Marius Coetzee Photography

Living the Dream: My Life as a Professional Safari Guide Part 4: Madagascar - The 8th Continent

2011-11-22T08:21:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from leading an incredible 14 day photographic expedition to the island of Madagascar.Often referred to as the “Eighth Continent”, due to its size and isolation, Madagascar is one the most remarkable countries on the planet. Its extraordinary fauna and flora have evolved over millions of years in this appropriately named “laboratory of evolution”. The island's legendary uniqueness is best reflected by its plethora of amazing lemurs, colorful chameleons, and one hundred and forty endemic or near endemic bird species, not to forget its charming array of endemic flora. But sadly most species are threatened by continuous habitat destruction, thus making Madagascar one of those “must-visit-soon” destinations. Below is a very small example of my images, to see the full collection please feel free to visit my website www.mariuscoetzee.com and follow the link for the Madagascar gallery: http://marius.photoshelter.com/gallery/Madagascar/G00007ZDlELuKf6M/

Portrait of a Coquerel's Sifaka (Ankarafantsika National Park)

Home to no less than 8 lemur species, Ankarafantsika National Park or commonly known, as Ampijoroa Forest Station is a photographers dream destination. The comical Coquerel’s Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi coquereli) is the jewel in the primate crown and in my eyes one of the most photogenic of all lemurs. I was walking along the banks of Lac Ravelobe when I came across a small family group resting in the comfort of a shady tree. This individual was the first to wake up, climbed to the bottom of the tree and inquisitively starred at me. Permitting me to capture a series of images before disappearing back into the dry forest vegetation.

Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon 300 f2.8 IS USM
ISO: 1250
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec

Madagascar Flying Fox (Berenty Special Reserve)

The Madagascar Flying Fox (Pteropus rufus) is the largest flying fox found on the island of Madagascar. It is an unusual fruit eater and provides an important ecological service as seed scatter’s. The bat roosts in small areas of forest in colonies that can contain thousands of individuals. Deforestation is reducing the available roosting and feeding sites for this bat and in many parts of the island it is still killed and eaten by people. A small colony of approximately 300 individuals in Berenty Special Reserve offered me the opportunity to capture these astonishing mammals.

Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM +2.0x
ISO: 1600
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/2000 sec.

Ampijoroa Sunset (close to Ankarafantsika National Park)

After a delightful day of photographing the inhabitants of the Ankarafantsika National Park, my guests and I headed back to the north – west coast of Mahajanga. Shortly after leaving the confinement of the reserve we came across yet another rise paddy. Rice is the staple diet of the Malagasy’s and one of the major reasons for the destruction of vast tracks of natural vegetation.

Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
ISO: 800
Aperture: f/8.0
Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec

Leaping Indri (Andasibe-Mantadia NP)

Approximately 90% of all indigenous forests in Madagascar are destroyed by farming, mining and other illegal practices and the future for the remaining 10% looks seriously depressing. For 6 days I photographed the Indri (Indri indri) in my quest to portray this enigmatic primate in its natural environment. Listening to their ‘eerie’ whale like call as they move through the lowland rainforests of the eastern part of Madagascar is undoubtedly one of the greatest wildlife experiences on the planet. Deciding to use my widest lens, I positioned myself close to the tree in order to capture as much of the forest surrounding me.

Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: EF17-40mm f/4L USM
ISO: 800
Aperture: f/7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/640 sec

Backlit Sifaka in Spiny Forest (Berenty Private Reserve)

I wake up before dawn in order to capture an image of a Verreaux's Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi) backlit against the sunrise in Berenty’s xerophytic ‘spiny’ forest. The vegetation type of the family Didiereaceae is found in poor subtracts with low, erratic winter rainfall and forms a prominent component in the dry eastern region of the country.

Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon 300 f2.8 IS USM
ISO: 640
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/6400 sec

White-breasted Mesite (Ankarafantsika National Park)

Rare, secretive and endemic; the White-breasted Mesite (Mesitornis variegatus) is known from only four locations in the north west of Madagascar. I photographed this individual late one afternoon as the last bit of sunshine was piercing through the forest vegetation. My clients and I waited for some time for the Mesite to move into a small path, allowing us a couple of seconds to capture images of this ‘mega’ bird.

Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM +2.0x
ISO: 2000
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec

Finger Licking Good (Berenty Special Reserve)

I captured this portrait of a male Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) several hours after sunrise. Ring-tailed Lemurs are highly social, living in groups of up to 30 individuals. Fortunately for photographers they are the most terrestrial of all lemur species and offer unrivalled photographic opportunities of the island’s more than 100 lemur species.

Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon 300 f2.8 IS USM +2.0x
ISO:640
Aperture:f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec

Rotating Eye (Andasibe-Mantadia National Park)

It was early in the morning and I was photographing in the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. My local guide Luc got extremely excited when we heard the call of a male Red-fronted Coua. He immediately ordered me to move deep into the forest in search of the uncommon bird. While sitting in the thick undergrowth waiting for the Coua to call, he casually pointed to the Parson's Chameleon (Calumma parsonii) that was less than 5 meters away from us. I cautiously set up my tripod and reached for my trusted 300 mm lens in order to shoot from far away without distracting my subject.

Camera: Canon 7D
Lens: Canon EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM
ISO: 1600
Aperture: f/4
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec

Living the Dream: My Life as a Professional Safari Guide

2011-08-15T03:42:00.000-07:00

Part 3: Tsaro Power

It was 02:15 and my guests Ralf and Perdita Lubbe Scheurmann’s and my final morning of a 17 day safari in Botswana and South Africa. I was fast asleep until the mighty roar of a male lion woke me up. I could hear how the predator came closer and closer to my luxurious tent as the bone shivering sound echoed over the lush water paradise of the Okavango Delta.

Now wide awake; I listened to the Skimmer male lion repeatedly roaring and I thought of the incredible sightings we were privileged enough to observe and photograph in the more than 2 weeks on safari. Ralf and Perdita’s safari started with 2 days of Great White shark photography in Simons Town. On our second day we saw a Great White shark catching and killing a South African Fur seal less than 60 meters from our boat, repeatedly breaching in pursue of its prey.

The last 10 days in Botswana we watched and photographed huge herds of elephants, various species of birds and gigantic crocodiles from the comfort of our tiny motor boat in Chobe National Park. And spent no less than 20 hours following, sitting and observing a coalition of 3 male cheetah’s in the Linyanti Game Reserve.

But we knew that we reached the climax of our safari as soon as we touched down on the dirt air strip of Duba Plains. Situated in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Duba Plains is one of the most remote camps in Botswana and the scene for various documentaries filmed by National Geographic Explorers in Residence, Derek and Beverly Joubert.

Like many before us we came to Duba hoping to observe the relentless battle between the Tsaro pride of lions and a single herd of Cape buffalo. The pride caught and killed 4 buffalo the day before we arrived and even though we all wished it was us; I knew it wasn’t our time yet.

Our guide was none other than James ‘007’ Kebalibele. James has been at Duba for more than 15 years and knew this part of Africa better than anyone else. On our first afternoon, after being stuck in deep mud for more than an hour and some of the most incredible driving I have witnessed, James managed to get our vehicle right next to the pride as they slowly woke up and started to feed off the mass amount of meat in pure golden sun light. We watched the African sun going down that afternoon and I couldn’t help the feeling of extreme optimism about what may lay ahead of us.

We spent the next 3 days carefully listening as James shared the ups and downs of the Tsaro pride, their history, their successes and their failures. The sightings he has observed and the battles he has witnessed. James made us realize that we first need to understand and comprehend the dynamics of this unique pride of lions, before we truly could appreciate what it mean to see the Tsaro Pride in action.

Similar to the 15 mornings before this one we met before sunrise for a cup of coffee before starting our drive. James suggested that we head straight to the airstrip where we left the herd of buffalo the night before. It was just before 6 o clock and we weren’t even driving 100 meters down the strip before James’s located 5 sets of golden eyes shining brightly in the beam of his spotlight. We watched the 5 lionesses playing and lying around before they headed straight to the resting buffalo.

While viewing the 5 lions the Skimmer male, who woke me up hours before, arrived on the scene. Minutes later another 3 lions arrived and this was it, the pride composition was now complete and we all knew this was it, the Tsaro pride has arrived and they were ready to hunt.

The buffalo were lying in thick bush and with short but calculated charges the lions slowly drove the bovines out of their comfort zone. With a relentless ‘stab’ at the buffalo the lions managed to bring fear into their prey, as the buffalo turned and ran away a lioness jumped on an adult female buffalo. Luckily for the cow the rest of the herd retaliate and managed to chase the felines away. The buffalo kept on running with the lions in hot pursuit. The Tsaro Pride got back into formation and with a calculated move one lioness jumped onto a buffalo cow and brought her to her knees. The rest of the pride joined in and within minutes the helpless buffalo were surrounded by hungry felines. With their deadly weaponry of razor sharp claws and teeth the lions killed the buffalo.

We were at the sighting for almost 5 hours. From the point of attack on the first buffalo cow that got away to minutes before we sadly had to leave in order to catch our flight back to Maun, nobody said a word. We all just watched in awe as we were privileged enough to see, hear and feel the power of Duba Plains’ Tsaro Pride.

Living the Dream – My Life as a Professional Safari Guide

2011-06-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

Part 2 –The 8th Wonder of the World

It was a misty morning when I first entered the gates of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area; my destination, the 8th Wonder of the World, the Ngorongoro Crater. Upon entering the park, I drove for several kilometers along the mossy afromontane forest rim. Few words can describe the emotion I experienced when I first stood on the edge of the Crater while marveling at this perfect ecosystem spread below me. For anyone fortunate enough to visit this incredible wilderness, it makes one realize just how puzzling and prehistoric our continent actually is.

This 8,300km² World Heritage Site protects the planet’s largest intact volcanic caldera (260km²), and arguably one of the world’s most spectacular natural areas. Not only is it scenically breathtaking, but the crater is also home to one of the densest populations of large mammals on Earth. As if this wasn’t enough, most of the animals are extremely relaxed and habituated to the presence of humans, and with over 30,000 large animals residing here, photographic opportunities are endless.

I first visited the Crater in December 2010 with my guests, Chris and Rachael Garden. We spent almost 2 full days photographing the inhabitants of this natural wonderland. Our first sighting was of a pride of lions, while for the rest of the day our lenses focused on the remarkable amount of zebra, large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and Thomson’s gazelle that abound here.

After a morning of filling our memory cards with remarkable images, we then enjoyed our lunch at one of the various picnic spots. The short, open grassland surrounding the picnic spot was perfect for low angle images of various species of birds, including beautiful Superb Starlings and blue-eyed Rufous-tailed Weavers.

A massive flock of Yellow-billed Kites kept us busy for most of our lunch and continually swooped low in search of tasty morsels of food. We ended the afternoon with another pride of lions, this time hunting zebra, before we finally ascended the steep crater walls back to our comfortable base, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. The view from the lodge is spectacular and provides photographers with the prospect of capturing incredible landscape images.

Unfortunately, due to a nasty food surprise both Rachael and I had upset tummies during the night, which forced us to start our second morning in the crater later than anticipated. We nonetheless photographed all the crater residents during the day including another pride of lions hunting zebra and a massive hippo bull on land. On our way back to the lodge we were then treated to a stunning rainbow, painting the scene in front of us with a plethora of amazing colours.

My second visit to the crater was in February this year and the day spent with my guests Alan and Trish Sturrock must rank as one of my greatest days ever on safari. We started our morning with a pride of lions, consisting of a massive black-maned male, four approximately six month old cubs and five lionesses. During the course of the morning we photographed herd after herd of wildebeest, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle and buffalo, pods of hippos and two huge male Lions finishing of a wildebeest kill. And then, while ‘devouring’ the content of our tasty lunch boxes at a small secluded spot, Africa smiled upon us.

The male lions came down to a nearby pan to quench their thirst, and then lay down about 20 meters away from our vehicle. Suddenly Trish pointed to a small herd of buffalo bulls feeding nearby. They were in the midst of a brief confrontation, after which the one bull ran straight towards the two now very alert lions. The felines were up and ready to pounce on the big buffalo and what followed for the next 15 minutes was an incredible show of ‘cat and mouse’ – or rather cat and bull! The lions tried their best to overpower the buffalo but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one’s perspective!) did not manage to penetrate its defence. The Buffalo eventually decided to make a run for it and left the 2 predators behind.

We departed shortly after this skirmish between these two powerful and impressive members of the “big 5” and within half an hour were rewarded with one of my favourite and most wanted animals, the Black Rhino. A female and her calf crossed right in front of our vehicle and allowed us a couple of images of these ancient and endangered beasts. We decided to take a slow drive back to the lodge and encountered 2 massive ‘tuskers’ en route. But still the crater was not finished with us; our final sighting for the day was of a Serval cat hunting rodents.

I can highly recommend a safari to the Ngorongoro Crater to anyone who is passionate about wildlife, photography and the African continent. Fortunately for me, I will be back at the Crater in a few days to try and capture some more images of this fantastic natural Eden. Until next time.

Living the Dream - My Life as a Professional Safari Guide

2011-06-07T01:18:00.000-07:00

Part 1: The Leopards of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve

It was a Sunday afternoon, living in a small farm town in the North West Province, when the phone unexpectedly rang. It was my brother Hendri and he casually asked me if I would like to come and work on a game reserve for the holiday before starting university. I was 17 years old, only 2 exams away from finishing school and what happened in the summer of 1999 change my life forever. Maybe one day I will be able to write down all my incredible experiences in the wild, but for now I will stick to a selection of my most incredible African wildlife encounters with some of the planets most fascinating animals.

It was the beginning of 2005 when I started guiding in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, the crème de la crème of private game reserves in Africa. I have heard about the ‘Sands’ legendary Leopard viewing on numerous occasions in the past but what I have seen, lived, photographed and experienced in almost 7 years while I was based at Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve www.leopardhills.com , situated in the Western part of the Sabi Sands, was absolutely astonishing. Above image copyright Rudi Hulshof ©

On a cold winter’s morning the night watch man came rushing down to tell me that the guests in room number 8 called for the guides to come to their room as soon as possible. Upon arrival the guest pulled back the curtain and on the pool cushion was 2, 5 month old Leopard Cubs starring at my fellow guide Ryan and I. Instinctively they knew we were bad news, the bold cub charged to the window, snarled at us and ran away. It was without a doubt my single most incredible experience in the wild.

The following winter I was on a morning safari when my tracker Abraham located fresh Leopard tracks soon after we left the lodge. We found a young female leopard stalking through the dry thatch grass. She suddenly stopped, stood on her hind legs- like a “meerkat” paused, listened and with the speed of light, she charges forward and leaped into the air. The jump was more than a meter and a half high; her victim, as small flock of Crested Francolin.

Unfortunately the inexperienced feline was unsuccessful but the incredible agility of the Leopard was absolutely staggering.

The single greatest gift that I was granted in my time at Leopard Hills was the freedom to take a Land Rover and drive around when I wasn’t guiding guests. Less than 800m from Leopard Hills was a small little pan, known as Tawny Eagle Pan. I made this source of water my stake out for a week. I decided to drive to the pan, get in position and stay there until darkness falls. I photographed an astonishing amount of wildlife most notably a pair of Saddle-billed Storks that visited the pan almost everyday for the week.

On of the most humorous images I have ever taken was early one afternoon, upon arrival at Tawny Eagle Pan I noticed a large male warthog rolling in the mud. I slowly drove forward, switched the vehicle off and captured a couple of images of the ‘pig'.

I waited at the pan for another hour and a half and as dusk approached, I leisurely got ready to make my way back to the lodge. Suddenly, I looked up from my ignition and there in front me was our resident female Leopard, Makwela. She appeared from nowhere, crawled over the wall and laid down 10 meters away from me for a drink. I slowly picked my camera up, rested it over the bean bag and captured various images of the most beautiful animal in Africa. The Leopard disappeared into the darkness as secretively as she arrived and once again I realised just how fortunate I am.

Lesotho Woman

2011-05-31T05:14:00.000-07:00

I spent last week Thursday in Lesotho. Heading through the South African border post up the dramatic Sani Pass into "The Mountain Kingdom" is one of the greatest experiences in our beautiful country. The top of the mountain pass was covered in snow and temperatures dropped to zero Degrees Celsius. I tool only 27 images the whole day and the below images of a woman eating "pap", the staple diet of Africa was my favourite for the day. To see more of my images please log onto

Sango - Save Valley Concervancy

2011-05-04T01:09:00.001-07:00

I just returned from an incredible 10 day safari in the 60 000 hectare, Sango Private Game Reserve situated in the Save Valley Conservancy in Eastern Zimbabwe. 60 000 hectares of pristine wilderness for one safari vehicle was really special and seldom find in any of Africa's more famous National Parks and Reserves.

Different photographers enjoy photographing different subjects and one of my favourite animals to view and photograph is without a doubt the African Wild Dog also known as Painted Wolves.

Late one morning we got a radio call to say the dogs have been located and we found them resting in the shade of an old Leadwood tree after there morning hunt. Shortly after we arrived the dogs got up and entered the thick Mopane. We located the dog’s minutes later and enjoyed some great photographic opportunities.

There are very few encounters in Africa that gives you such amazing adrenalin rush as walking and photographing Black Rhino on foot. We were fortunate to photograph this old bull on our first full day. We also had great sightings of other pachyderms including Elephant and Cape Buffalo.

Numerous hides around the property are erected specially for photography and offer the photographer great low angle images.

Sango is home to numerous rain filled pans, covered in Water Lilies. These pans attract a huge variety of birdlife.

The reserve is undoubtedly a bird photographers paradise with more than 300 species of birds recorded, Racket- tailed Roller, Boulder Chat and White- breasted Cuckooshrike are only a few of the specials.

It also provide the landscape photographer the opportunity to utilize wide angle lenses and capture great images of the surrounding granite boulders and bushveld terrain.

Lions - The Kings and Queens of Africa

2011-03-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

There are very few animals on the planet that have the aura of lions. Photographing Africa’s big cats must surely rank as any photographers dream. I have been very fortunate to spend countless hours in the presence of lions. Enjoy my portfolio on the King and Queens of Africa.

A male Lion captured minutes before sunrise.

Eyes of a Killer.

Yawning Lioness.

Photographing a Male Lion, East African Style.

A Pride of Lions scavenging on a dead rhino.

A litter of cubs fighting over a female's milk.

Alert, spotting buffalo in the distance.

African Sunrise

Portrait of a lioness.

Death in the Water.

Early Morning Drink.

Hunting Lioness

Flehman Male Lion

Roaring Male Lion.

Female Lion and Cubs.

Portrait of the King.

Yawning Lion.

Feeding on a Buffalo Carcass.

Protecting his Kill.

Lion and Elephant Stand-off

Young Male Lion Resting

Golden Light Cub.

Early Morning Stroll

Alert Waterbuck.

Alert Lionesses

Against the African Sky

Sub Adult Male

Early Morning Drink

Savuti Queen

Birds of the World

2011-03-08T05:50:00.000-08:00

There are approximately just over 10 000 species of birds in the world. I have been bird watching since I was 18 years old and have travelled to numerous countries in search of bird images. Below are a couple of my favorite bird images taken in the last 4 years. As always enjoy! to join me on a bird photographic expedition go to www.rockjumperbirding.com

Preening Black-browed Albatross - Falkland's Island

African Skimmer - Zambia

White - backed Vultures - Zambia

White - faced Ducks - Botswana

Pied Kingfisher - Botswana

Nesting Black-browed Albatross - Falkland's Island

Shoebill - Uganda

Black-bellied Bustard - South Africa

White-backed Vulture - South Africa

Yellow-billed Kite - Tanzania

Chinstrap Penguin - Antarctica

Wandering Albatross - South Atlantic Ocean

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill - Tanzania

Giant Petrel - South Atlantic Ocean

Saddle-billed Stork - South Africa

Dolphin Gull - Argentina

Carmine Bee - eaters - Zambia

Pygmy Goose - Botswana

Greater Flamingo - Tanzania

Black-browed Albatross - South Atlantic Ocean

Woodland Kingfisher -South Africa

Ostrich - Tanzania

Grey Kestrel - Tanzania

Africa

2011-03-01T04:26:00.000-08:00

Africa, there is no place in the whole world that can compare with this astonishing continent. I recently stumble upon these remarkable words and for me it describes Africa in the best possible way.

‘Africa is mystic; it is wild; it is a sweltering inferno; it is a photographer's paradise, a hunter's Valhalla, an escapist's Utopia. It is what you will, and it withstands all interpretations. It is the last vestige of a dead world or the cradle of a shiny new one. To a lot of people, as to myself, it is just 'home'. It is all these things but one thing — it is never dull.’ Beryl Marham

Below is a small collection of my images that I feel portraying Africa at its best. Enjoy and as always remember to click on the image to enlarge it.

Sunset Makoro Ride - Botswana

Stalking Leopard - Zambia

Masaai Warrior - Tanzania
Crossing the Sand River - South Africa

White-faced Owl - South Africa
Stampeding Buffalo - Zambia
Dazzling Zebra - South Africa

Hyena Silhouette - South Africa

White Rhino Calf - South Africa

Giant and the Sunset

Bark Spider - South Africa

African Supper - South Africa

Barn Owl - South Africa

Male Leopard - South Africa

"Greatest Show on Earth" - Tanzania

Shake It - South Africa
Abstract Gorilla - Rwanda

Feeding Frenzy - South Africa

Panic - Tanzania

The Endless Plain

2011-02-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

There are very few countries in Africa that compete with the incredible specie diversity and unbelievable number of animals that is found in the celebrated National Parks of Tanzania. I was fortunate to spend another 2 weeks photographing this abundant wildlife while leading a photographic expedition for my company Oryx – Worldwide Photographic Expeditions. Being so famous the Serengeti, Ndutu and Ngorongoro Crater are all very well photographed and I really hope that this portfolio will do justice to this incredible wildlife haven. Our expedition was especially time for the birth of the Wildebeest and every day about 8000 calves are born on the plain, enjoy!!

"Ndutu Sunrise"

"Prehistoric Creatures of the Crater"

"Dawn in Africa"

"The Giant, the Dust and the Single Ray of Light"

"New Life in Africa"

"Proud Cubs"

"Backlit Abdim's Stork"

"Blue Monkey Portrait"

"Crater Dual"

"Golden Morning Cheetah"

"Reflections”

"Panic in the Pan"

Classic Antarctica

2011-01-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

WOW!! I have just returned from the most incredible expedition of my life. Over a period of 18 days I visited the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and last but most certainly not least Antarctica. Below are a small selection of the images I took on the voyage! As always enjoy!!!

East Africa

2010-12-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

I have been spending an incredible 12 days in East Africa visiting some of Africa's most famous National Parks including the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Below is a small selection of the images I have taken in the last 2 weeks. Enjoy!!

Ngorongoro Rainbow - Ngorongoro Crater

Warriors to Be - North East Serengeti

Baby Gorilla - Volcanoes National Park

Baboon Business - Serengeti

Serengeti Giant - Serengeti

Gazelle Eyes - Serengeti

Crater Landscape - Ngorongoro Crater

Morning Masaai Duties - North East Serengeti

The "Silverback" - Volcanoes National Park

Portrait of the Perfect Primate - Virunga National Park

Low Angle Weaver - Ngorongoro Crater

Backlit Foal - Ngorongoro Crater

Crater Sunset - Ngorongoro Crater

Charging Hippo - Ngoronogoro Crater

Portrait of a Feline - Serengeti

The Vegetarian - Volcanoes National Park

Leopards of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve

2010-11-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

I was very privilege to guide for 6 and a half years at one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in Africa, the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. I was really fortunate to experience and photograph some of the most incredible leopard behavior on daily basis. Below is a small example of some leopard images taken in my time there, Enjoy!! (remember as always click on the image for a larger view).

Thirsty Leopard Canon EOS 40D;Lens Canon 400 f2.8 IS USM; Aperture f7.1; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/400th sec

3 Month Old Cub Canon EOS 40D, Lens Canon 100 – 400 f4.5 – f5.6 IS USM; Aperture f.8; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/250th sec

Inquisitive Female Camera Canon EOS 40D; Lens Canon 70 – 200 f2.8 IS USM, Aperture f/7.1; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1.400th sec

African Sunset Camera Canon EOS 30D; Lens Canon 100 – 400 IS USM f4.5 – f5.6; Aperture f7.1; ISO: 1600; Shutter Speed: 1/40 sec

Classic Leopard Canon EOS 30D; Lens Canon 100 -400 f4.5/f5.6; Aperture f5.6; ISO 320; Shutter Speed 1/125th sec

Aggression Camera Canon EOS 7D; Lens Canon 70 – 200 f2.8 IS USM; Aperture f/3.5; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/2500th sec

Yawning Beauty; Camera Canon EOS 7D; Lens Canon 70 -200 f2.8 IS USM; Aperture f2.8; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/640th sec

Alert Camera Canon EOS 7D; Lens Canon 70 -200 f2.8 IS USM; Aperture f4; ISO 640; Shutter Speed 1/160th sec

Golden Light Leopard Camera Canon EOS 40D; Lens Canon 24 -105 f.4 IS USM; Aperture f4; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/1000th sec

Leopard Motion Camera Canon EOS 7D; Lens Canon 70 - 200 f2.8 IS USM; Aperture f13; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/15th sec

Chilling Camera Canon EOS 7D; Lens Canon 70 - 200 f2.8 IS USM; Aperture f13; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/15th sec

Portrait of a Feline Camera Canon EOS 40D; Lens Canon 400 f2.8 IS USM; Aperture f2.8; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/250th sec

A Leopard's Tail Camera Canon EOS 40D; Lens Canon 400 f2.8 IS USM; Aperture f2.8; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/800th sec

Eye to Eye Camera Canon EOS 30D; Lens Canon 100 - 400 f4.5 -F5.6 IS USM; Aperture f7.1; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/500th sec

A Predator's Teeth Camera Canon EOS 40D; Lens Canon 400 f2.8 IS USM; Aperture f5.6; ISO 400; Shutter Speed 1/160th sec

Chiefs Island, Botswana

2010-11-08T00:41:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from an incredible photographic safari in Botswana. We started our journey in Johannesburg and an hour and a half later we touched down at the gateway of the Okavango Delta, Maun. Getting through customs was quick and easy and after a short 20 minute flight we arrived at Chief"s Camp, our base for the next 4 nights.

Known as the predator capital of Africa we were very fortunate to see both Lion and Leopard. Our first afternoon presented us with a mating pair of Lions and for the duration of our stay saw and photographed no less than 3 different prides. A highlight was photographing a pride consisting of 2 females and 4 cubs feeding on the remains of a Blue wildebeest they caught the previous day.

A female Lion starring into the distance.
After 3 days of searching we finally saw a female leopard.I have been very fortunate to see hundreds of leopard sightings in the last 6 years but as always the "spotted and secretive" cat was at the top of my wish list.
Our Guide Ishmael worked really hard and we got rewarded with this female (pictured above. We followed her for almost an hour as she searched for a suitable den for her new born cubs.

Birding was spectacular and we saw and photographed a variety of Delta specials including the Slaty Egret (pictured below). I didn't see any new birds on the safari but I really enjoyed seeing 4 different species of Coucals,including a Black Coucal which I have only see ones before in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal. We also has spectacular sightings and photographic opportunities of the endangered Wattle Crane.

Pied Kingfisher moments before it dived into the water.

Slaty Egret catching a fish.

The endangered Wattle Crane and a Palm Swift (bottom left hand corner)

My personal highlight and the "jewel in the crown" of my safari was flying with a helicopter over the Delta to get a bird's eye view of this unique wilderness area. We photographed numerous species of mammals and birds from the air and this was truly a photographic experience I can very highly recommend.

We also had the opportunity for both backlit and silhouette images, which I always truly enjoy.

Backlit Spotted Hyena.

Baboon Silhouette

On our final afternoon we changed our photographic targets from land to the water and enjoyed one of the most spectacular experiences in Africa, a "makoro" ride.

Sunset Water Lily

No Okavango Delta safari is complete without getting "bogged" down in the mud, we enjoyed the experience twice.
For any person that loves Africa, you got to experience the Okavango Delta first hand!!! To join me on a photographic safari visit the Oryx website (www.oryxphotography.com) for more details.

The 15 Best Images

2010-10-18T03:39:00.000-07:00

Almost a year ago on the 5th of November 2009 I added a flag counter to my blog and I am very excited to report that in the last year I have had almost 8500 unique visitors to my blog and almost 19 000 page views. People from 107 different countries have visit my blog and as a thank you to everyone from all over the world I have posted my 15 best images that I have taken in the last 2 years. Please forward the link to all your friends and family and enjoy!!!!(Remember to click on the images for a larger view)

Ray of Light: Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa

Roller Lunch: Kwai River, Botswana

The Scavenger: Timbavati Game Reserve, South Africa

"Mock" Charge: South Luangwa National Park,Zambia

Running Lioness: Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa

"Ghostly" Crab:Rocktail Bay, South Africa

The Philosopher:Impalali Island, Namibia

Survival of the Strongest:South Luangwa National Park,Zambia

Shake It: Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa

Phantom's of Africa:Sabi Sand Game Reserve,South Africa

Leopard Flower:Sabi Sand Game Reserve,South Africa

Feeding Frenzy: Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa

Golden Tusk:Sabi Sand Game Reserve,South Africa

Starring Cheetah:Sabi Sand Game Reserve,South Africa

Wide-Angle Skua: Indian Ocean, South Africa

Guest Entry from Ralf Lübbe-Scheuermann

2010-10-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

Marius my friend,

Thank you for sharing this unforgettable two week Zambian safari experience with us. We’ve got the most fantastic sightings, incredible photographic opportunities and lots of fun together.

Perdita and I have done lots of safaris in South and East Africa, but we’ve never been to Zambia before. You told us many times: “one day, we have to do Zambia together” and now we did it.
Sausage Tree Camp in the Lower Zambezi area was a very nice and luxury start for a Zambia trip. We’ve spend the most of our time on the boat and made only one game drive on land to get an idea of the complete area. From the wildlife perspective to go out by boat was definitely the better photographic option. One big advantage of exploring the Lower Zambezi area with a small boat, is the very low photographic angle you can get, especially if you take Hippo and Elephant pictures. And of course nothing can beat the East African sunset light on the water, with all this incredible colours. For me as a “reptile guy” it was special to see all these big Zambezi Crocs, very impressive. I’m not a really big birder, so you can tell more about the fantastic birdlife of this area. But for all of us the first highlight was definitely the lunch on a sand bank in the middle of the Zambezi. To sit there for lunch with your feet in the water, very cool idea.

After three days of luxury, now our real bush experience started with the Mwamba Bush Camp in the heart of the South Luangwa Valley. We got a small charming “Bush Villa” in the middle of nowhere, for the proper bush feeling. The guys in the camp made the most memorable private dinner for us and the most spectacular cheese sandwich (it was so big, that you can kill a Lion with it) for my wife Perdita. This dinner was one of the most funniest evenings, we’ve had on the complete trip. Thanks to the Mwamba team.

Here we got our first Zambian Leopard and she was a relaxed one. The most people who take Leopard images in areas like the Sabi Sand forget, that not all the Leopards “dance and pose” in front of your car.

Our second camp, named Kaingo, was set in a stunning location on the banks of the Luangwe River. I’ve never seen so many Hippos in one place and the Crocs here are huge. You will find Hippos everywhere, even in places, where you don’t expect them. It looks very strange to see lots of Hippos out on the land, in such dry areas. To see a big Crocodile killing a drinking Puku and doing the death roll, was also very special (from the deck in front of our room!).

Marius, you have already spoken about the hides. Here you can easily get "top" low angle shots of Hippos, without any movement of a boat. These hides are really cool! If I have to set a photographic highlight of South Luangwe, it would be our Lion night sighting.

Marius, I agree with you, the wildlife in South Luangwe is absolutely stunning, you can compare it with areas like Mombo, but more wild. An absolutely “must be there” place.

We sadly left South Luangwe after to short five days, for the Kafue National Park.
After a flight from Lusaka To the Basunga Plains airstrip and a to short helicopter ride we arrived at the lovely Shumba Camp. On our flight we got a first impression of the “Zambian national sport”, burning. In the plains, you will find everywhere a small or a big man made bush fire. Later on our game drive I really got the opportunity for a “Lion in front of a fire” image. For me that was one of these “you only get once in your life” photographic opportunities.

This area is very good for night drives, but you have to be lucky like us. We got all the night specials from Caracal up to Serval. The opportunity of a helicopter ride was very cool and the pilot was specialised into photographic flights. If someone likes to take pictures during the flight, he can fly also without the doors, for pictures out of bird’s eye perspective.

My suggestion for all the wildlife photographers, go to Zambia, it rocks!!!
Thank’s again for your perfect planning and organisation.

Ralf

All images copyrighted Ralf Lübbe-Scheuermann©

South Luangwa National Park

2010-09-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

The South Luangwa is one of the most incredible National Parks in Africa and our 5 days spend here was without a doubt for both Ralf, Perdita and myself the highlight of the 2 week Zambia Photographic Safari.

Experts have dubbed South Luangwa one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and not without reason. The concentration of game around the Luangwa River and its ox bow lagoons is among the most intense in Africa.

Our base was the legendary Kaingo Camp and after my visit I now completely understand why it is rated as an absolute wildlife photographic paradise. The first 2 nights we stayed at Kaingo’s Bush Camp, Mwamba. The camp provided an incredible opportunity to explore the heartland of the South Luangwa.

On our first full day we had an incredible "day time" sighting of a female leopard stalking a small herd of impala, unfortunately she did not have any luck on this occasion. Over a period of 5 days we saw no less than 6 individual leopards, with a mating pair the highlight.

Sightings were incredible and various members of the 33 strong Mwamba Pride of lions were seen frequently. We decided to spend our first 2 days scanning the Luangwa River and surrounds and were rewarded with incredible sightings of the pride.

South Luangwa is home to 3 endemic species of mammals and we were very fortunate to see and photograph them all, Cookson’s Wildebeest, Thornicroft’s Giraffe and sub-specie of Burchell’s Zebra, Crawshaw’s Zebra. Various species of antelope were seen around every corner and include Impala, Puku, Greater Kudu and bushbuck.

We were sad to leave the “rustic” charm of Mwamba Bush Camp but what followed over the next 3 days at Kaingo Camp can only be described as pure magic. On arrival Ralf came storming into my room, a huge crocodile caught a Puku right in front them. We watched in awe as this massive reptile fought of 7 more crocodiles to claim what was rightfully his.

The days that followed were pure photographic bliss as we saw and photographed huge herds of elephant. We spend countless hours with the beautiful Hollywood Pride of lions (this famous pride has been the subject of numerous National Geographic and other renowned documentaries). The highlight of observing the “Hollywood’s” was seeing them interacting with a herd of elephants and shortly after sundowners (an ice cold Mosi Lager) we watched them catching and killing a large Puku ram.

The photographic opportunities at Kaingo are endless mainly due to the numerous photographic hides that are constructed all around the reserve; these hides most certainly optimize close encounters with various species of birds and mammals. The bulk of our “Hide Photography” was done from the Hippo Hide, where you get so close to the action that you feel you are part of the pod.

“
Our hides have certainly turned the heads of the professionals. We have been visited by world renowned wildlife photographer Frans Lanting (multiple times, this year Frans Lanting and National Geographic returned for a month, cancelling all other camps in the valley to extend their stay with us again and again) of National Geographic. BBC used our hippo hide in the filming of the Wild Africa Series.” We have featured in both National Geographic and National Geographic magazine in 2006.” Kaingo Camp

My favourite hide was the “Carmine bee – eater” hide. The hide is especially put up every year, once the Carmines are established at the nesting site. The brightly colored Carmines build their nests in huge colonies into the river bank. Getting to the hide itself is a great adventure as you walk (with an armed scout) to the edge of the river and then by canoe (with owner Derek Shenton) cross the water to reach the hide, a remarkable photographic experience in deed.

Other birding highlights for me include seeing and ticking Three-banded Courser, Lillian’s Lovebird, Bohm’s Spinetail and Red-necked Falcon. Huge flocks of Yellow-billed Storks provided us with great bird photography opportunities.

Another highlight was viewing no less than 9 Spotted Hyena's fighting over the remains of a dead hippo.

The South Luangwa is truly a wildlife photographic mega and I can without a doubt recommend Kaingo Camp to anybody interested in photographing “The Valley”.

Kafue National Park

2010-09-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

I just returned from leading a 2 week photographic safari to the amazing African country of Zambia. My clients, Ralf and Perdita, and I had an incredible wildlife experience and we saw no less than 48 species of mammals and 203 species of birds on the safari. Photographic opportunities were endless and over the next month I will explain this remarkable safari in detail.

At 22 500 square kilometres, Kafue National Park is one of the largest National Parks in Africa. It is fed by three rivers, the Lufupa in the north-west and the Lunga and Kafue in the north-east. The Lufupa River floods in the summer,creating a large floodplain delta system that attracts thousands of waterbirds.

The Park has the largest mammal species diversity in Zambia due to an interesting habitat mix which includes miombo woodland and seasonal open grassy areas called dambos. The Park boasts 55 large mammal species - including 20 ungulate and 6 cat species.

In the extreme north of the Kafue lies the Busanga Plains - one of Zambia's most significant wetland resources and one of the few areas in the world that remain untouched by development and human activity. Considered the jewel in the Kafue crown, these plains cover an area of approximately 750 square kilometres. The Plains are home to hundreds of red lechwe, puku, roan and the diminutive oribi.

Cape Buffalo were ever present and herds of Elephants were seen almost daily.

This wealth of game on the plains is also a big attraction for predators and we saw and photographed a coalition of 3 male Cheetahs (hunting Blue Wildebeest for more than 2 hours) and 3 different prides of Lion. We were also very fortunate to 2 see two different Leopards, one a young male on the bank of the Kafue River and a second large territorial male lying on top of a termite mount.

We also saw an incredible diversity of smaller mammals and sighting included Caracal, Serval, Civet Cat and Marsh Mongoose. On a morning safari Ralf and I even saw and photographed a Bush Pig in the day light.

The birdlife is certainly an attraction for many photographers visiting the Busanga Plains and Kafue boasts 491 species.

The Busanga plays host to elegant Wattled Cranes, Crowned Cranes and Rosy-throated Longclaws in great numbers. Birding habitats are diverse and include vast floodplains, broadleaved woodland (mopane and miombo), open water and riverine fringe.

Key species we saw around the Lufupa and Kafue Rivers included Ross's Turaco, Schalow's Turaco and Half-collared Kingfisher. My birding highlight was without a doubt seeing and “ticking” both Red-throated Twinspot and Böhm's Bee-eater in Musanza Camp.

Other amazing attractions include hot air balloon and helicopter flights and this provide the photographer with an incredible aerial photographic experience.

Kafue National Park is without a doubt one of my favourite National Parks in Africa, it is a true wilderness experience and we were astonished at the great diversity on every one of our drives.

48 Hours at Kings Camp

2010-03-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

My wife Vanessa and I just spent the most phenomenal weekend at King's Camp in the Timbavati reserve.

Our guide Colbert was one of the most enthusiastic guides I have came across in more than 10 years in the safari industry. He had a great sense of humour and loved to share his vast knowledge of Africa. Our first “big” sighting was of a herd of buffalo numbering more than 400 individuals drinking at a dam. After viewing and photographing these massive bovids for some time we left in search of some Timbavati lions.

Unfortunately we never had a chance to see the famous “white” lions of the Timbavati but had a great sighting of one of the “Timbavati Boys” (a coalition consisting of 3 males) and 2 females. We watched the felines gracefully wake up and started their evening hunt.

We woke up with great excitement the next morning and after a cup of hot coffee headed out on our second drive. Colbert and his tracker Sam found fresh tracks of a rhino bull and after tracking this massive beast for some time we came across a magnificent specimen of a rhino. We viewed and photographed the rhino and then headed off in search for some predators.

Minutes later we watched a beautiful female leopard sitting high up a Marula tree. Every now and then something caught her attention she would sit up and stared into the distance and allowed us all great photographic opportunities.

We left on our afternoon safari with great excitement. Shortly after leaving camp we came across a very heavily pregnant female leopard. We followed her for some time when she took us straight to a massive impala that she killed a couple of days before. Our next sighting was of a hyena at a small waterhole perfectly backlit by the afternoon sunset.

After our sun downer, sipping Gin and Tonics watching the African sun setting over the savannah, we headed back to camp. On our way back we came across a female leopard and her 2 approximately 7 month old cubs at a small waterhole. The cubs caused great excitement and watching these little predators was definitely a highlight of our stay.

On our last morning we got woken up by the most impressive sound in the African bush, rain!! We decided to spend the morning enjoying our spacious and comfortable room and after yet another great breakfast headed home.I can highly recommend King's Camp to anybody wishing to visit Africa. The camp is beautiful and the managers Warren and Lisha Moore runs a very smooth operation, www.kingscamp.com

The Zambezi and Chobe Collection

2010-03-15T00:54:00.000-07:00

I have returned from my trip and managed to capture some great images.

The highlight was without a doubt spending 7 days on a houseboat cruising the Chobe river. I had my own guide and boat for most of the time and spend hours photographing the phenomenal mammal and bird life.

Below is a collection of images from the trip, enjoy.

A Coppery-Tailed Coucal in flight.

The African Openbill one of the most bizarre looking members of the stork family.

Sunset over the Chobe River.

I was lying flat on the speed boat to get a low-angle image of this elephant bull on the banks of the Chobe river.

The rare and elusive Pel's Fishing owl photographed on Impalali Island, Caprivi Namibia.

Local fisherman on the Zambezi river in search of fish the staple diet of many people living along Africa's mighty rivers.

The Pied Kingfisher one of the most common birds of the Chobe region.

Large troops of baboons spend their lifes on the banks of the Chobe river.

A male Masked Weaver busy weaving his nest at the Victoria Falls in Zambia.

One of my favorite birds the brightly colored Pygmy Geese takes off after being flushed by my presence.

A herd of Cape Buffalo trapped on an island between Botswana and Namibia, notice the lady with a bundle of fire wood on her head in the background. Minutes later the buffalo was surrounded by big clouds of smoke from fires that the locals start every season to encourage re growth of the vegetation.

A Pied Kingfisher takes off in pursue of its prey a small fish.

The Black-Shouldered Kite a small raptor mobs the majestic African Fish Eagle on the Banks of the Chobe River.
An Elephant cow raises her trunk to sniff me, I was meters away from her and decided to use a wide-angle lens to portray the open habitat of the Chobe water front.

The elusive Sqaucco Heron hides in thick grass and reeds to conceal it's presence.

A male Kudu running on the banks of the Chobe river.

The Chobe and Zambezi river ecosystem is home to hundreds of thousands of birds and at dawn they roost in the numerous dead trees.

A baby Vervet monkey and it's mother completely at ease with my presence.

The Giant Kingfisher one of the numerous species of Kingfishers found in the Chobe NP.

Caprivi fisherman hard at work in early morning light.