Etosha & Secrets of the Kalahari photo safari trip report 1 - August 2017
Posted by Wild4 Photo Safaris on 14th Aug 2017
We are pleased to release this photo trip report from our very first "Etosha and Secrets of the Kalahari" photo safari.
The main aim of this trip was to spend time in two of Africa's dry environments, namely Etosha National Park in Namibia and the Kalahari in South Africa where a variety of very different species manage to eke out a living for themselves. Along with a number species seen in the other wildlife hotspots of Africa, such as Greater Kudu, Zebra, Ostrich, Elephants, Lions, Blue Wildebeest, Giraffe, Black Backed Jackal, Spotted Hyaena and African Wilddog, these dry environments offer a fantastic collection of less commonly photographed animals. We were very fortunate to see the Damara DikDik, Black faced Impala, Gemsbok (Oryx), Red Hartebeest, Springbok, Tsessebe, Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Bat Eared fox, Cape Fox, Black Rhino, Meerkats, Hartman's Mountain Zebra and the endangered Pangolin.
The dry winter season is the perfect time to do this trip as the days are mild and the nights are cold. Animals are thirsty and are dependant on visiting waterholes where the predators often hide and wait.
We spent 6 nights at Etosha National Park visiting a number of very productive waterholes and were treated to a number of sightings of large Elephant herds, Black Rhinos and Lions. There was a staggering amount of general game around which included Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Oryx, Springbok, Impala and Giraffe.
Our next stop on the tour was a 5 night stay at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa. Each Game drive at Tswalu produced a quality sighting, starting with a pack of African Wilddogs with 5 small pupies at their densite. We also followed a female Cheetah with her two small cubs, spent two sessions at two different habituated Meerkat groups (a real highlight), we had a morning with a beautiful Black Rhino and calf, we tracked down two large Male Lions and the North pride, had two evening sessions with the endangered Pangolin and a final morning drive with three predators, the Wilddogs, two Cheetah brothers and a group of Lions.
The tour was a great success and we certainly achieved our goals of photographing the animals of Etosha in the dry season and we discovered many secrets in the Kalahari !
Thanks so much to Usko, our guide in Namibia, and the Ultimate Safaris team, it was a great pleasure working with this great guide and company again, and also thanks so much to Fireblade Aviation and the extremely helpful and friendly team at Tswalu Motse for taking amazing care of us during our 5 night stay in the Kalahari. Extra special thanks also to our great photographic guide, Kosie and tracker, Jackson !
Finally thanks so much to Paul, Pierre and Martin for joining us on this first ever trip to Etosha and Tswalu, it was a great pleasure travelling with you all and experiencing the magic of these two special environments packed with unique species
Enjoy some of the photos from the tour,
Kind regards
Stu
__standard_2x.jpg "Oryx reflection at sunset, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Springbok drinking at Okaukuejo waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Zebra at Okaukuejo waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Gemsbok (Oryx) , Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Zebra drinking, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Sunset at Okaukuejo waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Herd of Elephants arriving at Okaukuejo waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Elephant, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Animals at the waterhole at night, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Lions at Okaukuejo waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Moon and waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Greater Kestrel, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Young Blue Wildebeest, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Elephant Bull reaching for branches, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Gemsbok (Oryx) , Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Group of thirsty Ostriches, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Elephant herd on their way to water, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Young Elephants playing, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Young Elephants playing, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Young Elephants playing, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Young Elephants playing, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Young Elephants playing, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Two male Lions at Ombika waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Young Greater Kudu, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Elephants, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Red Hartebeest, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Large Bull Elephant, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Ostrich Chich, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Gemsbok (Oryx) , Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Female Springbok, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Zebra, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Elephants approaching the water in the late afternoon, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Elephants at Okaukuejo waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Black Rhino and Cattle Egrets, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Black Rhino Calf and large Bull, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Springbok drinking at night, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Pale Chanting Goshawk, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Ostriches, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Springbok at the edge of the Etosha Pan")
__standard_2x.jpg "Blue Wildebeest, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Young Elephant, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Red Billed Quelea, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Giraffe approaching Chudob waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Sunset, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Zebra drinking at Onguma Tented Camp waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Spotted Hyaena, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Damara Dik Dik, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Spotted Hyaena swimming, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Waterhole at Onguma Tented Camp, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Sunrise, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Mating pair of Lions, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Juvenile Gabar Goshawk with Sandgrouse, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Male Elephant swimming at Chudob waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia")
__standard_2x.jpg "Moon rising at GocheGanas near Windhoek")
__standard_2x.jpg "Herd of Eland in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Giraffe, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "African Wilddog on the hunt, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "African Wilddog Puppies, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Backlit Meerkats, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Meerkat, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Meerkats, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
-2__standard_2x.jpg "Meerkats warming themselves in the morning sun, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Cheetah female and cub, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Cheetah Cub in tree, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Yellow Billed Hornbill, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Male Lion, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Male Lion, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Male greater Kudu with one horn, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Roan Antelope, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Sable Antelope, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Burchell's Sandgrouse, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Blue WildebeestTswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "The Korannaberge, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Bat Eared Fox, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Pangolin at Sunset, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Pangolin, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Tsessebe, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Red Hartebeest, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Morning breakfast break, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Crowned Lapwing, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Hartman's Mountain Zebra, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
__standard_2x.jpg "Two Cheetah brothers, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa")
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On arrival we were treated as part of the family by Stu Porter, his wife Justyna, and parents John and Ann. The conditions for finding and photographing everything from small birds to large game was perfect – a 500mm lens on hire from Stu, a specially equipped vehicle, which was referred to as a hide on wheels ( with only 3 photographers) , a dedicated and professional approach to photography and plenty of time.
We would set off at sunrise, find a group of lions as they were beginning to yawn and stir from sleep, or a pair of saddle-billed storks building a nest, and quietly move our cameras into position. The initial sighting was accompanied by the rapid firing of shutters, but then we would wait as long as necessary in the hope of getting further shots. Stu was very sensitive to our needs and would only make suggestions about the best camera settings if he thought we needed his advice. His awareness of how animals behave was very useful in planning our shots.
Stu’s knowledge of African Wildlife and skill as a wildlife photographer is second to none, and I have learned a lot from his expertise. I am delighted with my photos !!
This was the trip of a lifetime, good accommodation, delicious food and great company. It was altogether a wonderful, challenging and thrilling experience and, if you are looking for a photo safari in Africa, I too recommend you contact Stu Porter at Wild4.
David Austwick, UK
This was my third photographic trip to Africa, and I have to say the best! Stu has great knowledge & passion for wildlife and photography that he is willing to share: I certainly learnt a lot. The setup for photography in the vehicles is extremely well thought out.
There was an amazing variety of great photographic opportunities and I really enjoyed time spent with the animals, but the unexpected bonus for me was the day spent at the reptile centre (part of the extension). I am very pleased with the results!
After coming away with the renewed enthusiasm for photography, I am planning to do another trip with them soon."
Helen Clarke, AUSTRALIA
Excellent photos
Ulhas Mayekar - August 16th, 2017 at 4:45pm
Super, as expected from Stu.
Mansur Ahmad - August 27th, 2017 at 10:58pm