Water and Walking Safaris

By adminBotswana

For a Change

On the Okavango Delta, we also took safaris on water to see more birds and animals in a different environment.

The first safari was in a makuru, a canoe used by the natives in the area.  They stand and use a single pole at the back of the makuru – the water is shallow so that works well.

We also used motorboats on occasions, and to Howard’s chagrin, we took a walking safari one day.  He swore his iWatch must be broken when it “only” showed 5.14 miles walked after we were done.  To be fair, it was on sand, through grasses, and the temperature was at least 100 degrees so the walk was tough.  And in our group of 6, we were in the best shape (and possibly the oldest in the lot, so there!).

But you get a different viewpoint from water and on foot that you don’t see from a Land Rover.

Painted Reed Frog.  About an inch and a half long.  It changes color during the day, like a chameleon.
Papyrus grass – the same plant the Egyptians used to make paper.
Most of the time we saw fish eagles perched at the top of trees, but this one gave us a closer look.  They are of a similar size as bald eagles, and just as majestic.
White Egrets and Gray Herons (I think, my bird identification is not great).
Elephants are happy in water, and will pull up the grasses and blaze new trails through the marshes.
When hippo families share a water hole, the males will announce their dominance with a constant grunting and occasional roar – they are plant eaters with an impressive set of teeth.  
Elephants might be my favorite African animal.

S.