Namib Desert

Getzin adds that the findings confirm “true fairy circles” only exist in the Namib Desert and Western Australia.

For decades, scientists have hotly debated the origin of the strange, polka-dot-like patterns of barren earth, which have been found in the Namib Desert, stretching from Angola to northern South Africa.

Gigi Williams' photograph of the Namib Desert in Namibia was awarded first place in the Plants and Planets category.

The strange, barren spots pepper the vast Namib Desert, which stretches from southern Angola to northern South Africa.

To survive in the arid wilderness of southwestern Africa, the Namib Desert beetle harvests water from thin air.