Day 10 Ichobezi Safari Boat

Sunday June 2, 2013

I woke up early to the sounds of elephants in the distance.   I could tell it was going to be another beautiful African day as I watched the sun come up.

The Ichobezi Safari boat is a houseboat with four guest rooms.  Each room has two double beds with en-suite bathroom plus the outside wall of the room was all windows, making for sensational views. Upstairs is  a comfortable sitting and eating area and even a jacuzzi.

Each guest room was equipped with a motorboat and guide.  You could use the small motorboat for fishing or sightseeing.

We did a lot of sightseeing.  I have always had a fascination with elephants and I had heard about the herds of elephants that would come down to the Chobe river in the African winter.  Dry conditions away from the river bring the elephants down.  Watching elephants back in Sabi Sands was a treat but there was something special about seeing an elephant swimming and grazing in the water of the Chobe.

 

 One of my biggest delights was watching the baby elephant rolling in the mud over and over and over again.  He was having a delightful time.  It was also magical to watch a mother and auntie push a baby into the water encouraging it to swim.

We were also excited to see hippos sunning themselves as well as grazing in the water.   We got really close to them but our guide was always nervous around them. I guess only mosquitoes (malaria) kill more humans than hippos.
 

We also saw crocodiles.

and many species of birds.

Our safari boat  was the traveling home for two  birds who had made a nest under the roof of the boat.

The river was a draw for many species of animals.  We saw impala, giraffe, water buffalo, warthogs, and baboons drinking from the river.

and people making a living by fishing in the riverbank.



Along with all the life of the river we also saw death.   From a distance we saw  a pack of African wild dogs  frantically eating an impala.

Also a sight that will never leave my mind.  Our guide stops us in the afternoon on the river to point out a Fish Eagle - a beautiful bird that looks somewhat like an American Bald Eagle.   My guide determined that the Fish Eagle was probably eating  a fish.  I quickly looked into my binoculars but realized he had pinned down a duck and was eating it, but the duck was still quite alive.  I was horrified but could not take my eyes off this reality of nature.  The duck then moved its head lunging at the Fish Eagle who grew quite annoyed and then started to peck at the duck's head and eat its brain.  The duck stopped moving.

The end of another African day topped off by a beautiful sunset.