Vlei in Afrikaans means ‘marsh or pan’, whereas Dead refers to the black or deadened trees.
The white clay pan encircled by soaring red sand dunes creates a spectacular contrast of color and makes it look ethereal.
Dead Vlei has trees that are more than nine hundred years old that saw extreme climate change centuries ago.
The white stretch of land is made of dry, cracked clay that can become extremely hot during the day.
The sand dunes encircling the marsh are the tallest in the world, some going up to 300 meters (1000 ft).
Dead Vlei’s climate is too harsh, with scorching heat during the daytime and minimal rainfall.
Dead Vlei is protected within the Namib Naukluft National Park, in order to preserve this unique ecosystem.