PROJECT OTJIKOTO
SCIENCE - EXPLORATION
|
© Copyright on all photo/film and text. No authorisation for use of photo/film and text in any form unless GIVEN permission FROM AQUATEC - INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. |
|
|
PRESET
|
LAKE OTJIKOTO IS A SINKHOLE AT 1450 METERS ALTITUDE AND PRESENTS A RICH GEOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY WITH UNIQUE BIOLOGICAL FEATURES. THE LAKE IS A NATIONAL MONUMENT AND THE ONLY UNDERWATER WAR MUSEUM IN THE WORLD. DURING A PREVIOUS PROJECT IN NAMIBIA (SEE ACTIVITIES PAGE) AQUATEC - INNERSPACE OPERATIONS ltd. WAS ABLE TO CONDUCT ON SITE PREPARATORY INVESTIGATIONS. |
|
PROJECT GOAL |
IS A Historical and scientific EXPLORATION of “Lake OTJIKOTO” and the production of a documentary film for international display. |
|
LOCATION |
SOUTH-WEST AFRICA, NAMIBIA 18 KM FROM TSUMEB POSITION: S19°11.6902' E017°32.9125' ALTITUDE: 1450 METERS. |
|
TIME PLAN |
60 DAYS IN 2006. |
|
THE TEAM |
35 PEOPLE +. COMPRISING OF: |
|
|
, "OTJIKOTO DIVING ENTERPRISES" AND AQUATEC - INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. ARE THE ORGANIZERS and managers OF THE PROJECT. |
|
NAMIBIAN UNDERWATER FEDERATION |
(NUF), BEING THE GOVERNING BODY FOR UNDERWATER SPORT IN NAMIBIA. THEY ARE THE OFFICIAL CURATORS OF THE MONUMENT AND MUSEUM. ALL DIVING IN THE LAKE IS REGULATED THROUGH NUF. |
|
WINDHOEK UNDERWATER CLUB |
(WUC), IS THE REGARDING DIVE CLUB OF NUF. AQUATEC - INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. IS A MEMBER OF THE WUC. |
|
TSUMEB MUSEUM
|
IS DISPLAYING SEVERAL SALVAGED ITEMS OF THE OTJIKOTO UNDERWATER MUSEUM. |
|
|
together with "dan burton photography" is in charge for media management. adventure television WILL PRODUCE A DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT THE PROJECT, WHICH INCLUDES TOPSIDE AND UNDERWATER SEQUENCES. ADVENTURE-TV will field a team of four technical divers/cameramen, as well as three topside crews plus safety divers and all the requisite re-breathing units, and up to date Scuba equipment. ADDITIONAL THEY will also have a full production team on site. |
|
media |
for the project film documentary will include a co-production team with several international renowned production companies. |
|
SPONSORS |
|
|
geological EXPLORATION PLAN
GEOLOGICAL FACTS
|
Geological history of the lake formation. Present geological features and developments underwater. Mapping and measurement of the lake underwater. Sampling and scientific identification. Equipment: DIVERS, ROV, side scan and sub bottom profiling. 3D MAPPER. The geological history of lake OTJIKOTO shall establish the formation and development of this water habitat throughout historic times. Present day geological underwater features and ongoing hydro geological developments shall be specified including the exact mapping and measurement of the lake underwater. For scientific studies sampling of lake walls and bottom constitutions in small quantities are planned. THE LAKE IS A SINKHOLE FILLED WITH WATER IN A LIMESTONE AREA. IT DEVELOPED WHEN THE ROOF OF THE FORMER CAVE COLLAPSED FALLING INTO THE CENTRE OF THE CAVITY. THE UNDERWORLD OF THIS SINKHOLE CAN BE IMAGINED IN THE FORM OF AN UP-SIDE-DOWN MUSHROOM WITH A SUBMERGED MOUNTAIN IN THE MIDDLE. THE OTJIKOTO SINKHOLE IS CLASSIFIED AS A TYPE 3 CAVE FOR DIVING BY THE INTERNATIONAL BODY CMAS BECAUSE OF THE LAKE LOCATION AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1450 METERS WITH OVERHANGS / SLOPES AT ITS SIDES. MOST SLOPES HAVE OVER 45 DEGREES ANGLE. WATER DEPTHS AROUND THE SHORE BORDER OF THE LAKE VARY BETWEEN -62 METERS AND - 85 METERS; IN THE MIDDLE -64 METERS. ROV FLIES FROM THE OVERHANGS STOPPED AT WATER DEPTHS OF -120 METERS DUE TO RESTRICTIONS. LAKE DIAMETER IS ABOUT 102 METERS WITH A SURFACE OF 7075 SQUARE METERS. THE AREA IS RICH IN METALS. |
|
biological EXPLORATION PLAN
BIOLOGICAL FACTS
|
Marine FLORA AND FAUNA. IMPACTS OF NATURAL AND UNNATURAL WATER MOVEMENTS OF THE LAKE. Pollution impacts. Sampling and scientific evaluation. Medical MONITORING AND TESTS of divers under extreme dive conditions. The biological EXPLORATION of lake OTJIKOTO is focused to the underwater habitat and shall scientifically establish a study of the flora and fauna of the lake environment. Importance shall be put on human impact on this environment especially regarding the use of the water body and possible polluting factors. Sampling SHALL BE DONE. the medical, biochemical and physical evaluation of deep divers under extreme dive conditions working in all project divisions provides a chance of data compilation for dive medicine science. THE LAKE IS INHABITED BY SMALL COLORFUL FISH, WHICH ORIGINATED FROM LAKE GUINAS. THEY ARE CALLED: "TILAPIA GUINASIA (INDIGENOUS)". ON THIS PLANET THEY CAN BE FOUND ONLY IN THESE LAKES. THEY ARE a rare species of mouth-breeding (or mouth brooding) fish. These Cichlids are only found in the waters of South America, some parts of East Africa, i.e. Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi, and in South West Africa. The cichlids living in OTJIKOTO lake are of two varieties and are so rare they are only found in these two sinkholes. Mouth brooding fish lay their eggs in the waters and then the mother, or the father, or sometimes both parents, take the eggs into their mouths where they incubate. ON THE BOTTOM LIVES A VERY SELDOM FISH CALLED "PSEUDOCRENILABRUS PHILANDER". IT HAS THE SAME COLOR LIKE THE MUD ON THE BOTTOM: DARK GREY. OTHER FISH BROUGHT IN BY THE GERMANS IN 1912 FOR BREEDING CAN BE FOUND. THE FRESH WATER RESOURCES OF LAKE OTJIKOTO WERE ALWAYS USED TO SUPPLY HUMAN NEEDS. IN 1906 A PIPE LINE FOR IRRIGATION AND DRINK SUPPLY TO TSUMEB WAS BUILT WITH A HIGH PRESSURE PUMP STATION. IN 1911 THE WATER WAS FOUND INVESTED BY TECHNICAL POLLUTION AND BY FLOURISHING FLORA CREATING DANGEROUS BACTERIA. THE WATER WAS CLASSIFIED AS NOT DRINKABLE. |
|
history EXPLORATION PLAN
|
National and international research. ANCIENT AND NEW AGE history. SEARCH FOR Lost victims in lake to establish a final conclusion of their lives and circumstances of their drowning and give their remains the appropriate rest. UNDERWATER Archaeological assessment OF THE ABUNDANT ARTEFACTS. Scientific search, locating and mapping of artefacts. Find and recovery of items for scientific evaluation and research (as specified by curator Mrs. Schatz) in accordance with national and international rules of the underwater heritage. Preservation, restoration and display in the TSUMEB museum. |
|
HISTORICAL FACTS
|
SINCE ANCIENT TIMES TRIBES OF BUSHMAN SETTLED IN THE LAKE AREA AS IT IS RICH IN COPPER ORE. THEY MINED, CASTED AND HAD A FLOURISHING TRADE WITH OTHER TRIBES. THEY CALLED LAKE OTJIKOTO "GAISIS", WHICH MEANS "THE HORRIFYING". DURING COLONIAL TIMES BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF HORSES THE SETTLERS USED CATTLE FOR RIDING. WOMEN USED OXEN TO RIDE SHOPPING OR TO TEA PARTIES. LAKE OTJIKOTO BECAME A FAVORED RECREATIONAL SITE. MANY WILD PARTIES WERE HELD AND A BLACK BEAUTY NAMED "BLACK-MARIE" BECAME FAMOUS. DURING THE "BULLPARTIES" AS THEy WERE CALLED THE OTJIKOTO SONG WAS THE FAVORED SONG. WHEN THE TROOPS BROUGHT HORSES IT WAS ALWAYS A WEEKEND EVENT TO RACE FROM TSUMEB TO OTJIKOTO EITHER IN 4 HORSE CARRIAGES OR BY BACK. MANY LIVES WERE LOST IN THESE NECK-BREAKING RACES ON BAD TRAILS. DURING A HEAVY RAIN SEASON IN 1908/9 THE WATER LEVEL OF THE LAKE CHANGED RAPIDLY SEVERAL METERS HAVOCKING THE PUMP INSTALLATIONS CUTTING OFF THE WATER SUPPLY TO TSUMEB. THE GERMAN TECHNICIANS CALLED FOR HELP OF A DIVER TO SALVAGE THE PUMPS. SWAKOPMUND SENT DIVER TESCHKE WITH DIVE LEADER SCHMIDT. IT WAS THE 1ST DIVE ACTIVITY IN THE LAKE. THE SALVAGE WORK TOOK 8 DAYS. The German administration of South West Africa lasted little more than three decades from 1884 to 1915. During WW-I South African troops entered South West Africa in February 1915. GERMAN TROOPS WERE OUTNUMBERED 10:1 BY BRITISH TROOPS. The German troops managed to hold out for a year before finally being forced to surrender. The final hostilities took place in the vicinity of lake OTJIKOTO, situated in the northern region of TSUMEB, and rather than surrender their weapons and artillery to the enemy, the Germans, on the orders of one Lieutenant dumped everything into the lake. The Germans, it is documented, also disposed of a sealed war chest, containing 6 million gold marks. One fleeing German Lieutenant hid in the desert for several weeks before the pursuing Union soldiers caught up with him-but not before he had hurled his life insurance – a bag of diamonds - into the lake to join the underwater treasure. The military hardware is fully documented and inventoried, as is the war chest. German forces in the territory surrendered on 9th July 1915. South African forces thus occupied German South West Africa for and on behalf of the British Government. Until the signing of the Peace Treaty with Germany at Versailles on 28th June 1919, South West Africa was described as being a “Protectorate ….in Military Occupation of the Union Forces”. IN 1916 BRITISH DIVERS TRIED TO SALVAGE SOME GERMAN AND BRITISH WAR MATERIAL BUT DID SO ONLY VERY LIMITED AS THEY COULD NOT REACH THE BOTTOM. THE DIVERS HAD TO WORK IN 6 HOUR DURATIONS. IN 1927 A GROUP OF CHILDREN WENT SWIMMING. ONE BOY JUMPED IN THE LAKE AND DROUNDED. HE WAS NEVER FOUND. SINCE THEN SEVERAL PEOPLE DROUNDED IN THE LAKE AND IT IS BELIEVED THAT ALSO IN ANCIENT TIMES LOCALS DISAPPEARED IN THE LAKE. 1968 AS TO DATED WATER LEVELS THE WATER DEPTH WAS REPORTED TO REACH -150 METERS. DYED WATER TESTS REVEALED UNDERWATER CURRENT. SINCE 1969 SEVERAL OF THE GERMAN ARMAMENT IN THE LAKE WAS SALVAGED BY DIVERS OF NUF AND WUC, RESTORED AND NOW ON DISPLAY IN THE TSUMEB MUSEUM. DURING SALVAGE OPERATIONS ONE DIVER LOST A HAND. On March 21ST 1990 South West Africa gained its independence as the Republic of Namibia. |
|
documentation
|
Scientific publications by geologists, biologists, archaeologists and DIVE medics. Film documentation topside and underwater for international documentary. Print documentation. |
|
FINANCIAL PLAN |
IS ESTABLISHED. PROJECT COSTS ARE ABOUT US700 000$. The finance is for its greatest part provided by film production companies and partly by the Namibian Underwater Federation, the Windhoek Dive Club and participating specialised field project agencies. |
|
DIVING
|
(SEE ALSO HISTORICAL DIVE ACTIVITIES AT LAKE OTJIKOTO IN THE ABOVE HISTORY SECTION). Access to LAKE OTJIKOTO can only be made with 4 wheel-drive cross country vehicles. FOR THE PROJECT a ‘base camp’ with basic camping and sanitary facilities, plus electricity and all diving equipment including the mixed-gases required for diving at these great and dangerous depths WILL BE SET UP. THE NAMIBIAN UNDERWATER FEDERATION AND WINDHOEK UNDERWATER CLUB ARE THE ONLY ONES DIVING THE LAKE FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS. THE APPROACH TO THE LAKE SHORE LEADS OVER A STEEP ROCKY TRAIL. THEN In order to dive in the lake, a diver has to first abseil OR JUMP 6 meters to the surface of the water, encased with full diving kit. To rig the sinkhole for diving takes at least six people and a week to prepare. Air temperature at the lake can vary between 40deg.C (day temp. summer) and minus 10deg.C at night in winter! WATER TEMPERATURE IS ABOUT 26C AT SURFACE AND 20C AT THE BOTTOM. Visibility varies between very poor (1m) at certain times of the year to 15 meters at best. Buoyancy control is of paramount importance as the entire bottom of the lake and the walls of the overhangs are coated with a fine dust, which can change visibility from perfect to zero within seconds. WATER CURRENTS CAN BE ANTICIPATED. CONDITIONS OF THE AMMUNITION IN THE LAKE IS UNPREDICTABLE. THE LAKE IS SITUATED AT A HEIGHT OF 1450 METERS. DECOMPRESSION SCHEDULES HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED FOR ALTITUDE DIVING. UNTIL RECENTLY THE LOCAL BUSHMAN BELIEVED THAT A LIVING THING ENTERING THE LAKE WILL NEVER RETURN.
...MORE TO COME... |
|
© Copyright on all photo/film and text. No authorisation for use of photo/film and text in any form unless GIVEN permission FROM AQUATEC - INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. |
|
