ABOUT CHOBE

TO DESCRIBE THE MAGIC OF THE CHOBE NATIONAL PARK IN NORTHERN BOTSWANA SEEMS AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK... YOU CAN TELL PEOPLE THAT THE MAGNIFICENT CHOBE RIVER SUSTAINS THE LARGEST POPULATION OF AFRICAN ELEPHANTS IN THE WORLD.  YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE OF BEING ON A PHOTOGRAPHIC BOAT ON THE RIVER AND OBSERVE THE FRANTIC BEHAVIOUR OF A HERD OF ELEPHANT AS THEY CROSS THE RIVER FIFTEEN METERS IN FRONT OF YOU, AND YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH WITH THE LITTLE ONES AS THEIR MOTHERS AND SISTERS LIFT THEM TO THE SURFACE FROM TIME TO TIME.

YOU CAN DESCRIBE THE ADRENALIN RUSH OF CAPTURING IMAGES OF HIPPOS AT EYE LEVEL, AND TELL OF THE PIED KINGFISHERS HOVERING OVERHEAD AND THEN DIVE WITH ASTONISHING ACCURACY TO CATCH TINY FISH FOR THEIR CHICKS.

YOU CAN LAUGH OUT LOUD WHILE DESCRIBING THE COMICAL BEHAVIOUR OF A TROOP OF CHACMA BABOONS AS THEY CROSS THE RIVER BACK TO THE MAIN LAND.

SOMEHOW YOUR EFFORTS TO DESCRIBE CHOBE'S MAGIC, WILL ALWAYS FALL SHORT.

SO WHENEVER PEOPLE ASK ME TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE WONDERS OF CHOBE, I ALWAYS START WITH A LITTLE FAMILY STORY.  MY WIFE VERONICA USED TO SAY THAT SOMEDAY HER ASHES SHOULD BE SCATTERED OVER THE SERENGETI, BUT ONCE SHE EXPERIENCED THE CHOBE MANY YEARS AGO SHE CHANGED HER MIND AND DECIDED THAT CHOBE WOULD BE HER LAST RESTING PLACE.

"PHOTOGRAPHY IN CHOBE IS A VERY INTIMATE EXPERIENCE.  YOU GET TO SLOW DOWN AND WATCH THE DRAMA OF NATURE UNFOLD RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES.  IT IS NOT ONLY A MAMMAL PARADISE, BUT THE ABUNDANCE OF BIRD LIFE WILL PROVIDE PHOTOGRAPHERS, OF ALL LEVELS, WITH UNIMAGINABLE PHOTOGRAPHS.  DURING OUR CHOBE PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARIS WE WILL ASSIST YOU WITH LABELING, ARCHIVING AND EDITING OF THE IMAGES TAKEN EVERY DAY.  BY THE END OF THE SAFARI YOU WILL ARRIVE HOME NOT ONLY WITH AMAZING MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES, BUT WITH A GOOD NUMBER OF PERSONALLY EDITED IMAGES."

PHOTOGRAPHY

over the last  two decades I visited Chobe National Park on a regular basis. During these visits I always photographed on land from my own safari vehicle. On these trips to Chobe I would usually  spend one afternoon on a boat of one of the local operators. Photography on the water was always great. I enjoyed the experience of photographing wildlife up close from the water but sharing the limited space on the boat with general tourists was frustrating to say the least. Because of this I always returned to my base camp on land for the rest of the trip. 

During July 2009 by shear accident I was forced to photograph from a boat with a group of photographers for a full ten day period. What an eye-opener! Not only was the bird photography fantastic as always, but by going out with a boat early in the mornings as well, I suddenly took very intimate images of mammals approaching the water, crossing the river and living on the islands. 

Working on a boat with a group of enthusiast photographers keen on getting the best wildlife photography possible for the limited time they were on holiday, quickly showed the photographic deficiencies of all the boats used by operators on the Chobe river. None of these boats really placed the photographer in a superior operating position where by he or she could get the best out of the fantastic photographic opportunities on offer. 

The challenge was to manufacture a world-class boat dedicated to photography, so the full photographic potential of the Chobe river could be realised.  The rest is history.  In October 2009 we launched the first Coetzer Nature Photography, custom designed photographic boat, with the second to follow in April 2011. 

Each photographer accompanying Coetzer Nature Photography on a Chobe photographic safari will have the luxury of his or her own swiveling photographic chair with a "tripod" column equipped with a  Wimberley head and a cranking system that not only extends up and down but can be moved closer or further away from the photographer. Watch this space for photographs of their experience. 

Coetzer Nature Photography can structure exclusive packages to accommodate small & large groups. For our current and future Chobe Safari's please click here or contact Lou on lou@coetzernaturephotography.com or +27 82 789 9054 or Wenzel on marketing@coetzernaturephotography.com or +27 82 416 8539.

To satisfy your curiosity below are some images of our unique photographic boat.  Please also click here to view our video to see more of the boat in action and comments from previous clients.

VIDEO