Africa Wild

Richprins wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 5:29 pm Very informative!

The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Grassland) (formerly spelled "Okovango" or "Okovanggo") in Botswana is a swampy inland delta formed where the Okavango River reaches a tectonic trough in the central part of the endorheic basin of the Kalahari. All the water reaching the delta is ultimately evaporated and transpired and does not flow into any sea or ocean. Each year, about 11 cubic kilometres (2.6 cu mi) of water spread over the 6,000–15,000 km2 (2,300–5,800 sq mi) area. Some flood waters drain into Lake Ngami. The area was once part of Lake Makgadikgadi, an ancient lake that had mostly dried up by the early Holocene.

The Delta was named as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, which were officially declared on 11 February 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania. On 22 June 2014, the Okavango Delta became the 1000th site to be officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Floods
The Okavango is produced by seasonal flooding. The Okavango River drains the summer (January–February) rainfall from the Angola highlands and the surge flows 1,200 km (750 mi) in around one month. The waters then spread over the 250 by 150 km (155 by 93 mi) area of the delta over the next four months (March–June). The high temperature of the delta causes rapid transpiration and evaporation, resulting in a cycle of rising and falling water level that was not fully understood until the early 20th century. The flood peaks between June and August, during Botswana's dry winter months, when the delta swells to three times its permanent size, attracting animals from kilometres around and creating one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of wildlife.

The delta is very flat, with less than 2 m (6 ft 7 in) variation in height across its 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi).

Game lodges
Tented Lodge in the Okavango-Delta
The Botswana Okavango Game Lodges cater to small numbers of guests, each one operating in its own private concession area. Many lodges have low environmental-effect policies.

People
The Okavango Delta peoples consist of five ethnic groups, each with its own ethnic identity and language. They are Hambukushu (also known as Mbukushu, Bukushu, Bukusu, Mabukuschu, Ghuva, Haghuva), Dceriku (Dxeriku, Diriku, Gciriku, Gceriku, Giriku, Niriku), Wayeyi (Bayei, Bayeyi, Yei), Bugakhwe (Kxoe, Khwe, Kwengo, Barakwena, G/anda) and ||anikhwe (Gxanekwe, //tanekwe, River Bushmen, Swamp Bushmen, G//ani, //ani, Xanekwe). The Hambukushu, Dceriku, and Wayeyi have traditionally engaged in mixed economies of millet/sorghum agriculture, fishing, hunting, the collection of wild plant foods, and pastoralism.

More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okavango_Delta

Day three.

Mokoro day

After breakfast, Vincent and I headed off with a motorboat in order to reach the mokoro “parking” in one of the small canals.
It’s not really a parking, because obviously someone brought it there and then went off on their own business
I think the local communities have a kind of license on the mokoro use/business and probably have a rental agreement with the various camps.

On the way we saw
It was all so nice and quiet, but something was missing......

A race! Yabba Dabba Doo

https://youtu.be/WOyAcu0CsWc

Far too short, but with the present water level (rather low)...........We enjoyed it both of us
Back to normal speed

African darters’ nests
The ones in the boat were supposed to cut the papyrus and probably did....from time to time
We also saw an otter, i.e. the waves and a piece of back of an otter I would have loved to really see one, but it disappeared into the reeds like a ghost.

So I had to make do with Hippos
And also a shaky malachite kingfisher

Finally sitting comfortably in a Mokoro.

Vincent had warned me, the start was a bit rolling before he got the hold of it

It was lovely to sit level with the water
but when I put a hand into the water: “I wouldn’t do that, there are crocodiles of all sizes around” . Talking about crocs we saw a lot of tiny ones swimming around in a low water pool, but no way I could get a pic

It was a wonderful sensation just to move ahead with the only sound of the water and of course of all the green-backed herons and other kinds of birds and insects being disturbed by our proceeding in the narrow canal.
There was life on the shores
More lilies
Panoramas

Waterbirds: Open-billed stork, sacred ibis, Blacksmith plover, Squacco heron

Something new turned up: Spur-winged geese another first (I think )
Oops!
Water designs
Open-billed stork in arrival
A long-toed lapwing (a first )
And then, unfortunately back where we started

Back on the motorboat and once more the lagoon with the hippos
A local family. Maybe collecting herbs
More cattle egrets and Papyrus
Jacana
Clouds
Home again at lunchtime *sigh*
I wouldn't mind staying there for a month with a Vincent a motorboat and a mokoro at disposal
The rest of the day some other time

Wow i just love the scenery

One must know where to go on those narrow water ways.

Looks like you had lots of fun

Lovely carpets of water lilies, Nymphaea nouchali is abundant and I wonder if there is also the rarer Nymphaea lotus

I still like the papyrus and egrets, very decorative plants - upside down mops.

Otter: which one? Maybe the spotted-necked?

In the egret photo, there is also water fern and in one of the lily photos you see water chestnut, quite some cool water plants.

And birds - Is the plover in the bird book?

You had a lot of fun, didn't you young lady!


This all looks absolutely stunning, peaceful and harmonious!

Quite spoiled with malachites of late!

And the sacred ibis are rare in our bush!