A Maasai Mara safari should be on every shutterbug's bucket list

13 December 2015 - 02:00 By Jacqui Hemphill
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

As a winner in 2014's Sunday Times Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, Jacqui Hemphill spent a week in Kenya with Wild Eye. She tells us more about this once-in-a-lifetime photo safari

I had always dreamt of watching the biggest wildlife spectacle on Earth, and was overcome when we stepped off the plane and were greeted by the Wild Eye East Africa team. The excitement was tangible in our group - we were, after all, arriving in the Mara for the first time.

Each year, more than 1.5 million wildebeest and 50,000 zebra migrate north into the Maasai Mara National Reserve in search of quality grazing. Driven by rainfall and the subsequent growth of highly palatable grasses in the area, the migration is generally at its peak between August and September, with the herds crossing back and forth across the river several times during these months. Of course, nature is unpredictable. We were warned that waiting for the treacherous crossings could take some time as the wary animals can get distracted by the slightest things and that we might not actually see a migration.

And yet, as we drove in from the Mara Serena airstrip to the Wild Eye camp on the Mara River - the large and famous waterway that courses through the reserve - our guide spotted a huge herd of wildebeest heading down to the water. I had never seen such a large congregation of animals - the sight was overwhelming, with thousands upon thousands of wildebeest slowly making their way to the river in long, lumbering lines. Delight and suspense were etched into our faces as we approached the potential crossing point.

mini_story_image_vleft1

The sound so many animals can make when gathered in a super herd really struck me - but in our vehicle there was silence as the herd grew bigger and bigger, building up on the banks of the river. And here's the mind-blowing thing: all it takes is one intrepid wildebeest or zebra to brave the waters of the Mara River to set an entire crossing in motion - opening a floodgate of animals into the waters below.

After the pressure from the animals teeming on the banks pushed one wildebeest to take the plunge, thousands of beasts followed suit, bellowing through the dust and crashing into the water. If anything, it was now clear to me why people travel from across the world to behold this phenomenon.

Our trip was off to a fantastic start. This was to be the first of many more crossings during the next six days. Ten crossings, to be exact.

Arriving at the Wild Eye campsite was like arriving to old friends. The happy rumble of hippos and flowing water made for a tranquil feel. Entrusted into the care of men and women from the local Maasai and Kikuyu tribes, each of us was tended to with grace and enthusiasm.

This exclusive campsite is on the banks of the Mara River. We each had our own tent, complete with en-suite bathrooms. There were hot showers and even our laundry was done for us in this remote part of the world - a six-hour journey by road from Nairobi.

The position of our camp meant we were the first vehicles at the sightings in the morning and the last ones out at night. B eing so close to all the action proved invaluable to our experience as wildlife photographers, pros and amateurs.

We had Maasai guide James Shidai driving our vehicle. His knowledge of the area - as well as of how to get us into the best photographic position - was evident from the minute we met him. Driving around each day with him helped us learn more about the Maasai people and their culture.

There were only three guests in our vehicle, so we could decide exactly how we wanted the days to play out. We could stay out as long as we wanted as breakfast was packed as a picnic each morning, featuring muesli and yoghurt, complemented by surprises such as bacon and egg roll, or sausages and hash browns. No two days were the same - we were in control of exactly the kind of experience we were after.

full_story_image_hright2

Travelling with Wild Eye meant enjoying the benefit of having specialist photographic guides on the trip. Our experts - South African wildlife photographers Andrew Beck and Morkel Erasmus - offered professional photographic guidance, as well as new tips and skills on photography and post-processing techniques. These guys pushed us out of our comfort zone to try new ways of capturing images. Having an expert to teach us in the field was the best way to learn, and rapidly accelerated my growth as a photographer.

Every evening back at camp, we had delicious, healthy meals made by two talented chefs in their "bush kitchen". Dinner featured lamb and pork chops, roast chicken and steak. Each main course was accompanied by vegetables and salads.

Remarkably, a fully equipped media tent had been set up, where we charged our cameras and downloaded the day's images. Beck and Erasmus were on hand at all times to offer processing advice. They also used this time to track the progress of our photographic strengths and weaknesses from one day to the next, and help us plot ideas for the next day.

Daily, we had extraordinary sightings of plains game such as Thompson's and Grant's gazelles, large herds of Coke's hartebeest and topi antelope. The diversity and density of these sightings added to the uniqueness of this destination. We were also fortunate to have multiple, phenomenal sightings of leopards, cheetah hunts and mating lions.

One of the most characteristic features of the Maasai Mara is the wide-open, endless plains dotted with the lone acacia trees hugging the unbroken horizon, whose vistas help to make this destination so iconic in the international photographic community.

This was a week of incredible sightings, genuine Kenyan hospitality and huge photographic personal growth that made for unforgettable memories to last a lifetime.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now