Abu Dhabi - In the Al Wathba region, standing out from the surrounding desert, an amazing group of unique and fascinating structures emerge, resembling an artificial mountain, the Al Wathba Fossil Dunes. This unusual and elegant attraction is not the work of humans, rather was crafted over tens of thousands of years by elemental forces that, though they were at play millennia ago, offer insight into how the current climate crisis might reshape our world.
The Al Wathba region, a beautiful oasis-like wetland reserve, was created by an overspill from a water treatment facility. It’s now a lush terrain that attracts flocks of migratory flamingos.
The fossil dunes almost resemble frozen waves in a violent ocean, but made of solid sand, their sides rippling with shapes defined by raging winds.
These proud geological relics were opened as a free tourist attraction in Abu Dhabi in 2022 as part of efforts by the emirate's Environment Agency to preserve them within a protected area.
The reserve features a visitor centre, a viewing area, an amphitheatre and 7kms of hike-able trails with educational signage explaining the origins and cultural significance of these magnificent sand relics.
Each Fossil Dune will change over time and no two formations are ever the same. Though they seem stable, they are fragile and can crack, break and collapse if disturbed.
Thomas Steuber, a professor in the Earth Science Department of Abu Dhabi's Khalifa University of Science and Technology, says that generations of dunes were created by cycles of ice ages and thaws that occurred between 200,000 and 7,000 years ago. Ocean levels dropped when frozen water increased at the polar caps and during these drier periods, dunes would've built up as sand blew in from the drained Arabian Gulf.
When the ice melted, leading to a more humid environment, the water table rose to form land. The moisture reacted with the calcium carbonate in the sand to stabilize it and then form a kind of cement, which was later whipped into ethereal shapes by prevailing winds.
Steuber says that the fossil dunes, which occur throughout the UAE, also found in India, Saudi Arabia and the Bahamas, likely took thousands of years to form. But, despite the official protection, the erosion that gave each its unique shape will also eventually lead to their demise.
Touring the site is best in early evening when harsh daytime light is replaced by a golden glow from the setting sun and the sky takes on the lilac hues of magic hour. It takes about an hour to stroll along the sandy path from the visitor center and souvenir stall to the parking lot at the other end -- and about 10 minutes to shortcut back.
The Fossil Dunes are located approximately 70km south on Abu Dhabi Island, beyond Mussafah and Mohammed Bin Zayed City on the Al Ain Truck Road (E30).
-CNN/Whatson