Mystery solved

Nama Starburst - Namibia's own alien landing pad ......

A few years ago on our first photographic expedition through Namibia, we came across this unique starburst pattern south of Henties Bay etched into the desert floor. It is one of our more fascinating prints and has been printed in countless publications.

When asked what it is, we have never been able to truthfully answer and have always hazarded guesses such as an alien landing pad, a type of sundial, a giant artwork created by a highly motivated and obviously eccentric German artist or perhaps the lines have something to do with the saltworks that are so prevalent along the Skeleton coast. We were never quite sure.

Last week after posting the image on our facebook page we were contacted by Bertie and Willie Kotze who had seen the image and decided to research it further.


It turns out that these are the remains of a discontinued Decca navigation system or radar station. The grid pattern is a system of underground cables which were part of the operational system. The cables have been laid at 6 degrees apart except for one skew one that had to go around a rock.

The Decca navigation system was used for many years on the South African and Namibian coastlines primarily for ship navigation and abandoned at Namibian independence.

It seems that we are the first people to have spotted this unique place from above in over 40 years.

Although grateful to have found out exactly what the origins are of Nama Starburst, we are however a little sad to have to finally give up our more whimsical fantasies of what created it!

Thanks to Bertie and Willie Kotze for solving the mystery