of 142 meters."