Botswana > Safaris > Diving Beetle Expedition
Trip Summary | Stanley's Camp | Chief's Camp | Chobe Chilwero | Locations
The most famous geological feature in Botswana is without any doubt the Okavango Delta, listed as a ‘Wetland of International Importance’ in 1997 by the Ramsar Protocol on Wetlands. The water in the delta originates in the highlands of western Angola, flows through Namibia as the Kuvango River and enters Botswana as the Okavango River at Mohembo in the north before it finally spreads over the sandy soils of the Kalahari to form a maze of lagoons, channels, palm-fringed islands and fertile floodplains. The varied habitats offer an incredibly diverse range of fauna and flora.
Image supplied courtesy of Sanctuary Lodges
This is southern Africa’s largest wetland, spread over an area of around 12,000 square kilometres and has been described as “the river that never finds the sea”. Formed by persistent seismic shifting of the earth’s surface, the area is a magical oasis surrounded by the sands of the Kalahari semi-desert. The river system annually brings more than 2 million tons of sand and silt into the delta.
Less than three percent of the water flowing into the delta emerges at the other end to either flood Lake Ngami or cross another 300 miles of the Kalahari, to enter Lake Xau and the Makgadikgadi Pans. The biggest percentage of delta water is lost to the atmosphere through evapo-transpiration. Unfortunately the delta is getting smaller and smaller with global warming.
As a reliable source of permanent water, the delta attracted the San or Bushmen, one of the oldest tribes in Africa. In fact archaeological evidence suggests that the Okavango region has been inhabited for more than 30,000 years. It has historically been less densely settled than other riverine areas on the continent, probably because of insect borne diseases caused by tsetse fly and mosquito. Consequently, the Okavango Delta is arguably the most pristine wetland in the world.
The delta is a natural refuge and giant water hole for the larger animals of the surrounding dry areas such as Nxai and Makgadikgadi Pans and the Kalahari desert. The water gives rise to many forms of life unexpected in a "desert". Hippos open channels through the papyrus on their nocturnal forays to graze, recycling nutrients from land into the water. The water loving sitatunga and red lechwe traverse across the swamps, which are fringed with the tall trees of garcinia livingstonii, giraffe thorn, knob thorn acacia, jackal berries and African ebony - giving shade to herds of larger game.
It is in these forest fringes and savanna grasslands that larger game such as elephants, buffalo and giraffes can be found, alongside a wide variety of antelope including wildebeest, kudu, sable, roan and impala. Of course the predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and wild dog are never far away. The area also supports an abundance of bird life and a high diversity of fish.
The delta is a fragile and unique example of dynamic equilibrium at work in nature. Gliding silently through the reeds and water lilies in a traditional mokoro canoe is the best way to appreciate its extraordinary beauty, watching the birds and the fish and the animals as they come down to the waters to drink. You can fish in the clear water or game view by boat, 4x4 vehicle or on foot.
Moremi Game Reserve is the only proclaimed wildlife reserve in the Okavango Delta, covering 20 percent of the total area. A scenic area with diverse habitats, Moremi offers an excellent year-round wildlife experience. Characterised by a combination of floodplain and the lush indigenous forests of the delta and its islands, Moremi is rich in game and bird life.
Image supplied courtesy of Sanctuary Lodges
Often described as the most beautiful wildlife reserve in Africa, Moremi enjoys a wide diversity of habitat and is well known for the height of the trees in the mopane tongue, which covers the central area. However, the mainland part forms only about thirty percent of the reserve and is in many ways untypical - the remaining area being part of the Okavango Delta. Birdlife is prolific and varied, ranging from water birds to shy forest dwellers. Elephants are numerous, particularly during the dry season, as well as a range of other wildlife species from buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, hyena, jackal and the full range of antelope, large and small, including the red lechwe. Wild dog, whose numbers are so rapidly dwindling elsewhere, are regularly sighted in the Moremi and have been subject to a project being run in the area since 1989 so these animals are often seen wearing collars placed on them by the researchers. It is claimed that the Moremi area contains about thirty percent of all living wild dog.
Situated on the extreme western boundary of the Moremi, the Xigera area is probably at the very centre of the Okavango alluvial fan. This magnificent area epitomises the permanently flooded section of the Okavango. Palm filled hardwood islands, hardwood riverine forests and a multitude of clear water channels and flood plains are what the delta wetland is all about. This is the land of the sitatunga antelope and Pel’s fishing owl. Water birds are seen in numbers.
A new attraction in the area is the reintroduction of black and white rhino on the biggest island in the delta, Chief’s Island. The island was originally reserved as the local chief’s hunting ground before handing it over to the park. The reintroduction is a great success so far with more than half a dozen calves being recorded. Soon the animals, which are under the tight security of the army and the wildlife department, will spread elsewhere during low water levels.
Chief’s Island is an excitingly game-rich area. When the annual inundation of water arrives during March to May each year, large mammals are able to move into the area, which contains rich resources of grass and acacia forests. The wetlands are fringed by large hardwood trees, containing shade, cover, nesting areas and food for a wide variety of mammals and birds. By September/October the wetlands have started to recede, leaving behind vast floodplains of short green grass when the rest of the large islands are at their driest.
Moremi is best visited in the dry season and game viewing is at its peak from July to October, when seasonal pans dry up and the wildlife concentrates on the permanent water. The winter months of May to August can be very cold at night but pleasantly warm with clear blue skies during the day. From October until the rains break in late November or early December, the weather can be extremely hot - both day and night.
Chobe National Park - Botswana’s second largest Park - is arguably the country’s finest destination for game viewing. Famous for its impressive numbers of elephant, with the largest continuous elephant population on earth, Chobe also boasts one of the greatest concentrations of game on the African continent.
Image supplied courtesy of Sanctuary Lodges
The Park is divided into four distinctly different eco-systems: Serondela with its lush plains and dense forests in the Chobe River area in the extreme north-east, the Savuti Marsh in the west, the Linyanti Swamps in the north-west and the hot dry hinterland in between.
The particularly game rich areas are the beautiful Chobe River and the Savuti Marsh area.
Often described as one of the best wildlife viewing areas in Africa today, the Park is home to over 100,000 elephants as well as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessebe, roan, sable, wildebeest, kudu, buffalo, waterbuck, warthog and eland. Predators include lion, hyena, jackal, bat-eared fox and even cheetah and wild dog.
Unfortunately the Park can have a tendency to get crowded at peak times. Visitors looking for a more remote experience should consider the neighbouring private concessions, such as the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve or the Kwando or Selinda Concessions. |
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Sample Botswana Itineraries
 Darkling Beetle Trek
Diving Beetle Expedition
Ground Beetle Tracker
Kheper's Adventures
Leaf Beetle Discovery
Scarab's Wilderness Journey
Scarab's Untamed Lands
Siamufumbula's Discovery
Stag Beetle Retreat
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