Lions in heat...and so much more at Maasai Mara! July 2011

"Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is worst of all."
Brian Jackman (2004 Travel Writer of the Year)

On July 9 I flew with my friend from Mombasa into the Masai Mara on a Douglas DC3 Dakota plane. It was beautiful flying over the Kenyan landscape and we could already see the wildlife as we were coming in to land in the middle of the Masai Mara National Reserve!

I had been on a couple of safaris before in East Africa including trips to Tsavo East, Kenya and in the parks around Arusha, Tanzania (Arusha National Park, Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and Lake Manyara NP) but both those times we were camping in tents. I thoroughly enjoyed those safaris but decided to spoil myself this time and stay in one of the luxury tented safari camps...we ended up staying at Mara Intrepids which was a wonderful experience. The tent was beautiful, our guide was very informative and a careful driver around the wildlife and the animals were abundant. Additionally, we did the 4 am wake up to go on the hot air balloon safari which was also amazing and definitely worth the groggy wake up!

Took these pics with my iPhone...and was surprised by the cool shots I got!

The DC3 Dakota aircraft we flew in from Mombasa to the Masai Mara 

Local Masai greeted us upon arrival

Gnu or Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) 

Female lioness (Panthera leo)

Mating!

Big ya-a-a-awn!

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Zebra (Equus burchelli) and Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) 

River crossing...took them a bit to get going but they finally did it!

Lioness and lion (Panthera leo) with Wildebeest  (Connochaetes taurinus) in the background

Marbou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus)

Topi (Damaliscus lunatus)

Zebra (Equus burchelli) and Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) 

Getting ready for take off via hot air balloon!

Soaring over the Masai Mara Reserve first thing in the morning was beautiful...and we weren't the only ones!

Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)  as seen from above :)

Sunrise over the Mara...as seen from the balloon

Hyena's (Crocuta crocuta) running along the track below us

Then we had a lovely champagne breakfast on the grassland where we finished our flight...a perfect way to end a wonderful morning!

Topi (Damaliscus lunatus) in it's typical pose watching the surrounding area from atop a termite mound

Grant's gazelle (Gazella granti)

Warthogs! (Phacochoerus aethiopicus)

More lion action...it was that time of year :)

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) wallowing in a pool!

Lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos)

Warthog running with his flag up (Phacochoerus aethiopicus)

Another sleepy lion!

Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) 

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

More lions!

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) scoping the landscape

Panther (Panthera pardus) on the move

There was so much lion activity :)

Leopard (Panthera pardus) with a kill in the tree

So many Banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) on the grounds of our safari tents

Local Masai

Elephants (Loxodonta africana)

Gnu or Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) 

This big male African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) charged into this group of Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) 

Maasai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardus maasai) 

View of the airstrip we landed on from a viewing tower at the tented safari lodge

Views around Mara Intrepids our luxury tented safari lodge

View of giraffe's from the plane on one of the airstrips stops en route back to Mombasa

Mount Kilimanjaro as seen flying back to Mombasa

A little repose in Mombasa, Kenya, July 2011

Beach time and Haller Park

Ahhh...nothing like a little beach time after spending weeks working every day offshore! Upon completing my final rotation on the MMO/PAM job in Mozambique I spent time with a friend from the ship relaxing at the Voyager Beach Hotel in the northern beach area of Mombasa. We had a great break relaxing at the hotel and exploring a wonderful local site, Haller Park. 

The highlights of visiting Haller Park included walking through the forest (Haller Park is a converted quarry region; from barren disused quarry to forest, grasslands and ponds), seeing, and scratching the necks of, the giant tortoises, watching the alligators feed and seeing the hippos including the now famous Owen (of Owen and Mzee). Such a nice break after working hard on the offshore rotation :)

Views around the Voyager Beach Hotel

One of my favourite places to hang out at the hotel...the pool!

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Love the vegetation in the park!

They actually had to make this sign??

Aldabra tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) 

Two of Haller Park's hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius)

Crocodiles of Haller Park 

Feeding time!

Aldabra Tortoise ...apparently they like a good scratch on their necks and heads :)

Back on the MMO/PAM job in Mozambique, June, 2011

Busy second MMO and PAM rotation offshore, Mozambique

It's always great when us MMOs get contracts with multiple rotations and after a lovely break at home I returned to the Geo Caribbean to work on the same contract I was on in April. This was another wonderful rotation with more calm seas, good sightings and acoustic detections. I feel so lucky that I was able to return for another wonderful rotation offshore Mozambique where I was able to once again enjoy the amenities of the Geo Caribbean and the wildlife the offshore waters offer :)
  

The fish market in Dar...so stinky!!

Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus)

Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus)

More short-finned pilot whales! (Globicephala macrorhynchus)

Cabo Delgado Lighthouse, off northern Mozambique

Roughing it on the way to work...at the Pemba Beach Hotel, Mozambique

A skink hanging out in a tree at the hotel