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What makes the Okavango Delta such a special place?

March 7, 2016 07:11 by author

The Okavango Delta isn't a name that might be familiar to many, but over recent years more and more people have been finding out about this unique destination.

The delta is located in north-west Botswana and it's an exceptional example of the way climate, fauna and wildlife work in harmony.

Here are just some of the things that make the Okavango Delta such a special place.

Inland location

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One of the very few major interior delta systems in the world that does not flow into a sea or ocean, the Okavango Delta has a complex wetland system. A unique characteristic is that the River Okavango actually floods ever year during the dry season, so plants and animals native to the region time their biological cycles to the natural events.

Seven natural wonders

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The Okavango Delta is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, having been awarded the accolade on February 11 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania.

Just over a year later, it became the 1000th location in the world to be named on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 22 June 2014.

Salt islands

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Salt builds up around plant roots and gives rise to the so called 'salt islands, which often began as termite mounds but where barren white patches in the centre are too inhospitable to support plant life.

Palm trees are salt resistant so some row in the middle of the islands, but otherwise trees and grasses grow in sand around the edges of the islands where it is not yet too salty.

Endangered species

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The Okavango Delta is the place where some of the most endangered species of large mammals in the world can be found in their natural habitat. These marvellous creatures include white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild dog and cheetahs.

Other species native to the area and popular with sightseers include the African bush elephant, hippopotamus, Angolan giraffe, spotted hyena, springbok and Burchell's zebra.

Chief's Island

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The largest island in the delta is Chief's Island and it was formed by a fault line which lifted an area more than 70 km long and 15 km wide up from its surroundings.

In the past it was kept as a hunting area for the tribal chief, but today it is a safe haven for much of the wildlife in the area who seek refuge there when the flood waters rise.

Chitabe Lediba Camp

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Located in the south-east of the Okavango Delta in the Chitabe Concession and neighbouring the Moremi Game Reserve, the Chitabe Lediba Camp is an ideal destination for those who want to experience all that the Delta has to offer.

As well as giving visitors its wide range of panoramic views of the Delta, the diverse range of habitats around the camp makes it a perfect location for wildlife sightings, partly due to the remnant lagoon that has become a waterhole which the camp is named after, and where multitudes of wildlife gather to drink.