Survivors of the Skeleton Coast.

• Author: Rothenberg, Robert S.

The land of nature frequently can be a mysterious one, with strange contrasts abounding. The Namib Desert, on Africa's southwest shore, surely qualifies among the oddest, as harsh, arid lands abut a coastline rife with seals and other marine life. This intriguing juxtaposition leads to such unexpected sights as lions feeding on the remains of a beached whale and hyenas pursuing crabs through the raging surf.

Inland, the sound of "roaring" dunes is deafening as sand slides match alpine avalanches in ferocity, and flash floods and months-long droughts make this regions among the most inhospitable on the planet. Yet, filmmaker/naturalists Des and Jan Bartlett have chosen to live here and study and photograph the wildlife that roams this stark environment, constantly in search of rare water and sustenance.

Utilizing four-wheel-drive vehicles and "Drifters"...