Our friends at Wilderness Safaris sent through the following update on water levels in Botswana’s Okavango Delta:
The annual inundation is less than previously anticipated due to lower than average rainfall in the Delta catchment area of Angola. However local rainfalls in Botswana this past summer were excellent and way above average. It looks like a normal flood year on the ground with slightly different water flow patterns.
Waters are receding in the north of the Okavango, so boating in the Abu area will likely end in July. On The Jao Reserve, we are still doing normal water activities from Jao, Kwetsani, Pelo and Jacana although the water levels are quite low. Tubu is not doing water activities.
On the Vumbura concession, general water levels are dropping (i.e. during the rains some of the plains and roads were flooded) but water activities continue as normal.
Mombo is drying nicely and game is excellent. The channels have water for now and it looks as it usually would.
Vegetation in the Linyanti is thinning out now that we are in winter, while water levels are dropping slowly. The Savuti channel still has water to camp and somewhat beyond, while boating at DumaTau continues as normal on the barge and smaller craft.
Stay well,
Ian Proctor
Ultimate Africa President
“I first visited Africa in the late 1980s. I came face to face with a wild elephant, and fell in love with being on safari! I made it my goal to create an African travel company that was all about authentic wildlife experiences. Many years later we are one of the top African travel companies in the Americas – known for arranging custom safaris to East and Southern Africa; personal trips, no cookie cutter stuff.”
