wildlife trip to namibia

Map of Namibia showing the main places visited during the trip. Yes, almost all the country!!

(I used green icons for a better contrast with the arid Namibian terrain)

 

The unexpected journey: this is how I could title the story of this great adventure (yes, same as the first of The Hobbit movies, I'm a big Tolkien fan). In fact, the story of this 2025 year's trip underwent many ups and downs throughout the first half of the year. My initial idea was to organize a trip to a continent that was new to me, namely tropical Asia, focusing mainly on herping (oh, those flying frogs, tree snakes, cobras, and kraits...). This year, my current job was also ending before the summer, so being unemployed but with savings gave me the opportunity to take a longer trip, a whole month, which I had to take advantage of. Together with my friend Anxo Fernández, who came with me last year to Senegambia (see report), we thought about destinations and made a detailed plan of places and species. Unfortunately or fortunately, all these plans fell through when Anxo found out he had an important exam in September, so we could forget about taking a long trip together in the summer. So, shortly before the end of my contract, I found myself with time and money but no companions or plan for the trip I had in mind. I even considered going to Asia alone, but the costs (financial and emotional) weren't worth it.

 

I was debating between different options, perhaps a shorter trip, or saving the money for another year... but finally the opportunity came from Gabriela Crespo, one of my trip mates in the 2024's Senegambia trip. Gabriela was planning to go to Namibia with some friends of her, including her friend Mara Gutiérrez, whom I already knew as she is the promoter of the herpetology courses we teach at the Timon Association in the town of Reinosa (Cantabria, northern Spain). During the last of this courses, Mara and Gabriela offered me the chance to join their African adventure, and they sold it to me so well that I couldn't say no. Last year's trip to Senegambia was a great introduction to tropical Africa, but Namibia promised much more. Guaranteed encounters with all the great African wildlife, the legendary Big Five and much more, including a wide variety of attractive birds and reptiles, and even marine wildlife such as whales and even penguins and albatrosses.

 

The only problem was about the kind of trip they had planned: there would be seven of us in two cars, including Mara's son, Nilo (It is clear that Mara is another big fan of Africa), a seven-year-old child. The plan was to go all out to “safari” sites and try to find big cats, along with some more "touristy" and landscape places. For all these reasons, we could imagine that there wouldn't be much time to search for reptiles as the occasion required, nor to visit many of the best reptile-spotting areas. Furthermore, as the trip was at a bad time of year for reptiles (the middle of winter), I knew that if I wanted to find them, I would have to devote a lot of time and effort, which would be impossible if I joined their plan. But as everything in life has a solution, this one was simple: I would arrive in Namibia ten days earlier, take one of the cars, and spend that time alone looking for my reptiles. After that time, I would join the rest of the team to see birds, mammals, and whatever else came up.

 

So, this has been a long trip, the longest since that distant trip to Costa Rica in 2018 (and that one included a good deal of volunteer work, so it wasn't all free travel). In total, I spent nine days alone in the south of the country looking for reptiles (my target were mostly the small Bitis and cape and coral cobras), and another 18 days with the team in the north of the country looking mainly for large mammals. Therefore, in this long chronicle, I will try to get to the point by mentioning the most important sightings in each place without getting too bogged down in unnecessary anecdotes, otherwise this trip report will end up longer than The Silmarillion (I'll stop with the Tolkien references now, don't worry).

 

 

This was my first time travelling totally alone not only in Africa, but outside the Iberian Peninsula. So I was also very curious and eager to see how I would fare, which added to the sense of adventure during those first few days of the trip. After a long and boring flight with a stopover in Ethiopia (and crossing the Equator for the first time in my life), I arrived to Windhoek, capital city of Namibia, on the 11th of June around midday. For this trip, we arranged fully equipped adventure cars with the company Savanna Car Hire; I have to say that both the vehicles and the service provided by the company were excellent, and I can already tell you that there were no major problems with the cars on this trip. We booked two cars, and I picked one of them up that day to use it on my own for the next few days. The car was a pickup 4x4 Ford Ranger equipped with a roof tent, all sorts of camping utilities (as camping gas, kitchen material, dishes, etc.) and even a fridge attached to a car's secondary battery. It is important to have this kind of car in Namibia, as this country is mostly unpopulated, with vast wild areas (mostly desert) with dirt roads, no people and no facilities. Most of the time I/we slept on campsites in the car's tent, which was not too uncomfortable.

 

So, after picking the car I headed south. My first destination was the town of Lüderitz, on the south coast, to look for Bitis cornuta, but this city is more than 9 hour drive from the capital. So as it was already late (it was night at around 18:30) I went to sleep to Hardap resort, a quite campsite near a reservoir on two hour distance. I have to say that those first moments driving on the left, with a bulky car, and on a road with quite a few trucks, were a bit difficult, but it didn't take me long to get used to it, as I had many kilometers to travel ahead of me. I arrived a little late at the accommodation but was able to check in thanks to having made the reservation in advance. The next morning, in addition to a good breakfast, I was able to enjoy the first African wildlife of the trip, such as the friendly rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis), which are very abundant and trusting here. I was also able to do some birdwatching and get the first lifers, as well as see mammals such as zebras and gazelles in the distance. This trip was looking promising.

 

 

After relaxing a bit at the resort with the hyraxes and stocking up on supplies at a nearby supermarket, I headed south. The cold temperatures already promised little reptile activity in those inland areas, but I was hopeful that things would improve on the coast. Although I didn't see many (if any) reptiles, the road to Lüderitz was entertaining, especially when I started taking dirt roads that allowed for more frequent contact with the local wildlife. I was thrilled to see my first antelopes, such as springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) and the impressive gemsbok or cape oryx (Oryx gazella). On my last trip to Africa, in Senegal, I could only see antelopes inside national parks such as Niokolo-Koba, but here in Namibia they were scattered throughout the country. I also saw wild ostriches and some cool birds, such as a couple lifer raptors. I even saw the first carnivore, in the form of a bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis). I felt very lucky of this encounter, not knowing how common this species was going to be later on the trip.. The desert and wild landscapes and the amount of wildlife were already telling me that I had arrived to an area of the planet still largely untouched by human hands; where the large fauna that thrived on the entire planet in ancient times was still the protagonist.

 

Gemsbok (Oryx gazella)

 

 

I arrived to the Lüderitz peninsula at sunset, and took hosting on the Diaz Point Campsite, a nice and quiet place just surrounded by the sea. Lüderitz it's in the southern border of the Namib Desert, and has a moon-like landscape dominated by dark rocks with suculent bushes (dry karoo vegetation). As I said, my target here was to find Bitis cornuta along with other herps and coastal/marine birds. I wasn't very lucky with the weather during this part of the trip, which was to be expected since it was winter, and I had cold, windy nights (which, sleeping in a very exposed place, made it uncomfortable and even blew half the roof off my tent). Even so, I found reptile activity both day and night, perhaps more than at any other place I visited. The first night, I walked around the habitat until midnight and saw several charismatic species of geckos, such as the barking gecko (Ptenopus garrulus) and the giant ground gecko (Chondrodactylus angulifer). However, despite my best efforts, the snakes did not appear.

 

The next morning, I woke up early to observe from the cape with my telescope, hoping to see seabirds, especially albatrosses, as I had read some accounts of them being spotted from here. However, I was out of luck; the birds were flying too far away, and the strong glare from the sun didn't help. I did manage to see some more coastal species, notably the beautiful African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini), as well as the Cape penguin (Spheniscus demersus) colony on Halifax Island. This is the northernmost penguin colony in Africa, which is seriously endangered, and although they were clearly visible, I was left wanting to see them better. I was also able to enjoy watching the endemic Heaviside's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii), which appeared in several small groups very close to the shore, and even I saw a humpback whale blowing far away.

 

 

When the sun warmed up a little, I resumed my search for reptiles, seeing some activity and a few interesting species, but no sign of the Bitis or other desired species such as the Namaqua chameleon. As I was eager to see the penguins up close, I booked a boat trip for the following morning. In the evening, I continued my search, somewhat demotivated and tired from walking all day without success, and after finding a few geckos, a miracle occurred and I came face to face with the species I was looking for, the many-horned adder (Bitis cornuta); a beautiful adult with the typical dull pattern of the Namibian populations. I enjoyed one of the most iconic snakes of Africa, and also the first snake that I found being alone in a remote place. Since I had achieved my goal, I decided to move on to another area the following day, to pursue my next desired animals.

 

Many-horned adder (Bitis cornuta)

 

 

As I said, I had very bad luck with the weather, and on July the 14th morning, the day started with a very strong wind, so the boat trip to see the penguins was canceled. Faced with the uncertainty of having to stay another day in Lüderitz in case it was possible to sail the next day (and with a wind that prevented me from doing anything there during the day), I decided that, to my regret, I would not see the penguins up close. I had planned to spend the morning in the dune areas east of Lüderitz, looking for species such as Bitis peringueyi and Chamaeleo namaquensis. But the wind in that area was still very strong, with grains of sand smashing like bullets, so I had to abandon the plan and continue south to my next destination: Rosh Pinah. This small mining town is very close to the Orange river that makes the border with South Africa, and its rocky desert areas are home to some nice reptiles. My main targets were the local beautifully patterned horned adders (Bitis caudalis), and the Attenborough's flat lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi), the only namibian species of one of the most beautiful genus of lizards in the world. 

 

Once I arrived at my destination, luckily the wind wasn't so strong, but it was very hot, and throughout that day and the next, the search for Bitis caudalis proved fruitless, even though they are supposedly common and I found areas that looked very promising for the species. Winter was already hitting hard, and the low nighttime temperatures, added with the full moon, meant that there was no snake activity. No matter how many sandy areas with rocks I checked, day and night, I couldn't see a single track of the adders. I also tried roadcruising, both in Rosh Pinah and on the roads along the Orange River (also hoping for a coral cobra), but it was very cold at night and I saw no reptiles (but some mammals and birds instead, and even a toad). At least, night searches on sandy areas gave other of the most emblematic Namibian reptiles, the Namib dune gecko (Pachydactylus rangei), an iconic species and the only gecko with palmated feet in the world. 

 

Namib Dune Gecko (Pachydactylus rangei)

 

 

As so much searching without finding anything ends up being tiring, especially when you are alone, on the 15th I decided to change scenery and spend the day back to the coast, at Oranjemund at the mouth of the great Orange River. I intended to spot mammals and birds along the river during the day, and at night to look for two very cool herps that are supposed to be found here, the Namaqua dwarf adder (Bitis schneideri), and the Desert Rain Frog (Breviceps macrops). Fortunately, birds are more grateful than reptiles (especially in winter), so I was able to enjoy numerous species along the river in the morning, as well as groups of the large chacma baboons (Papio ursinus), feeding on flowers. Even so, once I reached the mouth of the river, things were worse than expected, as there must have been a heavy flood and the paths were not as they appeared on the map, nor were the supposed bird observatories (those that did exist). When I drove to the beach to check out areas to explore at night, I hadn't gone far from the main road when I heard loudspeakers in the distance: "you are entering on a restricted area, leave it immediately". I know that all the desert between Lüderitz and Oranjemund is a restricted diamond area, but that was a bit exaggerated, as I was outside all fenced or signed area and close to a beach with camping tables and people. So, I had to go at night to some other areas closer to the main road, and I saw no trace of rain frogs or dwarf adders. Snake activity was also zero here, with not a single viper track seen both day or night.

 

 

Although I had no luck with adders, on my last day in the area, driving along the Orange River, I was able to achieve my other target for the area when I found a rocky outcrop with a good population of Attenborough's flat lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi), with a couple colorful males. Flat lizards were in my most wanted reptile list since I first saw a photo of one of them, and seeing them live was not disappointing. Truly one of the most beautifully colorful animals I've seen, and more interesting that this species is dedicated to the great Sir David Attenborough, and not so frequently seen as other species of the genus. I even saw a mating pair; I don't know if there are reported observations of mating activity in winter for this lizards. Along the river, I finally saw two snakes active at midday, both Psammophis snakes, and they were very fast to catch and properly identify them. It is not so easy to go out of the car fast when it's only you and you are the driver... I also saw some interesting birds and mammals, such a group of friendly vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), and species seen on my last african trip such as african fish eagles or goliath herons. At night, I roadcruised a bit and saw some jackals and owls.

 

Attenborough's flat lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi)

 

 

At this point in the trip, I had to admit defeat with the cool morph Bitis caudalis and think about heading back north, as the rest of the group would be arriving in a few days. I debated between two options here. The first was to return back via Lüderitz to try for Bitis peringueyi, the Namaqua chameleon, and perhaps make the trip to Halifax Island to see the penguins. Although doing so would give me another chance with species that had eluded me, it would mean returning to the same areas I had already seen. The other option was to go further inland, passing through the Fish River Canyon (one of Namibia's most spectacular landscapes) and then spend a few days in the Kalahari Desert, where my top namibian snake, the Cape cobra, is abundant and had been spotted in the area by some people a few days before my arrival in the country (according to what I saw on Facebook groups).

 

Finally, after talking with some friends, I went for the second option. My way to the Fish Canyon passed through the flat lizard spot, so my idea was also to stop there and take better pictures, but the weather was cloudy and rainy (the only rains in all the trip), and the lizards were nor active. I thus continued my way to the canyon, passing across spectacular rocky deserts. At some point, not far from the canyon road, I saw a "stone hiding its legs" in the middle of the road. A tortoise! It was a sighting I hadn't expected, although I knew there were several species in the country. And this one was also a very interesting one: the tent tortoise (Psammobates tentorius). A rare species with a beautiful design, although in this one the pattern was not the most marked. But the best part didn't end there, and at this point one of those unexpected herping miracles occurred, the ones that remind you why we love this thing so much...

 

I went out of the car to see the tortoise and get it out of the road, I picked it and went to the roadside to release it, when suddenly I found myself face to face with a prehistoric-looking giant, a big adult rock monitor (Varanus albigularis), which was just basking, totally exposed, behind some dry bushes a couple meters away from the road. How lucky that the turtle happened to cross the path in just the right place to see this amazing monitor lizard. I didn't expected to see this species on the trip, because if snakes were hard to find, I thought it would be even more difficult to see a large monitor lizard in winter... And even more so, knowing how elusive and shy they were in other parts of Africa that I have visited (Morocco or Senegal). However, this one, perhaps because it was a bit cold, allowed me to observe and interact with it very closely and for a long time. Perhaps unable to run due to the low temperature, it displayed all its defensive capabilities, puffing out its throat, puffing and lashing out with its tail. It was quite a spectacular sight, totally unexpected, and undoubtedly one of the highlights of the entire trip. If not the largest, the most powerful and robust lizard of Africa, like a small version of the Komodo dragon (I may be getting a little carried away, but I don't usually see many monitor lizards, to be honest).

 

Rock Monitor Lizard (Varanus albigularis)

 

 

After the good moments with the monitor, I arrived to the canyon area. With the day done, I was ready to simply enjoy the scenery and whatever else I might find. As a big fan of birds of prey, I had the idea of looking for one of my most desired birds in Namibia here: the Verreaux's eagle (Aquila verreauxii). After paying the inexpensive entrance fee, on the way to the canyon viewpoints, I crossed some springbok and a herd of the endangered Hartmann's mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae), a species nearly-endemic to Namibia and much rarer than the plains or common zebra. Namibia was a relentless nature paradise, and in this wild country, encounters with cool animals occurred at every turn, even if it was birds, reptiles or mammals. The canyon landscape alone would have been worth the detour. It is one of the largest and deepest river canyons in the world, the second largest after the Colorado River in America, according to some sources. I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the scenery from the various viewpoints, but had no luck with my eagle until the very last moment. Just as the sun had set, I saw a pair of them flying in the lower part of the canyon, not very close, harassed by a lanner falcon. Although they were not very close, thanks to my telescope I could see them very well. One of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen, with that rounded wings, the contrast between the dark body and the white pattern on the back. A spectacular sighting to end a perfect day in the African wilderness. If only every day of the trips could be like this...

 

 

After that good day in the Fish river area, I spent the night of the town of Keetmanshoop. I should mention that during this part of the trip, I tended to arrive at campsites quite late by Namibian standards (around 10:00-12:00 p.m.), but by calling before to ask, I never had any problems. The people in this country were always very friendly. The following day (July 18th) I headed to the mythical Kalahari desert. Specifically, I went to the sandy areas of the namibian side close to Kgalagadi NP (this protected area is in South Africa and Botswana). The namibian side has also the typical Kalahari landscape with long and thin dunes of red sand, with savanna-like valleys within them. This area is not as wild as Kgalagadi, it has no lions or other great predators, being mostly a livestock landscape with big fenced farms. But as my target here were the reptiles, I had no problem with that. As a secondary target, I was hoping also to see the charismatic meerkat (Suricata suricata), which is an iconic Kalahari inhabitant, and perhaps some other small or medium mammals (such as the aardwolf, aardvark, brown hyena, caracal, black-footed cat, etc.).

 

To look for my main target, the cape cobra (Naja nivea), I focused on roadcruising, as most habitat here is fenced and also being winter I thus had small chances to find an active one by feet. I chose dirt secondary roads with few traffic, and also I stopped to check the big nests of sociable weavers (Philetairus socius). Cobras and other snakes frequently used this nests to forage or refuge. I spent thus all two days non-stop roadcruising, from sunrise to midnight, at night more focused on finding mammals. I had no luck with the cobra (the season is not the best, and I knew it was going to be difficult), but I had other interesting finds. Regarding reptiles, I found two more rock monitors (Varanus albigularis), which seem to be not so inactive in winter here. One of them ran away, but the other gave close views similarly to the one I found the day before. And I did find venomous snakes as well, in the form of two adult puff adders (Bitis arietans) crossing the road. I had seen this species before in a Morocco trip, but that was some years ago (2019), so  was happy to see them again. And in addition, the first one had an unusual yellow coloration, which reminded me of the cape cobra itself. I didn't know this species could be like that, it almost seemed other kind of big Bitis. The second one had a more usual pattern, but was more defensive, and showed the typical defensive pose of the species, which I had not seen in the ones from Morocco.

 

 

 

Yellow morph puff adder (Bitis arietans)

 

 

 

Birds were also joyful, and I saw some very cool ones. Starting with my first secretarybirds (Sagitarius serpentarius), on the way to the Kalahari but not close for photos. I saw also some other iconic african birds, as the colorful liliac-breaster rollers, the big Kori bustard, the first hornbills, and a flock of vultures with some lapped-faced vultures (Torgos tracheliotos), the biggest african vulture. Other species I was happy to find was the smallest raptor in Africa, the pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus). Mammals also gave play, even if I did not see any meerkat. I found that the bat-eared fox was very abundant here, they were crossing the roads all the time at night, and some even during the day. I think I saw more tan a hundred between the two nights, it is probably now my lifetime most seen carnivore in the world! I also saw another very top carnivore, the aardwolf (Proteles cristata), a true living fossil as it is the only remaining representative of the dog-like hyenas. I saw two of them on the roads at night, but I didn't managed to get a photograph. The spectacular great kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) were common specially at night, living very close to livestock. 

 

 

And with this Kalahari adventures ended the first part of the Namibian trip, the one looking for animals alone. The truth is that I really enjoyed the experience of being in Africa searching for animals on my own. I think I was very decisive and didn't have any problems with it, apart from the frustration of having no one to talk to or share the good finds with, of course. However, the positive side of going alone is that you don't have to discuss your plans with anyone else. You have complete freedom to experiment with your own decisions, your successes, and your mistakes, and I believe that this also helps you to grow and learn as a naturalist. These nine days certainly helped me learn how to be independent in remote countries, which will surely serve me well in the future, whether traveling for pleasure or even for work. Of course, the fact that Namibia is such a comfortable and safe country also helped greatly. As for the success of the search, it was to be expected that I wouldn't see many snakes as it was the wrong season, but I was satisfied with having given it my all and happy to have found some very cool species, some of them unexpected. But this was only the beginning. Now came the second part of the trip, this time in good company and as part of a team, in search of the legendary African wildlife that we have all seen in documentaries since childhood. So, I set off for Windhoek, somewhat tired but happy with everything I had seen and eager for more.

 

Team photograph in the Namib desert at sunset. From right to left:

Luis Albero, Gabriela Crespo, Silvia Ortega, Mara Gutiérrez, Nilo, Jorge Gutiérrez and María Martínez.

(I am always the worse looking one in all photos, don't know how to pose haha 😅)

 

For this second part of the trip, as said in the beginning, I was going to join the biggest team I went to a trip ever, with different people, not all of whom were as passionate about wildlife watching as I am. It was also the first time that I had traveled with people I didn't know personally before the trip. This was quite the opposite of the first part of the trip, and it was a new experience and learning opportunity to add to the first, which made this trip particularly enriching. Allow me to introduce the team. This was my first time team with female majority! I have already mentioned Gabriela and Mara, two great naturalists who are really passionate about Africa. Mara was accompanied by her son, Nilo (my first trip with a child); I have to said he behaved wonderfully and showed great enthusiasm for everything we saw. I met the other three people for the first time already on the trip. First, Mara's brother, Jorge, not as much of a naturalist as she is but who contributed his enthusiasm and energy, and with me the only boy on the team apart from Nilo. Silvia Ortega is a friend of Gabri and Mara's who had already been with them in Africa two years earlier, as well as a birdwatcher and bird ringer. And finally, another friend of theirs, María Martínez, a teacher and enthusiastic traveler, who will soon move to Angola after living in India for many years. This was the diverse team with which I would travel through the wildest corners of northern Namibia for the next 18 days.

 

 

I joined the team on the 20th at the rental car offices in Windhoek. We got the second car, added one more tent on the one I had, and they efficiently cleaned all the dust from the past nine days on the desert. I realized then that the car had a small side opening on the rear to not get too dust inside (they forgot to tell me that the first day, and that day the car had more dust inside than all the Kalahari). We then split up into two cars, which would be our semi-teams for the rest of the trip (although at some moments they changed): Gabriela and María with me in the first car, and Mara, Nilo, Jorge, and Silvia in the second. As we had four tents, I was the lucky one and they let me sleep alone in the tent I had used before (or maybe nobody really liked to be with me, but I got the best deal). 

 

Once set on the cars, we did the usual logistic things and headed to the first destination of the team trip, the Waterberg Plateau. They have chosen to stay there on the first night more because the place is on the way to our next destination than to other reason, but the site was still very nice. The campsite was well equipped, and we had the first of many barbecues (meat is really cheap and good in Namibia). In the morning, we took a short walk to a viewpoint at the top of the plateau, seeing numerous birds along the way. I would highlight a beautiful pearl-spotted owlet (Glaucidium perlatum), a bird that I missed on last year's trip and that only Silvia and I saw, as the others were walking ahead (in nature, it's better to take your time). As we were coming down, a Verreaux's eagle appeared to everyone's delight, allowing us to see it better, closer, and with better photos than the ones I saw in Fish Canyon. We also saw the first warthogs, some baboons and other small mammals. Jorge really had fun seeing the hyraxes...  

 

 

After a long drive, we spent the night of the 21st on a campsite near the legendary Okavango river, in the border with Angola. We have reached the most humid part of the country, home to many species that are not present on other more famous areas of Namibia, like Etosha. Our final destination here was Bwabwata National Park, a protected area situated on final part of the namibian Okavango, just north of the famous delta (which is in Botswana). The park is part of a great transnational protected area called the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). This is the largest continuous protected area in all Africa, and one of the most important wildlife areas in the world. A vast area of land, more than the size of all Spain itself, which is perhaps the last stronghold in the world where large wild animals can roam free on extensive land distances. The namibian park is only a small part of this vast ecosystem, but for me it was my first time in a real african savanna, with chances to see all the emblematic big fauna. 

 

The park has two core areas in both sides of the river, and the first afternoon (22th July) we visited the southern one, the Mahango Core Area. In this park, as in others in the country, the regulations are not very strict, and you can enter with your own vehicle, paying only a small entrance fee (less than ten euros per day) and move freely along all the park's roads. As soon as we entered the park, the wildlife began to show itself in all its splendor. The numbers of big fauna here is largely unmatched by any other place in Europe, America, or Africa that I have been to before. In the first minutes, we sw numerous species gathering on the banks of a tributary of the Okavango in search of water, including large numbers of impalas (Aepyceros melampus), groups of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis) , ostriches (Strutio camelus), and plains zebras (Equus quagga burchellii). We saw here one of my most desired herbivores, the rare sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), one of the most beautiful in the world. All of this just in the first fifteen minutes...

 

Sable antelope (Hippotragus niger).

They did not have the best light for photos, but it's a species to remark.

 

 

As we approached the Okavango River, the first elephants (Loxodonta africana) appeared. At first shy and hidden, but when we reached the river, they showed themselves in all their splendor. Another dream I was able to fulfill on this trip, and I think any naturalist's dream, was to observe these giants roaming free in their natural habitat. One of the few remaining representatives of the planet's authentic megafauna, it is truly imposing to have them nearby, even from inside the car. We had very close encounters that day with dozens of them, from solitary males to groups of individuals of all ages, who came to the river to eat and bathe. It was a nature spectacle that I cannot describe with more words. The riverbanks were also populated by numerous birds, a few crocodiles (my first Nile crocodiles), and hippos, which I was happy to finally see after missing them the previous year in Senegal.

 

African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

 

 

After completing the tour on the riverside, we went to another path that lead to a waterhole, more "inland" on the park. On our way we saw another rare antelope species, and other we missed on Senegal's Niokolo park, the roan antelope (Hippotragus hippotragus). The number of animals we saw that afternoon was more than I had seen in my entire life, and everything was new to me, as it was my first day "on safari". Only the carnivores were still reluctant to show, but we all knew they were much more difficult, specially here. The trip's top target for all of them (and specially Nilo) was the cheetah, as Namibia hosts the world's largest population, and is present in most of the country. My own favourite, however, is the leopard. And we have small hopes to see even african wild dogs here in Bwabwata, as it is one of the few places in Namibia with some records of them. But it was none of them which decided to show to end that perfect afternoon, but the king of all african carnivores. Yes, the lion (Panthera leo). We were going back after checking the waterhole when suddenly we came face to face with them, four lions resting just a couple meters from the paths we were, all only for us, as there were no more cars there in that moment. It's another one of those moments (there will be several during the trip) that is difficult to describe in words. The pack consisted (it seemed) on one old female, two young females and one young male. Perhaps it was a mother with three grown-up cubs. We had them walking on the path in front of us for some minutes after they disappeared on the bush. 

 

Lion (Panthera leo). Young female.

 

 

We slept on a campsite just outside the park, just on the shores of the Okavango (a couple meters from the water). All the night we heard the roaring of the hippos inside the river, but despite some false alarms, luckily it seems that they stayed in the water and didn't wander around our camp. We also heard lions roaring on the opposite shore (already in the park), and even the trumpeting of an elephant. It was a truly authentic African night. On our second day in the area, we headed for the morning to the northern side of the river, the Buffalo Core Area of the national park. This area, as its name suggests, is one of the few places where you can see Cape buffalo in Namibia, the rarest of the famous Big Five in this country. The area was not as open as the banks of Mahango, with a wooded savannah landscape that reminded me of Niokolo-Koba in Senegal, although being the dry season, it was not as dense with vegetation, and there was also more wildlife to be seen. We saw numerous impalas, kudus, a few zebras, and some monkeys as soon as we entered, as well as groups of hippos and crocodiles by the river closer than the day before, but nothing else at first, no buffaloes and no big cats.

 

 

We headed then towards a waterhole the park rangers had recommend to visit. The road was not in a very good shape, with lots of sandbanks and potholes that made the drive not the most pleasant one. But in the end it was rewarding, and as soon as we approached the waterhole, we saw a nice herd of Cape buffaloes (Syncerus caffer caffer). They were a bit hidden in the bushes, but we enjoyed this powerful beasts. We moved then to do a wait on the waterhole and see if the buffaloes came to drink or so. But what came was not them, but two big groups of elephants, with big females, young males and even some very little calves. As they are animals that never tire, we had no reason to complain. We were able to watch them interact with each other, drink, bathe, and wallow pleasantly in mud, from the safety of the other side of the pond. We even noticed that some of the young calves had not yet learned to fill their trunks with water and had to bend down to drink with their mouths, which more than one of my companions found adorable. Before we left, the buffalo also passed closer by, although they did not come in to drink, as the pond was occupied by the elephants.

 

Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer)

 

 

On the afternoon, we came back to the Mahango area hoping for a new encounter with more big cats, but we had no luck and only saw the typical herbivores, not even roan or sable antelopes. So I took the opportunity to take better photos of these species, as well as some hippos, which we would not see again at our next destination. That night was spent again on the Okavango and the following day (July 24th) was all a long drive towards the most famous wildlife place in Namibia: Etosha National Park. We slept on a campsite near the park entrance and did a little night walk where despite the cold and drought I found a Senegal Running Frog (Kassina senegalensis), a species that ironically eluded us on our Senegal trip last year.

 

 

Etosha is for sure the most visited National Park and wildlife area in Namibia, so it was a must to stay there for more days than in any other place, as it has the highest chances to give all the iconic african big fauna, including our desired cheetah and leopard, both species of african rhinoceros, and huge numbers of other animals. It is both one of the oldest protected areas in Africa and one of the largest (more than 22,000 km²), so it is necessary to stay for some days if you want to see it well. We have booked four nights in three different campsites, covering the main "safari area" on the south of the Etosha Pan (a big salty plain, sometimes with water). Despite this, we barely touched a quarter of this vast park, but we did visit some of the best places to see wildlife. As in Bwabwata, it is a very comfortable park to visit, accommodation and entrance fees are not expensive, and you are free to move around in your own car. 

 

The park's landscape is a combination of vast plains with low grass dotted with acacia trees (typical open “Serengeti-style” savannah, a new landscape for me) along with open forests dominated by mopane trees (Colophospermum mopane). It is a drier and more arid place than the Okavango area, with no permanent watercourses, so the key to finding animals in the dry season is to visit the few waterholes that exist. All of them are clearly marked on the park maps and have paths leading to them where you can wait for the wildlife to appear. The first two nights we slept on Namutoni Camp, east of the Etosha Pan. On our first morning, we were able to see the large number of animals that could be seen everywhere on these vast plains, notably the endemic black-faced impalas (Aepyceros melampus petersi), an endemic subspecies that can now only be seen here. We saw many giraffes, zebras, our first wildebeests (Connochaetes taurinus), and several groups of elephants. 

 

 

After eating at the campsite restaurant, we headed to the next waterhole, where we saw several male elephants, another large male giraffe, and even a fight between impalas. Moving to another, we saw a couple of cars stopped next to a side track, and as we approached to take a look, there were the lions (Panthera leo). In this case, three large adults, including a pair and another male a little further away. At first, they were lying in the shade under a bush, fairly hidden, but after a short while they got up and headed straight for us. They passed very close by and went to lie down again just a couple of meters from the second of our cars. There we enjoyed watching them at our leisure, especially the imposing male. Although the lions here don't have very thick manes, it was a true old warrior, with a face scarred from his battles for territory. After enjoying them for a while, and as they didn't seem very active, we moved on to the next hole hoping for some other of the big cat species (one with more dots).

 

Male lion (Panthera leo)

 

 

On the way to the watering hole, we had our first encounter of the trip with a rhinoceros, in this case a white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), which was somewhat distant and obscured by vegetation. Although it is the most numerous rhinoceros worldwide, it is the rarest of the two African rhinoceroses in this park, as it had to be reintroduced from South Africa. But as soon as we reached the waterhole, the other species was waiting for us there, much closer, the imposing black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). Etosha is surely the best place in the world to see this species, having almost a third of its entire global population. Poaching for its horn, due to some absurd superstitions in Asia, continues to make the black rhinoceros critically endangered worldwide. In many parks in Africa and even in entire countries of its former range, it is extinct or extremely rare. Therefore, every encounter with these magnificent animals in the wild is a blessing. In this case, the specimen had its horns trimmed, a common practice in parks to prevent poaching, but it was no less impressive for that. Returning to camp at dusk, we saw some crepuscular animals, such as jackals and mongooses. All camps in Etosha also have a waterhole that you can observe all night long from the safety of the fence, illuminated by a red spotlight. During the short wait we had there, we saw a spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) and another black rhinoceros. With four of the Big Five achieved, the last that remained was the most beautiful and desired by me: the leopard, the phantom of the bush. 

 

Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)

 

 

The second full day in Etosha we kept exploring the Namutoni area. On the morning we did the "Eland drive" hoping to find Cape Eland, one of the last antelope we have not seen yet, and the biggest of all in Namibia. However, we were unlucky and the drive turned out to be a monotonous but long stretch of mopane forests where we didn't see much wildlife, apart from a few impalas and giraffes. However, we did find a new species of antelope in another area of the park, the red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus caama), which was the only find to highlight of the morning, along with some interesting birds as the secretarybirds who gave close views. The afternoon, however, turned the tables. We started at a big pond teeming with elephants, and this time there were several young males in heat, with the characteristic “must” reflected in a glandular secretion on their cheeks. In this state, elephants increase their testosterone levels up to sixty times and become more aggressive towards each other. We had them really close, just a couple of meters from our cars as they walked around in their disputes. Luckily, the show remained just that, and they didn't take it out on us, although some seemed to be debating whether to overturn our car as they looked at us at certain moments.  

 

The best part came shortly after, at the next pond, where we had one of those moments in nature we will never forget. We started with a small group of elephants drinking. Just as they finished and were beginning to retreat, an imposing black rhinoceros appeared in the background, and the two giants stood facing each other. The tension was palpable, and neither the rhino nor the elephants seemed willing to back up or give way to the water. And just then, as we were watching the scene, we heard our companions in the other car: “Leopard, leopard!”. There was the ghost of the bush, a few meters away from us, heading toward the water. A clever female who took advantage of the dispute between the two species of large herbivores to quench her thirst. Although there was some backlighting and the photos didn't turn out as well as they could have, it was undoubtedly the animal of the trip for me, the most beautiful thing you can see. I have always had a soft spot for large forest cats since I was a child, stealthy species with beautiful markings such as the leopard, the tiger, and the jaguar. Now, at last, I had one of them before my eyes, in the heart of African nature. This moment alone made the trip worthwhile. We enjoyed watching the leopard (Panthera pardus) for several minutes, during which time she marked a tree trunk to signal her ownership of the territory, and as soon as she appeared, she vanished into the bushes. Incidentally, in the meantime, the elephants also managed to scare off the rhinoceros, which did not come down to drink. It would have been interesting to see its interaction with the panther...

 

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

 

 

The two remaining days in Etosha were spent in the other two campsites on the southern pan area, Halali and Okaukuejo. These two days we continued to travel across the savannah with the goal of finding the only big cat we had yet to see, and the one most desired by many, the cheetah. However, despite our best efforts, we were not lucky enough to encounter one, or any other big cat, during the rest of our stay in Etosha. We had more encounters with the typical antelopes and other common herbivores, saw a second white rhino, and some birds. Surprisingly, despite the temperature dropping below zero degrees at night, we also saw a snake, a specimen of rhombic egg eater (Dasypeltis scrabra) in the middle of the road. I don't know what this snake was doing active at this time of year when there is no food available (the birds are not breeding), but there it was. It had a very curious pattern, similar to what I have seen in photos of the local morphotype of Bitis caudalis. Dasypeltis always mimicking different vipers... As Etosha is not the best place to go out of the car for an herp photosession, we got it out of the road and only did some fast pictures. The camp also served as a safe setting for herping, although I didn't see any snakes, but I did see some lizards and even a toad. Some animals seemed to manage to sneak through the fences, such as the very trusting mongooses, and even a jackal, which tried to steal some of our food while the people were already asleep.

 

 

However, what I would highlight most about these last two days were not exactly the encounters during the day, on the campsites or traveling by car, but rather during the nights at the camps. The illuminated waterholes at the Okaukuejo and especially Halali camps are the ideal place to observe the nocturnal behavior of black rhinos. In fact, these places are the only place in the world where you can see these endangered giants in large numbers interacting, with disputes between males and a whole host of curious behaviors. Many of the rhinos I saw in these waterholes had their horns unremoved, and I could count more than eight individuals together in some moments at Halali.  Although I knew that this animal would impress me, seeing these huge beasts up close, snorting and fighting among themselves, was also one of the highlights of the trip. You can see a video I took here. And it wasn't just rhinos; at night we could also see spotted hyenas and the occasional elephant at the waterhole. We even saw a hyena nimbly dodging the charges of a pachyderm that was trying to chase it away. It was like being inside a documentary, and it made me want to stay up all night watching those waterholes.

Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). This one lay down a couple meters from the fence.

 

 

We left Etosha on the morning of the 29th, with a minor setback as we had to return to the camp to pay the park entrance fee (we forgot that we hadn't paid it when we entered). Our next destination would be more about culture and landscapes than wildlife viewing: the Epupa Falls, a remote place on the border with Angola and home to the famous Himba culture. Given how far away the site was, we had to rest one night on the way and arrived at the waterfall area on the 30th. Throughout the area, we saw examples of Himba culture, with traditional villages and clothing such as the mud braids worn by the women. As for the waterfalls themselves, they are definitely worth a visit. They may not be as famous or as big as others (such as Victoria Falls), but they are truly spectacular. A series of waterfalls and gorges nestled among large baobab trees. We were able to stretch our legs a bit after so much safari driving, had a great meal at a resort, took a secret shower there, and I was also able to get some lifer birds before moving on to the next destination.

 

 

We head back south, this time closer to the coast, entering the northern part of the Namib Desert. We spend the next two nights at the Palmwag Concession, a privately managed reserve located in a beautiful rocky desert landscape. In this part of the country, large wildlife roam freely across the landscape, and you can encounter the legendary desert-adapted elephants and lions seen on many documentaries. The accommodation was perhaps the best of the entire trip. Although we slept in tents, we had private bathrooms and a swimming pool, which more than one appreciated after so many days of traveling. A couple years ago, this campsite was home to a wild elephant that roamed freely around the grounds, and signs warned visitors to not get too far from the buildings (elephants, lions and leopards on the loose). Even so, it was noticeable that the density of wildlife in the desert is much lower than in the savannahs of Etosha, and we saw few animals during the two days of the safari. It was a pleasure to see the charismatic mountain zebras again, as well as some giraffes adapted to this desert environment. We couldn't find any elephants, no matter how hard we tried, and of course we didn't see any big cats either. I enjoyed the landscapes and some reptiles on the lodge, such as the agamas. 

 

 

 

We left Palmwag at noon on July the 2nd. Our plan was to reach the coast, find a place on the beach to spend the night, and continue the next day, following the famous Skeleton Coast to the Cape Cross sea lion reserve. We saw a campsite that suited our plan, on the coast, and we drove there. But there was a problem, as it turns out that the Skeleton Coast National Park is not freely accessible, and we found a large fence with a closed gate as soon as we arrived, in the middle of the road and hours away by car from any other “civilized” place. It seemed that they only allowed entry until 5 p.m., and it was already almost 6 p.m. After considering various options, we decided to simply camp at the gates, in a small parking lot, sleep as usual in the tents in the cars, and continue the next morning. In the meantime, we took a short walk around the area, towards a small dry riverbed. So far, so good, but when we returned to the gates, a park employee came out to tell us to follow her inside. She explained that we shouldn't walk around there so freely, let alone camp, as the area is lion territory. According to what they said, a month earlier, a lion had killed a tourist who was camping in his car tent. The animal took refuge near the vehicle and attacked the unwary tourist when he got out of the tent... It seems that this area is indeed still home to desert lions, the only place in the world where these big cats live on the coast and even hunt on the beaches themselves. We got off lightly, because on the posters inside I saw that several lions tagged with GPS collars regularly roamed the area where we had been walking. It's best not to stray too far from the car in these African places without knowing the area well... Finally, since we couldn't camp outside and there weren't many other options, the park employees were very kind and let us do so inside their grounds, safe from the wild animals.

 

The next day, we were able to continue towards the coast, on our way to Walvis Bay. Unfortunately, we didn't see any lions this time, but we were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Skeleton Coast. The landscape was dotted with Welwitschia mirabilis, a primitive plant that is a symbol of Namibia. Since I thought we would see them in Walvis and other places as well, I didn't stop to take any photos, which was a big mistake, as we didn't see them again. We arrived at the coast, where we stopped at some shipwrecks that are symbolic of this region. Our main stop that day was Cape Cross, Namibia's largest Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) colony. It is a natural spectacle and a must-see in this country. At this time of year, the colony is already well into its reproductive cycle, and you can see grown pups accompanied by females, with very few males. Even so, the concentration of animals is impressive, they can be seen very close up, and the noise they make is also impressive. As is the bad smell of rotten fish they produce, which caused some of my companions discomfort, although I didn't find it that bad (perhaps because I had caught a cold the night before).

 

 

Our next destination was Walvis Bay, a tourist coastal town located next to the populous Swakopmud, a German colonial city that we also visited. Here we did some more "touristy" activities, such as a 4x4 tour of the dunes (the guides are incredible drivers) and dune climbing. I took advantage of some free time, when the others were shopping or so, to search for my remaining herp targets, the Bitis peringueyi and the Namaqua chameleon, but it was very cold during those days and it was impossible to see them. In a wetland near Walvis, I was able to see some water birds and add a few lifers to my list.

 

The activity I was most looking forward to doing here, however, was a boat trip twenty miles off the coast with Catamaran Charters. The aim of these trips is to see seabirds and cetaceans, and in my case, my main motivation was to finally see an albatross, which is one of my favorite birds in the world. In these southern hemisphere seas, I would finally have the chance to try it. It must be said that the company and the guide Stephen Croucamp were very professional and the experience was very good, even though the number of birds seen was not very high. However, we were able to enjoy the white-chinned petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis), which are larger than any petrel we have in Europe, as well as storm petrels and Cape gannets, among other birds. Finally, the only albatross of the morning appeared, a yellow-nosed albatross that flew very close to the boat, although I didn't manage to take very good photos (you can see more at the Catamaran Charters link above). This particular bird was a juvenile with somewhat misleading plumage, so we are not sure if it is the Atlantic species (Thalassarche chlororhynchos), or the Indian one (Thalassarche carteri). Be that as it may, my first albatross in freedom is another of the unforgettable memories I take away from the trip. In addition to the birds, on this trip I also saw my first whales up close, three humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), which delighted us with their blows and enormous tails. 

 

 

 

The last place of the trip was one of the most famous tourist destinations in Namibia, the orange sand dunes of Sossusvlei. We got there on July 5th afternoon after a long drive from Walvis, in which we saw a meerkat (Suricata suricata) family beside the road. A nice last hour find after missing them on my days in the Kalahari. The dune landscape is truly impressive, with some dunes reaching heights of over 300 meters from the base, but for my taste, the area is too crowded with people. It's the kind of place I usually avoid on my travels. While they were climbing the dune on the famous Deadvlei, like all the other tourists, I was walking through the bushes and, although I didn't see any Peringuey's vipers (which I knew I wasn't going to find), I did see a very handsome lizard, the Meroles anchietae. At the end of the day, we visited an impressive rocky canyon where I saw my last reptile of the trip and the most random find (with apologies to the first monitor lizard), a specimen of horned adder (Bitis caudalis), that had fallen on the canyon and was possible not able to go out. One of the tour guides there ask me to remove the dangerous snake from the tourist route, so I released it on the desert above. It had not the most beautiful pattern on the species, but was my third Bitis on the trip. After finishing our visit to the canyon, the long journey was finally coming to an end, and we would spend the next two days traveling to the capital to catch our flight back home.

 

 

And here ends this lengthy chronicle, undoubtedly the longest trip report on this website to date. As you are probably tired enough by now, I will get to the point. Namibia is a must-see country for any nature lover and wildlife watcher. Visiting it means being in one of the few places on the planet where there are still large wild areas, with very little human presence and where large animals still roam freely. The country is also easy to visit on your own, the people are friendly, the environment is very safe, and it is also very inexpensive compared to other popular African destinations. In terms of reptiles, I expected it would be difficult due to the time of year, and so it proved, but nevertheless I made some notable and unexpected finds, such as the impressive rock monitor lizards and the colorful flat lizards. As for mammals and birds, although we didn't see the cheetah, I can't complain since we saw almost all of the main targets, including the leopard, which I wanted to see the most, and the other big five, along with a huge variety of animals ranging from elephants to humpback whales, lions, and hippos. I don't think I'll ever beat this list of mammals on any other trip. Although I have other destinations in mind first, I hope to return to southern Africa someday, perhaps at a better time of year so I can see those golden cobras...

 

On this trip, I also had the help of numerous naturalists, without whose advice such an adventure would be impossible. First and foremost, I must thank my colleagues for inviting me to accompany them on this trip, as without them I would never have been able to visit Namibia. As for the people who advised me/us on, I would like to mention: Gabri Martínez, Bobby Bok, Daniel Hernández, Javier Barona, Ignazio Avella, and Rubén Portas. 

 

Looking forward to the next adventure!

 

 

 

SPECIES LIST

 

Herps

 

Amphibians

 

Tomopterma sp.

Sclerophrys capensis

Sclerophrys poweri

Kassina senegalensis

 

 

Reptiles

 

Pedioplanis inornata

Meroles cuneirostris

Meroles anchietae

Agama anchietae

Agama knobeli

Agama planiceps

Agama etoshae

Cordylosaurus subtesellatus

Platysaurus attembourghii

Trachylepis sulcatus

Trachylepis binotata

Trachylepis gr. striata

Trachylepis gr. varia

Chondrodactylus bribonii

Chondrodactylus angulifer

Pachydactylus rangei

Ptenopus garrulus

Rhoptropus boultoni

Varanus albigularis x3 +2 dor

Psammobates tentorius

 

Crocodylus niloticus

 

Snakes

 

Bitis cornuta x1

Bitis arietans x2 +1 dor

Bitis caudalis x1

Dasypeltis scrabra x1

Psammophis sp. x2

Pseudaspis cana x1 dor

 

 

Mammals

 

 

Gerbillurus paeba

Xerus inauris

Paraxerus cepapi

Hystrix africaeaustralis

Loxodonta africana

Lepus capensis

Lepus saxatilis

Procavia capensis

Papio anubis

Cercopithecus pygerithrus

Galago moholis

Hippopotamus amphibius

Fachoceros africanus

Giraffa cameleopardis

Equus quagga 

Equus zebra hartmannae

Diceros bicornis

Ceratoterium simum

Madoqua demarensis

Antidorcas marsupialis

Aepyceros melampus

Hippotragus equinus

Hippotragus niger

Kobus leche

Alcephalus busephalus

Connochaectes taurinus

Oryx gazzella

Raphicerus campestris

Syncerus caffer

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

Tragelaphus scriptus

Otocyon megalotis

Canis mesomelas

Vulpes chama

Proteles cristata

Genetta genetta

Galerella flavescens

Mungos mungo

Suricata suricata

Crocuta crocuta

Panthera leo

Panthera pardus

Arctocephallus pusillus

Cephalorhynchus heavisidii

Megaptera novaeangliae

 

 

eBird trip report with the bird species list and a more detailed map.