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| 'Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once.' Camille gives a lesson on plate tectonics. |
One foot on the African plate, one on the Somali plate. |
| Wed 10th: Went out in the dinghy to look for whale sharks. After 15 minutes we saw an 18" fin sticking out of the water. I got the snorkelling gear on quickly and went over the side. Saw the whale shark sideways on and followed its huge tail fin until it disappeared into the depths. After another 10 minutes back in the boat, we saw another great fin. This time I was left behind when everyone else went into the water. The boatman told me to wait while he moved the boat forward. I went into the water right in front of its huge mouth. |
Walking in salt slush. |
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It glided past underneath me and I followed, finning as fast as I could. I stroked its tail as it went past. I took several photos before it descended into the green depths.
Later a turtle was spotted, but no more whale sharks. Returned to the boat for lunch, then back into the dinghy to Arta Beach and boarded a brand new Nissan Patrol to take us to Lake Abbé. On the way we crossed the dried up Grand Borra pan, presumably a huge lake when it rains. Passed a caravan of a dozen camels bringing contraband across the Ethiopian border. |
| Lake Assal, the lowest spot in Africa, 153m below sea level. |
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| The salt here is 60m deep. |
Afar nomads have been collecting salt here for centuries. |
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| The reef off Arta Beach supports a huge variety of marine life. |
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