BOTSWANA – DANCING WITH CROCS
There is just something about the primeval look of a crocodile that sends a shiver down my spine. They are voracious predatory machines who are as happy feeding on human flesh as springbok, or anything else unwise enough to get too close to the water’s edge.
Words Alex Sergison // Photos Katy & Alex Sergison
This feature originally appeared in the Summer 2014 issue of SUP International. Print and digital subscriptions for readers worldwide are available HERE.)
Botswana, a land locked country, home of the Kalahari Desert, is not somewhere you would normally consider a paddle boarding Mecca. However for many Botswana people river travel is a way of life. Their equivalent to our SUP is the Mokoro Canoe. Carved from a single tree trunk over many weeks, this dugout is propelled by a long pole used to gain traction from the murky depths.
Within the Okavango, a puzzle of waterways and islands, the largest inland delta in the world, full of animals keen to trample, gouge or eat inexperienced adventurers, the Mokoro is used for general transport, to move crops and to fish from. These boatmen or polers are used to the dangers associated with their life style and it is for this reason we recruited local waterman Morotsi Thabare, as guide and croc spotter for our three day expedition.
Although it is possible to access the inner delta by board or Mokoro, when you are short of time it is also possible to arrange passage on a power boat which will navigate the hidden sand bars, fallen trees and resident wild life at a break neck and seemingly impossible speed. This is what we did, and after 45 minutes we found ourselves at the polers’ camp on the outskirts of the delta true. This was obviously the first time that a SUP had been seen by the small community and these lords of the waterway viewed us and our craft with obvious scepticism. Our guide needed plenty of assurance that we could maintain control of our boards in the often restricted channels. After some discussion about the do’s and don’ts of travelling through the delta (this mainly consisted of how to react when various animals threatened) we left the sandy shores and fascinated villagers.
Immediately apparent were the differences between SUP and Mokoro. Our SUPs are faster over deep water, but the Mokoro excel in the shallows. Without a fin to snag the reeds, water lilies and weed, Morotsi is able to travel effortlessly along the banks and through specially cut channels which intersect the delta. The Okavango is truly stunning; glassy channels weave between a landscape of islands that change with the seasons and the proliferation of the rains.
Reed Buck and Red Lechwe rule the swamp whilst zebra and giraffe graze the higher ground. The heat of the sun is intense and while obviously you are surrounded by cooling waters, when a refreshing dip could result in you becoming the main course for something big, scaly and mean you choose your swim spot carefully. Even after our guide assured us, “Crocs won’t attack you here”, I couldn’t help but consider the splash that we’d heard 5 minutes further down the river, as something large slithered back into the water upon our approach.
Lead Wood
Evenings under canvas in the delta are some of the best I have spent anywhere. We carried supplies of pasta and various non perishables, but only a single pan and a box of matches. There is something very rewarding in collecting your own wood, building your own fire and then cooking over it with limited resources.
After dinner you stoke up the fire with lead wood, the wood of choice for burning through the night to scare off unwanted visitors. Lead wood’s high density properties mean it will burn and smoulder for hours and reduce the amount of times you need to stoke the embers during the night. Hours can while away as you gaze into the dancing flames and listen to the sounds of the wilderness. On our last night we could hear lions hollering on three sides of the camp and the sounds of elephants foraging in the nearby woodland. On waking the next morning we were greeted by giraffe, no more than 100m from camp, who hastily retreated back into the bush as we stretched and soaked up the first rays of the day. The cooler, extreme ends of the day are best for wandering around by foot. Buffalo roam and herds of gazelle and zebra watch you nervously. The guides carry no weapons and so it is important you follow their lead closely to avoid any confrontations. The herbivores associated with the delta don’t want to hurt you, but if you catch them unawares the chances are they will react aggressively.
Our closest encounter of the trip came during the paddle back out. We mobilised early that morning and paddled away from the camp around 8 a.m. Morotsi had already warned us that any time before 10 comes with more risk. The animals that inhabit the inky waters of the delta only clear the main channels as the heat of the day grows.
Killer in the reeds
Just over an hour into the paddle there was a thunderous crashing from our right. A grey mass of attitude and muscle emerged from the reeds and charged down the bank alongside us. Hippos are allegedly the biggest killer in Africa, excluding the mosquito. Forget crocs, these bad tempered beasts are the creature you should be scared of. Morotsi shouted, “Move”. We followed his lead down the channel, desperately trying to overtake the creature before he plunged back into the water, cutting off our route for potentially hours. Luckily our hippo came upon a water lily decorated plunge pool before the main channel. He dived into the idle waters allowing us to get ahead and clear.
Our heart rates were racing as we paddled free of danger. This hadn’t been a full charge, but to delta virgins, I can assure you it felt like a close call. An hour later and we had calmed, the polers’ village was under a km to go, the river was wider, Katy was central channel, Morotsi to the right, and I was cutting close to the opposite bank. The grass round this section of channel is known locally as hippo grass. The hippos eat, sleep and hide within this green and incredibly nutritious grass. Sucking in the last vistas of the trip, I pondered how long ago a bed of flattened grass on the bank had been vacated. As I looked on, almost lazily a hippo lethargically rumbled and heaved itself from slumber. This wasn’t like the last encounter, this hippo had an agenda and I was in its way.
The worst place to be when a hippo is startled is between it and the water. A hippo can reach speeds of over 30km per hour and this one was no further than 6 metres from me. Before he was even fully upright or Morotsi had the chance to scream, “He is charging, paddle”, I was moving. Something instinctive told me that this was a bad place to be, but unfortunately when a SUP has 15kg of kit strapped to the nose it doesn’t turn quickly. In panic and haste I missed my first stroke and with my body braced for plenty of traction I came crashing down to one knee. For a second I thought I was water bound and a goner, but somehow I pulled myself up and kept paddling. By this point Morotsi was calling, “Paddle faster, faster, faster”. I can promise you I could move no quicker. I glanced right to see that he and Katy were clear and nearly on the opposite side of the channel. As the nose of the board slowly came round, I dug the blade into the water and powered out of harm’s way just as the great lumbering hulk came crashing into the water. By the time we reached the poler’s village our legs had almost stopped shaking. We had come and paddled the Delta, but even on our state of the art boards were we top of the food chain? I think not.
If you are a SUPer looking for adventure then head for the Okavango Delta, but remember, here nature is incredible, butunforgiving, and reward comes with an element of risk.
The easiest access point to the Okavango Delta is through Maun. Flights are available to Maun itself from many European airports for around £810, however it is considerably cheaper to fly to Botswana’s capital Gaborone and take public transport cross country.
In Maun we stayed at the Okavango River Lodge which although the camping is basic, comes highly recommended due to helpful staff and river front access. They can also assist with finding a boat into the main delta and introductions to a guide even at short notice. Cost for permits to enter the main delta, lift in a boat and a guide should come to around £30 per person per day if you are travelling as a pair.
Adventurers Alex Sergison and Katy Parker are supported by Naish, 109 Watersports and Weymouth College. For support mobilising your own expeditions contact Alex at sergisonoutdoors@gmail.com SUP