Locals celebrate rare moment as iconic lake reaches milestone not seen in decades: 'A once-in-a-lifetime experience'

Locals in Namibia were shocked to see one of their country's national landmarks reach full capacity for the first time in almost half a century.

According to Informante, Lake Otjikoto, one of Namibia's most iconic bodies of water, is at full capacity, courtesy of a period of "sustained and significant rainfall."

Local tour guide Peteus Gerson said this is the first time the lake has hit this level since 1978.

"This is a rare phenomenon for all of us and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many," he said.

Lake Otjikoto is one of north Namibia's primary tourist destinations, renowned for its deep, clear waters and historic ties, according to Info Namibia. It was formed when a karst, a landscape marked by soluble stone dissolving in water, collapsed and revealed the lake underneath — hence its unique, crater-like shape.

It was called Gaisis by the local San tribes, meaning "ugly," according to the website, and it had myths attached related to its depth, with the belief that its dark waters would not release anyone who dared swim in it.

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It was first discovered by European explorers in 1851, and they promptly shocked their guides by swimming in the deep waters. Its exact depth is tricky to gauge, because it attaches to a submerged cave system, but it has been estimated at close to 145 meters at its lowest point.

It gained fame after World War I, when German soldiers dumped gold and weapons in it before surrendering to South African forces. Local diving clubs have collected some of those weapons and arranged them in a sort of underwater museum for intrepid visitors to experience.

The lake's unexpected rise is the result of historic rains in the region, the cause of which is our changing climate. As our planet heats up, severe weather events become increasingly common, and make moments like this more and more frequent, even as large swathes of the world deal with drought.

In this case, the weather was a boon for the region and for tourism in the area, as it helped locals and visitors experience something few get the chance to see.