The Great Migration
Every year between July and October around two million wildebeest, zebra, topis and Thompson's gazelles move from Tanzania's Serengeti National Park to Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve following the rains and the growth of juicy grass. But before they arrive at the lush plains of the Mara, they must cross the river. Watching this spectacle happen right in front of our eyes was one of the most phenomenal wildlife events we have ever witnessed.
Animals too, sometimes seem to think the grass is greener on the other side…😉 The first crossing we saw, was when they crossed from north to south and the next day the herds changed back in the opposite direction… This despite these river crossings being extremely dangerous for them – you can really “feel” the stress build-up they are experiencing.
They gather in thousands along the riverside. From higher vantage points you can see how crocodiles strategically position themselves, lying in wait… When the first wildebeest and zebras approach the water for a drink, others follow. Then, suddenly they all want to get to the water too and so the pressure from behind is too big - the first row of wildebeest are then forced into the water and this is when their swim-for-survival begins.
We were very fortunate to see three different crossings during our stay. One of them included a journey of giraffes whereby five were picking their way across the river - each step they took was careful so as not to slip on the rocks, and crocs were clearly visible to us.
Just when they’d almost reached the other side, a large herd of wildebeest started moving – causing the giraffes a bit of a panic and they suddenly turned around and headed back to where they had just come from – we were holding our breath just praying they make it back safely, which they did!
In extreme conditions, a croc can live up to a year without food, living off its fat reserves stored in its tail. But food is plentiful and easy to catch during the great migration. Despite this being nature at work, the crossings aren’t for the faint hearted (as Clare experienced, many tears were shed on two occasions. Aaron got some amazing shots but we decided not to publish them here).
Another very rare and unique moment was when we watched two huge crocs mating in the water.
Topis too, are part of the migrating animals and they love to stand on top of termite mounds keeping their eyes out for dangerous predators. On one occasion we saw some crossing the river behind the wildebeest and they jumped right over the bigger animals! This was a spectacular performance!
The Great Migration is world famous in Masai Mara and it does get busy. There are many safari vehicles waiting for the big moment along the riversides. It is very a very exciting and thrilling act – the suspense really grabs you! But there are still places along the Mara river where you can still find a bit of peace and quiet as you can see below.
At our bush camp with only a limited number of tents right next to a small tributary river, we were enjoying a sunset drink, when suddenly there was a big fight between two huge male hippos on the opposite riverbank. These are very dangerous animals to humans, killing hundreds of people in Africa each year. These two boys were fighting for their territory and would charge at anyone who gets between them and the water.
During the fight they were getting awfully close to the edge when Clare said ‘oh no, they’re going to fall off’! We will never forget the crashing sound when one of them was literally pushed over the steep 5 metre wall, him sliding the whole way down to the riverbed! Our guide immediately shouted RUN! Because the only way out for this hippo was the path leading up to our camp. So we ran, leaving everything behind – even the Gin&Tonics and the camera 😊 ‘cos angry hippos can run faster than us…Oh wow - what an experience that was!
Masai Mara is a pretty flat area with wide plains. You can always tell where the grass is the best by the number of animals grazing there. Many years ago we visited the Serengeti National Park in off season and this park is also part of the great migration route. We saw many animals there but nowhere near as many that we saw here. So if you want to see the numbers it's good to plan your trip for the right season.
When driving along the bumpy tracks of the national park there is no way you can get around an African massage. This results in the occasional pit-stop-behind-the-vehicle… Once, Aaron was out back and we saw several heads popping up through the high grass: hyenas! Aaron proved almost superhuman speed during that little adventure…!
We chose to do a hot-air balloon flight over this amazing landscape – floating above the animals and river is truly breathtaking and gave us a different perspective of the scenery. The Mara river is one of 12 rivers with the Mau forest being its source. The forest is a natural water reserve, storing rainwater in the wet season and gradually releasing it during the dry season which is essential for the wildlife.
We were warned before the flight, that the landing procedure can get a bit bumpy… And it’s not unusual to land sidewards – which we did – and it was absolutely fun!
The Masai National Reserve is considered one of the best places to see a lion – the King of Africa! They are the most sociable of all big cats and live in groups called “prides”, which usually consist of related females and their cubs and one or more dominant males. Their roar can be heard from 8km afar, giving intruders a fair warning. At night we would listen to these roars – very impressive and only a little bit scary!
There is a fabulous documentary on Apple TV of the pride’s behaviour. In the daytime their eyesight is similar to a human’s. But at night they only need a sixth of the light we humans need. This is why they very often hunt during the hours of darkness. On our trip we were treated with an approach during the day. We spotted three cubs who were waiting on top of a termite mound. Later we found mum who was slowly approaching her prey. It was all completely soundless. Observing and understanding animal’s behaviour on safari is just so fascinating!
The young males are usually rejected from the pride when they are around 3yrs of age. The dominant male doesn’t want internal competition so they have to find their own territory. They will often form coalitions to be safer from other prides – such as these three majestic boys who we saw crossing a river bed.
There are only around 20000 lions left in the wild. About a quarter of the world's population died in just over a decade. From this article in the National Geographic, we learnt that for each lion in the wild there are 14 african elephants, 15 western lowland gorillas and there are more rhinos than lions! The biggest problem is a their loss of living space and conflicts with humans. The same is true for elephants as well.
The Mara Elephant Project protects elephants in the greater Mara ecosystem. These types of projects that focus on the interaction between animals and the human communities are extremely important. Helping humans learn and understand how to live alongside the animals is key to ensuring their survival.
The national reserve’s name Masai derives from the Masai tribes living in the area, with their typical red clothing and famous chanting and jumping dances. Mara means ‘spotted’ because the land is dotted with the umbrella like spreading trees (mainly Acacia types of trees). These trees make fabulous photo subjects, especially around sunset.
We booked a photo-tour with Nathab and can highly recommend them – we were very lucky to only be two couples in the vehicle and therefore always had plenty of space and time for photography and observation of the wildlife and birdlife. Our guide always found great sunset spots and the lighting at the Mara National Reserve in summertime was just fantastic!
Seeing the vast number of animals on the plains and crossing the rivers during the Great Migration was an amazing and unforgettable African safari experience!
Our other African blogs so far:
"One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name"
(The Call - Thomas Osbert Morsdaunt, 1730-1809)
"It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life "
(African Proverb)
Travel blog and travel guide by Aaron Matzinger & Clare Walker
© 2021 by Aaron Matzinger & Clare Walker
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