Officials in Namibia criticize tourists who took nude photos atop the Big Daddy dune at national park

27.04.2024 - 18:23 / insider.com

Officials in Namibia have threatened to blacklist a group of tourists who posed for nude photos atop the Big Daddy dune at one of the country's national parks.

Local outlets first reported that incident on Wednesday, writing that visitors were surprised when they discovered the group of tourists. Big Daddy is one of the dunes found at the Namib-Naukluft National Park, according to the Global Alliance of National Parks.

Photos of the tourists in question have been shared on social media.

Kenneth Nependa, a vice-chairperson for the Federation of Namibian Tourism Association, told the Namibian Sun he was "beyond shocked" when he saw the images. Nependa added that he did not have details about the incident.

"I was like, 'What the hell is going on right now?' I read a little bit of the information that was shared, but as to where it happened and how it happened, I do not know," he said.

Nependa told the outlet that the behavior was "disgusting."

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"I mean, we have tourists writing graffiti on the Bushman rock art in Spitzkoppe, tourists hanging on the trees in Deadvlei, and now naked tourists climbing Big Daddy — which is a very famous dune for families and other tourists and locals," he said.

Nepanda added that he's concerned other tourists might emulate the behavior.

"This happened during broad daylight, and visitors saw them. The ministry should really speak up and warn tourists that if this were to happen, the law will take its course," he said.

Romeo Muyunda, a spokesperson for Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, echoed Nepanda's sentiment in a statement to The Namibian.

"We condemn this action strongly. We can look into the possibility of blacklisting them from entering any of our parks," Muyunda told the outlet.

Both Muyunda and Nepanda said the behavior is public indecency, which violates the national park's rules and local laws.

"We condemn this type of action as it does not only go against our morals but also violates the country's laws," Muyunda told The Namibian.

Nepanda told the Namibian Sun: "It is public indecency. It is really something that is not supposed to be allowed in our parks. It is not supposed to be allowed anywhere in Namibia, because this is just a disgrace. It is very sickening and it really [creates] a bad image for Namibia."

Representatives for the Federation of Namibian Tourism Association and The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.