Time for Costa Rica

Golden-eyed Leaf Frog

When we returned from Kenya in November 2017 there were no plans for an immediate return. I suppose it was as we worked through our images from the trip that the enthusiasm for the idea started to build and by January arrangements were falling into place.

We knew it would be a different season of course, but when we arrived, the length of the grass in comparison to November was a big surprise. As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, this made for a different overall experience and naturally a new variation of shots.

Reviewing the images we got from this trip has only strengthened our resolve to return to the Mara as often as possible. As we publish selections of our pictures in various groups, we are naturally exposed to some stunning shots captured by others and the big cats in particular become more and more familiar. There is quite a network of people who have superb knowledge of the individual cats and to some extent are able to quote family trees for various prides of Lions for instance.

This gives a new dimension to the images we have captured by enabling us to identify with particular animals. We get caught up in the whole scene and start to understand the interactions between the animals. It in turn fuels the desire to return to see how the various animals are progressing and where cubs are involved, the dynamics of when and how they have to finally fend for themselves.

There is a downside to this though, as the recent demise of certain Lions and a Leopard have brought home to us. It's just nature taking its course, but upsetting nonetheless.

In the past we have visited locations in Zambia, Botswana and South Africa, each on more than one occasion, but never experienced the same feelings. The terrain is different in those countries it’s true, but I can’t see how that has an effect. Maybe it’s as simple as the fact that Zambia and Botswana actively keep control on tourist numbers by keeping prices high. That in turn means there are less people taking a special interest and documenting proceedings.

It’s well known that the Mara is crazily busy during the migration, but at other times that’s not the case. It’s also our experience that there are many people, both pro and amateur photographers, who return again and again. They (we) can’t all be wrong surely? Indeed, we are set to return in January 2019.

We are also hosting an 8-day safari for photographers in November 2019 with just 2 places still available. Take a look at the 2019 Safari tab above. It’s a superb opportunity to photograph the animals from a dedicated vehicle and at a reasonable cost. Who knows, you may just be grabbed by the place in the same way as we have.