Travel photography Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park

As I was nearing the end of my 3 week trip in Namibia, I left the best for last: Etosha National Park. If you go in the dry season, which runs from April to November, your chances of seeing wildlife are high, as water is scarce and animals are drawn to the waterholes. Etosha is so vast that I decided to spend 4 full days in the park, covering it from west to east. Very unique to Africa, you can go on safari through the park yourself with your own vehicle, making it a very fun experience. I spent several nights inside the park at Okaukuejo and near Namutoni, allowing me to explore different sections of the park without having to cover great distances to get back to my hotel. The hotels here all have waterholes as well which are lit up at night, allowing you to observe the animals at night from a safe distance.

The animals are most active early in the morning and late in the day, so I decided to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and go see what I could find. Every waterhole offers a great chance to spot wildlife, and certain species seem to congregate more around certain areas. What makes Etosha’s waterhole so special is that you often can see many different species of animals all coming together for water. It’s not uncommon to see herds of zebras, big families of springboks, the occasional shy and timid giraffes and countless elephants all at the same waterhole.

Etosha also has a very healthy population of predators, and I got to see lions, jackals and spotted hyenas. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see cheetahs or leopards, but the many black rhinos that I got to see instead surely made up for that loss. Etosha is one of a kind and it’s nice to see that this park is very well protected and that animals thrive here.

Acacia tree on the plains of Etosha National Park, Namibia Ostrich, wildebeest and zebra at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Oryxes in Etosha National Park, Namibia Blue wildebeest in Etosha National Park, Namibia Black rhinos at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Black rhino at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia at sunset Springbok in Etosha National Park, Namibia Male lion near a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Male lion growling at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Lion at sunrise at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Honey badger in Etosha National Park, Namibia Spotted hyena in Etosha National Park, Namibia A spotted hyena near a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia A flock of ostriches at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Close-up of zebras in Etosha National Park, Namibia Elephants bathing at the Okaukuejo waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Baby elephant near the Okaukuejo waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Elephants drinking water at the Okaukuejo waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Elephant drinking water in Etosha National Park, Namibia Baby elephant drinking water in Etosha National Park, Namibia at the Okaukuejo waterhole Black-backed jackal in Etosha National Park, Namibia Ostrich walking through Etosha National Park, Namibia Silhouette of a black rhino at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Spotted hyena near a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Rerflection of zebras drinking at the Halali waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Wildlife at the Halali waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Zebras drinking water at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Giraffe drinking water at the Klein Namutoni waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Giraffe family drinking water at the Namutoni waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia Giraffes at sunset in Etosha National Park, Namibia Herd of elephants with baby in Etosha National Park, Namibia Mongoose playing in the grass at Etosha National Park, Namibia Mongoose family in Etosha National Park, Namibia Grey heron in the water at Etosha National Park, Namibia

Onkolo hide in Onguma Private Reserve

I ended my trip to Namibia at the Onguma Private Reserve where the Onkolo hide offered a unique vantage point to observe wildlife. In this hide, you are at ground level next to a waterhole, allowing you to see the animals at a very low angle which you normally wouldn’t get from a safari jeep. For a photographer, this offers some great photo opportunities.

Patience is the name of the game here. When I first arrived, it was dark and relatively quiet. I noticed the first animals slowly appear at sunrise. Zebras came in herds, followed by families of warthogs, then wildebeests, impalas, and guineafowls. It was all very surreal and at the same time overwhelming to experience this much variety of species all congregating at the waterhole, and so up-close! After a few hours, just as I was getting ready to leave, a herd of three thirsty bull elephants showed up for some drinking and mud splashing. It was the perfect way to end my trip to Namibia.

Zebras at sunrise at the Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Low angle view of zebras at the Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Blacksmith Lapwing in Etosha National Park, Namibia Zebra drinking water as seen from the Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Warthog at the Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Warthog at Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Startled wildebeest at the Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Impala at the Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Impala near a waterhole at the Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Guinea fowls in Etosha National Park, Namibia Zebra rolling in the mud at Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Startled zebras in Etosha National Park, Namibia Bull elephant at a waterhole near Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia Bull elephant throwing mud in Etosha National Park, Namibia Bull elephants at the Onkolo Hide in Onguma Private Reserve, Namibia