Namibia · about 19 km from Tsumeb
Lake Otjikoto
- Max depth145 m
- CertificationCavern
- Water temperature≈ 17–30 °Cestimated, no reports yet
- SpecialExperienced divers
Diving and fills
Dive here with
No dive centre guides here yet. Do you dive here with guests? Add your centre for free →
What it looks like
All 3 videos and posts
Videos and posts
From other divers, via YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. They only load when you click; after that, Google's or Meta's privacy rules apply.
Search for more onYouTube ↗Instagram ↗Facebook ↗
Other people's footage, not advice: how someone else dives here says nothing about what suits your team. Dive within your training.
The dive
The water is 18–22 °C, with visibility up to 15 m on good days. The lake is home to the rare Tilapia guinasana, introduced here from Guinas.
Profile and sections
The water is 18–22 °C, with visibility up to 15 m on good days. The lake is home to the rare Tilapia guinasana, introduced here from Guinas.
Otjikoto is a collapsed karst cave in dolomite. In June 1915 the German Schutztruppe dumped weapons and ammunition here. Ammunition wagons and cannons were later recovered and are now in the museums of Windhoek and Tsumeb.
- Depth and profile
- ~102 m across. ~90–100 m in the centre; deeper at the sides (dived to 145 m without finding the bottom). Dive points: reef at 26–28 m (work-up dives), 'kudu horn' at 38 m, weapons at 45–55 m, a ledge at 55 m. Dives follow a chain anchored to the bottom.
- Configuration
- Deep open sinkhole with a side cave: every configuration; for the weapons at 45–55 m deco and preferably trimix (estimate).
- Gas
- Trimix from 40 m
Who can dive where
- At least Cavern
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 145 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
- Experienced divers only
This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.
How to get there
On the B1, ~20 km north-west of Tsumeb; open to visitors 08:00–17:00 for a fee. Diving only with a permit (NUF and National Heritage Council, according to older sources) and with NUF members or a recognised guide; see the practical info for the experience requirements. The water is at least 6 m below the rim: a ladder or small stairway, or jump. No dive facilities on site: you carry everything to the rim.
Around Lake Otjikoto
FillsNo fill station known nearby
The links to Booking.com are affiliate links: if you book through one, DiveTripPlanner earns a small commission. You pay the same.
Other sites2 within 39 km
Going to Namibia with your team?
Marcel finds the sites that match your team's certifications.
Plan a trip