Skyhawk Makgadikgadi Expedition

Living in the busy city of Johannesburg one could almost find it impossible to imagine a place so vast it seems to exist more of sky than of land. The huge, endless, uninhabited spaces of the Makgadikgadi Pans are a mere three and a half hours flight from Johannesburg in a light aircraft and are so surreal when viewed from above that one feels transported into a parallel universe not just over a national border. The pans are one of the few places in the world where one can view an unbroken horizon for 360°.

The Makgadikgadi consists of numerous pans, but the three major one are: Ntwetwe Pan, Sowa Pan and Nxai Pan. Collectively the Makgadikgadi is said to be the largest salt pan in the world covering over 12 500km², an area almost the same size as Portugal. The silvery expanse bears testimony to a super-lake that once covered most of northern Botswana more than five million years ago.

In the dry season hot winds and salt water make it very difficult for the great herds to survive here but following the rainy season the pans become an oasis and essential habitat for wildebeest and zebra populations and the large predators that prey on them.

  

  

The pans were brimming over when we visited; huge mirrors that reflected the sky so totally we found it difficult to see where the land ends and the sky begins.

Flying over Sowa pan, , and seeing the enormous flocks of Flamingo is truly a scene out of the movie “Out of Africa” where Denys Finch Hatton takes Karen Blixen flying over the great lakes of Kenya. To watch this great flying sequence please follow this link: http://youtu.be/VV5JL89CQl8

Flamingo and Whiskered tern mingle into huge shoals turning and twisting simultaneously, silently communicating to each other with wing beats. As they leave the water’s surface their running feet leave thousands of perfect round ripples like throwing skipping stones on a perfect flat lake.

The Nata River empties into Sowa pan in spectacular fashion; emerald green fingers stretch out organically into the milky blue of the pan. Right on the tip of the estuary a colony of breeding Great white pelican adorn the water like lotus flowers; floating in utter tranquillity.

Viewing the great herds from above is absolutely phenomenal; to see the Wildebeest galloping across the plains in ecstatic joy, solitary bulls standing proud, zebras calves drinking from their mothers and all of them accompanied by razor sharp shadows that almost seem to have more substance than its creator.

Visiting the Makgadikgadi is not something that can be described it is something that needs to be experienced. It is probably as close as one can come to experiencing Africa as it was hundreds of years ago. The deep stillness whispers softly, changing you forever….

Conservation:

The Makgadikgadi Pans attract large numbers of migratory waterbirds, many of which are protected and/or threatened such as; Wattled Crane, Crowned Crane, lesser Flamingo, Black Winged Pratincole and Great White Pelican.

In addition, Sua pan, part of the Makgadikgadi complex, comprises the most important breeding site in southern Africa for Greater and Lesser Flamingos, two high profile species in decline in the region.

The mineral and nutrient rich grasslands surrounding Makgadikgadi also support an abundance of wildlife, which includes many desert-adapted species, some threatened and protected (e.g. Brown Hyaena) and one of Botswanas largest Zebra and Wilderbeest migrations.

To find out more about MakgadiKgadi conservation efforts and to see how you can get involved please visit the Mkagadikgadi Wetlands Working Group which has been set up to promote the sustainable development and long-term conservation of the Makgadikgadi palustrine wetlands and its associated biodiversity -  http://www.mwwg.org/index.htm

Visiting the Makgadikgadi:

There are few serviced facilities in the Makgadikgadi so it is more suited to self-sufficient 4WD parties and Fly-in enthusiasts.

For the aviator there are airstrips at Nata, Gweta and Sowa however there is no access to Avgas. 95 unleaded fuel is available at petrol stations for those aircraft that can take Mogas but should be viewed with suspicion.

Lodges close to airfields we can recommend that provide transfers to and from the airfield are:
Nata Lodge: http://www.natalodge.com
Gweta Lodge: http://www.gwetalodge.com
Planet Baobab: http://www.unchartedafrica.com

Please visit www.skyhawkphotography.com for more photos of the Makgadikgadi Pans.
All images are available as fine art prints, please contact us for more information on pricing and print options