18/01/2026
Still my favourite place,
The Okavango Delta! - The largest inland Delta of the world! A UNESCO world heritage site!
check out my story board for today to understand the ecosystem in full. Nothing explains this place like Aerial shots, which is why every single one of Pangolin Photo Safarishosted Delta trips include an open-door Helicopter flight!!! They are pure magic and the flights showcase the only eco-system of this size (about 15,000 sqkm) that is so scenic and versatile - pure wilderness, untouched, and still connected to larger migratory routes.
- elevated areas: originally created by a single termite mount that a bird uses to perch. As a result seeds get spread and trees use the higher and therefore drier ground to germinate - RESULT: islands with beautifully forested areas
- depressions: while the Delta is flat as pancake elephants love to dig in order to do mud and sand baths. Continued usage creates pans that collect water in the rainy season - RESULT: big open pans that flood in the winter months and have open grassland in the summer months
- waterways: Hippos come to live in the flooded areas and use established routes to go grazing at night or go from one pan to another. Do to their size and weight these established routes get edged into the ground and as water takes the path of least resistance end up forming channels and streams of the Delta.
shot with a Canon R3 and the Canon RF400 f/2.8
1/3200 - f/2.8 - ISO 100
with Canon South Africa
by the way - shooting out of a helicopter with a 400mm fix is far from ideal. I was desperate as it was the only lens I brought on that specific trip - as some sort of a challenge. It is too big, way to clumsy, catches too much air, and is often too close. The one advantage is that you can shoot it wide open. As you are forced to shoot incredibly fast out of a helicopter, you often end up with too little light in the early mornings.
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