SUTTON Travels: Wildlife

Showing posts with label Wildlife. Show all posts

10 December 2023

CAPE TOWN TOUR SOUTH AFRICA

A TRIP AROUND THE CAPE

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

On our third day in Cape Town following the end of our African Cruise, we explored the popular coastal sites. This post includes

Cape Point

and the Historic Lighthouse

Cape of Good Hope

Boulders- Home of the African Penguin

Table Mountain

Our Cape Town tour began with awesome views of the rugged coastline and mesmerizing, in-your-face, wave action.

Soon we arrived at Cape Point where we hiked to the old Lighthouse at the top.

I looked for baboons, but we did not see any here. But we did see some later in the day.

Baboon warning

An advantage of being slow is seeing more things like this little creature below.

On our way to the Cape of Good Hope, we stopped to ponder, "Why did the ostrich cross the road?"

Fortunately for tourists, there are memory-making signs along this beautiful stretch of the Cape.

After we ate lunch on the go, we stopped at Boulders, which is home to the African Penguin. It was such an active and enchanting scene.

Enjoy a Penguin Video from my YouTube channel.

On our way to Table Mountain, Sandy captured a baboon.

Our final stop was Table Mountain (elevation 1,084.6 metres). We decided to ride the 360 degree rotating cable car to the top. The views are magnificent and there so many trails I wish I had had more time to enjoy.

Link to our cruise and other ports of call.

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Geoffrey W. Sutton suttong.com

09 December 2023

Lokobe National Park Nosy Be Madagascar

Lemurs are a primary reason tourists stop at Nosy Be, an island near Madagascar. Our stop was part of an African Cruise in October-November 2023.

Our exploration of Lokobe National Park began with a fast and bumpy boat ride to a small village by the forest. After wading ashore and waiting for our small group to use the primitive toilets, we walked past stalls where villagers offered souvenirs.

Mouse Lemur, Lokobe, Madagascar
Geoffrey W Sutton 2023

Lemurs are a primary reason tourists stop at Nosy Be, an island near Madagascar. Our exploration of Lokobe National Park began with a fast and bumpy boat ride to a small village by the forest. After wading ashore and waiting for our small group to use the primitive toilets, we walked past stalls where villagers offered souvenirs.

Soon, we were led along winding dirt trails by barefooted local guides who stopped to point out wild animals, flowers, and rare plants.

The guides were most helpful because they knew the trails and were adept at spotting familiar specie like this small snake or

this tiny chameleon

A gecko stood out against the bark of a tree

but this specimen blended in

Off to one side, a guide pointed to a tree branch. There was a large boa constrictor draped a few feet above my head. You may have to look closely.

We saw quite a few lemurs swinging through the high branches, but they were hard to photograph within the time constraints of a guided hike. However, a mother and her young were within camera range, though they did not offer a portrait.

Just so you could see what we saw, a fellow traveller with a proper camera shared his images:

The small animals could easily be ignored-- for example--

After the guided hike, we returned to the small village for lunch served by the villagers.

The tide had gone out so, we waded in a disorganized queue toward the boats, which were anchored in water about waist high.

So, it's goodbye to another adventure.

A few notes

Wear insect repellent and sunscreen.

Wear comfortable walking shoes.

Be prepared for primitive toilets.

Be prepared for walking in shallow water.

Bring a water bottle.

Be prepared for a rough boat ride if you arrive in a motorized craft.

Bring whatever camera you are comfortable carrying--keeping in mind some animals are in high branches

As possible, encourage guides to leave the animals in their natural state. The guides are keen to please tourists and as you can see, they did display a tiny chameleon.

The official languages are Malagasy and French.