The Okavango Delta is one of the greatest African wildernesses.
This labyrinth of lagoons, islets, channels, stretching over a size of about 15.000 square km, is an outright miracle of the nature.
The wildlife is impressive, the highest density being in the Moremi, a tongue of land covering about 1/3 of the entire surface of the Delta.
Beyond hippos, elephants and crocodiles, several species of antelopes are roaming in the Delta. Some are very typical of the area, like the sitatunga and the lechwe. Among the large predators, you can find the lion, the leopard, the cheetah, the wild dog and the spotted hyena.
In the rainy season, birdlife is overwhelming, enriched even further by species migrating from Europe.
The Delta is formed by the Okavango river that has its source in Angola. It flows for some 1000 km before getting stuck in the sands of the Kalahari. The reason why this happens, according to scientists, is the consequence of a mighty tectonic activity. On the account of which, the course and the gap of the river was diverted, giving birth to this huge swamp.
When to go
All year-round, though in the rainy season game viewing may be more difficult. On the other hand, birdwatching is top.
Did you know?
That the level of the Delta ii higher during in dry season? This depends on the fact that the main river which forms it, the Okavango, starts flowing from Angola, in the rainy season. But it takes several months before reaching the Delta. And that occurs when the rainy season is about to end. In the following months, the water evaporates, and the level of the Delta gets to its lowest. Funnily enough, in the heart of the rainy season.
That a deadly threat to the Delta is taking place through the project of a hydro-electric dam in Namibia?
The dam should be based at Popa Falls, in the Caprivi Strip. The goal of the project is to deliver more power to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. One of the main effects of this will be a massive evaporation, wth the consequent dramatic decrease of the water level. The entire ecosystem would be affected, including the most important of all: flooding. The evaporation of the Delta already occurring naturally is already close to 97%. Therefore, it’s not too hard to foresee the final outcome of such an infrastructure at one of the most stunning natural events of our planet.
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