etosha pan

Etosha Pan: A Guide to Namibia’s Salt Jewel

What is the Etosha Pan? This is an often-asked question with a simple answer. The Etosha Pan is the jewel in the crown of the Etosha National Park. And it’s easy to see why it’s described in such lofty terms! 

At 4800km², measuring 130kms long and 50kms in its widest parts, it’s the largest salt pan in Africa. The flat, oval-shaped pan accounts for almost one-quarter of the National Park and is so large that it is possible to see it from space!

what is the etosha pan
JohanSwanepoel / Depositphotos

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The Etosha Pan Legend

Hai//om Legend would have us believe that thousands of years ago, a small village existed in Etosha. Rival tribesmen pillaged one day, slaughtering all of the inhabitants, except for a single woman. 

She cried so hard in mourning for her lost loved ones that her tears formed a lake. When the sun evaporated the water, all that it left behind was the salt from her tears. This was the creation of the Etosha salt pan.  

In reality, the pan is a naturally occurring phenomenon, formed more than 100-million years ago. It is a simple hollow in the ground where water has evaporated, leaving behind mineral, salt deposits.

The Etosha pan was once a lake, bigger than any you could imagine. Due to an ever-changing climate combined with a tectonic shift, the Kunene River that once fed the lake redirected out to the Atlantic Ocean. 

In the modern-day, the pan receives water from the Ekuma and Oshigambo Rivers. This happens during a wet period, when rainfall is exceptionally high. It’s a rare occurrence, happening only in summer and lasting briefly. Soon the water evaporates in the relentless sun.

The Etosha pan is dry for most, if not all the year.

Where is Etosha Pan?

Once visitors have learned the answer to, What is the Etosha Pan, they often wonder where to find it. Well, Northern Namibia is home to one of the largest and most significant game reserves in Africa, the Etosha National Park

The park is a fenced reserve that teems with an abundance of wildlife. Open year-round, it’s accessible from many regions, and is a safe place to visit for a day or stay for a vacation.

The Etosha Pan is in the eastern region of Etosha National Park. It’s by far the largest of the three salt pans in the park. It’s a must whether you have just a few days in the country or are embarking on the best 2 week itinerary in Namibia.

What Is a Salt Pan?

A salt pan is a beautiful but desolate-looking depression in the earth. Salt pans are the result of a large body of water such as a lake drying up over time. 

This evaporation happens faster than the water is replenished and leaves behind a thick layer of salt and other minerals. These areas usually appear as a bright white often sparkly expanse under the sun.

Salt pans can develop into unique ecosystems. They are often home to specialised species of plants, animals and birds that adapt to survive in the harsh environment.

Is There Anything To See at the Etosha Pan?

Etosha Pan is an incredibly unique and diverse ecosystem. Despite the harsh conditions on this arid land, Etosha Pan is home to some incredible varieties of flora and fauna.

The vegetation of Etosha is predominantly made up of grasses and shrubs adapted to semi-arid climate, such as Commiphora Marlothii, Acacia Mellifera and Vachellia Karroo. Other plants include succulents, lichens, and some species of cacti.

During the dry season, expect shimmering shades of white and green; you won’t be disappointed. Be prepared for the abundant nature and wildlife that surround you, more than you might imagine.  

The pan may be inhospitable to lots of plant life, but some hardy grasses are tolerant enough to survive. Halophytic grass is a favorite of the grazers and grows in abundance. 

Much of the grassland of Etosha is by the pan; it grows well in the sandy soil found there. Grassy plains, known as savannahs, virtually surround the pan.

etosha pan national park
OndrejProsicky / Depositphotos

Flora and Fauna

The Etosha pan is a harsh and dry land with little vegetation. It supports very little wildlife for most of the year; but now and then, when conditions are right, this desert becomes home to many migratory birds who come from afar.

The hyper-saline pan also provides habitat for brine shrimp, which can survive anywhere saltwater collects. As well, some extremophile microorganisms live here despite its high saline content. 

These organisms have adapted over time, so they’re able to call this place their own! 

In times of exceptionally high rainfall, the tributary rivers overflow, creating shallow lakes up to 46 cm deep in the pan. A “typical” rainy period creates ponds of no more than 10 cm from October through March each year. This is Namibia’s summer.

The dry basin becomes a temporary oasis. The rains result in one of the most magnificent sights to behold; a blur of pinks and whites as wading birds descend to the water’s edge.

It becomes the only known mass breeding ground for flamingos in Namibia. At any one time, their number can reach around 1-million birds. They are joined by storks, great white pelicans, and grebes, all taking advantage of the watering hole.

Many mammals also trek across the pan, usually searching for water. The highly alkaline rainwater provides excellent salty nutrition for the animals. 

Zebra, giraffe, and elephants are common sightings even in dry periods, trudging through the bleak, chalky whiteness of the pan. Endangered black rhinos can be seen as well. 

Small wildlife is easier to spot against the backdrop of white. Jackals, bat-eared foxes, honey badgers, and ground squirrels forage for food. These are just some of the smaller creatures that inhabit the Etosha pan and surrounding savannah.

Visiting Etosha Pan

Any visit to Etosha Park wouldn’t be complete without traveling to the far eastern corner to wonder at the Etosha pan. It is a vast expanse of desolate, white soil; that shimmers in the merciless heat from the sun. 

It remains difficult to comprehend how the pan (that wouldn’t look out of place in a sci-fi movie) is home to mammals, reptiles, birds, and lush vegetation.  

Translated, Etosha means Great White Palace, and it is easy to see why.

The Etosha pan is within Etosha National Park and is designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. It’s also a World Wildlife Fund ecoregion.

If you don’t believe me, go and see for yourself!

Frequently Asked Questions

Most frequently asked questions and answers
+ What is Unique About The Etosha Salt Pan?

The Etosha Salt Pan is the centre of the wildlife-rich, 8,598 square mile (22,269 square km) park. It hosts a large concentration of old and new world big game species such as lions, elephants, rhinos, elephants, zebras and springboks. This natural safari has been a favourite amongst travellers who enjoy seeing Africa’s animals close up in their native habitat for decades.

In fact, in 2016 the pristine Etosha Pan was placed on the tentative list to be considered for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

+ How Did the Salt Pan Form?

It is believed that the Etosha pans were developed when tectonic plates shifted over 100 million years ago. They are thought to have been created by a wet climate phase in southern Africa around 16,000 years ago. The melting of ice sheets across land masses of Northern hemispheres like Europe were also a part of their creation.

+ Is Etosha North or South of Windhoek?

The famous Etosha Pan lies to the north east of Windhoek. It stretches over 800 sq km into what is also known as “Namib Desert”. Etosha is a popular destination for wildlife photographers and tourists. It’s also one of the top 10 wildlife parks in Africa.

+ Is Etosha Pan salty?

When the pan is dry, it is an expanse of salt and other minerals left over from the body of water that once filled the space. When heavy rains fall, the resulting waterhole is heavily salted. 

carley rojas avila

Carley Rojas Avila is a bilingual New York-based travel writer, editor, content marketer, and the founder of the digital travel publications Explorers Away and Home to Havana. Carley is an expert on all things Latin America, the Caribbean, and Cuba, having lived and worked in four different countries in the region. Her writing has appeared on the Associated Press wires and in Travel + Leisure, Yahoo, MSN, Euronews, The Weather Channel, and more. When she's not writing about her travels, find her front row at a Bad Bunny concert, befriending street cats, and taste-testing every pizza in Havana.