Wednesday, June 19, 2024

2024 African Safari Plus: Chobe Boat Safaris (6/18-20/2024)

Tuesday, June 18, 2024 (continued)
Our first activity at Chobe Game Lodge was an afternoon boat safari.
Deck at the boat jetty
Electric pontoon boats for the safaris
The calm Chobe River, the last section of the
Cuando River as it flows into the Zambezi River,
lies on the border between Botswana and Namibia
Chobe National Park is on the Botswana side
Papio ursinus/Chacma Baboon drinks from the river (KSS)
Crocodylus niloticus/Nile Crocodile; as soon as we
approached, crocodiles would slip back into the river
A pod of Hippopotamus amphibius/Common Hippopotami
hang out on the Namibia side (KSS)
Distinctive faces with protruding eyes and nostrils (KSS)
A popular watering spot, especially for elephants
Elephants siphon water into their trunks ... (KSS)
... then release the water into their mouths (KSS)
Females and babies of all sizes
A baboon picks through elephant poop for
undigested fruits and seeds (KSS)
Today, we would also see banded mongooses, impalas, giraffes, and warthogs.
Anhinga rufa/African Darter (KSS)
The level of the river rises enough to erode under the roots
of the trees, yet this year there has been less rain than usual
The unique profile of the Scopus umbretta/Hamerkop
We would also see white-faced whistling ducks, guineafowl, great white egrets, reed cormorants, white-crowned lapwings, African fish eagle, southern ground hornbill, giant kingfisher, grey-headed bushshrike, fork-tailed drongos, African pied wagtails, and yellow-billed oxpeckers.
Sunset
Red suns and persistent red skies are attributed
to air pollution, particularly from fires
Namibian travelers stay on houseboat-hotels and
use smaller boats for safaris (KSS)

Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Today we had a mid-morning boat safari.
The roof of the electric boat is made
of solar panels
Herd of Aepyceros melampus/Impalas (KSS)
We would also see baboons and hippos.
Tockus bradfieldi/Bradfield's Hornbill (KSS)
We would also see grey herons, great white egrets, reed cormorants, African darters, white-crowned lapwings, lesser black-headed gulls, a water thick-knee, an osprey, and lesser striped swallows.
Mokoros, the traditional carved wooden boat that is
poled through the water, on the Namibian side

Thursday, June 20, 2024
Our last activity at Chobe Game Lodge
was a sunrise boat safari
This time the hippos are in the river
Namibians pole their mokoros
Vanellus albiceps/White-crowned Lapwing
The river is so calm; a mirror reflection (KSS)
A troop of baboons
Breakfast was at the boma/traditional gathering place
Fruits and yogurts, veggies, cheese and cold cuts
Next: Chobe Game Drives.

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