Last week I shared some images form The Peninsula Crossing point in the Mara Triangle Conservancy and this week we are heading a couple of hundred metres upstream (North) from the Peninsula to a smaller and less frequently used crossing point we refer to as “Little Peninsula”.
As you can see, this point is not nearly as pronounced as the Peninsula and doesn’t build as much pressure as the peninsula as a result of the wider entry point.
What often happens is that herds build on the edge of this small peninsula only to eventually drift downstream towards the actual Peninsula where, as a result of the increased pressure, they end up crossing. This can be quite frustrating as we have often sat with a group standing on the edges of the river, only to have the mass of the the herd move off to the peninsula.
That being said, the handful of crossings that I have witnessed here have been spectacular.
This last season we were privileged enough to have watched a crossing taking place at sunset. The only reason we were able to stick around was that camp was just 5 minutes away! A large male leopard also joined in the evening action, hunting along the exit points on our side of the river.
Whilst the view of the main entry point is beautifully clear, it is almost impossible to see the exit points as a result of the steep embankment on our side of the river. Images of the entry and exit points are almost impossible unless one is positioned slightly upstream and looking down the river. The scale of the herd entering and approaching the river is all but lost from this angle though.
Early morning light originating from low on the horizon makes for incredible shadows and shafts of light striking the dust in the early mornings at this crossing point.
These shadows and low light make for great panning opportunities as the frantic herds move along the river banks trying to find a safe entry point into the Mara River.
This is the second crossing point I’ve covered in this series so far, both of which are less than 4 km downstream from one of our regularly used camp locations. If you think that’s impressive, there are still another 3 crossing points upstream of these two before we reach the location of the Wild Eye Mara Camp.
5 pretty impressive crossing points which provide dramatic photographic opportunities, all within 4 km’s of our camp. It’s no wonder so many people have chosen to travel with us and experience this for themselves!
Comments 4
Beautiful photography and good clarity of your descriptions of the various points of entry along the river.
So looking forward to experiencing everything firsthand.
Elizabeth.
Author
Thanks so much Liz
More to come in this series of posts and we are looking forward to having you join us later this year!
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