Massive Face Appears in Namib Desert Sand Dune (PHOTOS) | The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel

A massive optical illusion appeared in one of the Namib Desert's sand dunes.

ByAda CarrDecember 9, 2016

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While flying over the Namib Desert taking pictures, a vacationing man didn’t realize that he was being watched by a giant. 

 

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Valerie Leone told the Daily Mail that his daughter noticed what appeared to be the profile of a face in a massive sand dune while he was reviewing the photos on his laptop. 

 

“I was surprised to see how the wind can paint the desert dunes with an image like this that reminds you of a face,” said Leone. 

 

Shade cast by the dips in the sand appear to form an eye, the outline of a nose and a partially open mouth. 

 

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However, when photographed from a different angle, the optical illusion disappears. 

 

The arid Namib Desert stretches for 1,200 miles and is almost totally uninhabited except for a few scattered towns, according to Britannica. It mainly consists of a relatively smooth platform of bedrock of different types and ages.

 

Despite its nearly rainless climate, the desert is home to various animals and plants, such as mountain zebras and short-eared elephant shrews, according to the World Wildlife Fund. 

 

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