Ben Wilhelmi

Floods in Tanzania these days, aerial shots

 

Katasunga plain in Katavi NP but that is a normal recurrence in the rainy seasons, except we are not really in a rainy season. The weathermen blame a dipole in the Indian ocean for the last weeks or months. At least the buffaloes are happy and safe.

 

More seriously farmers are losing their harvests and people have died, 44 in the last months, life must be hell down there.

 

Some rivers disappear.

 

 

An airstrip that nearly becomes an island could be of no use...Mbuyu airstrip, Selous reserve.

 

The biggest river in Tanzania, the Rufiji, has overflowed too, Selous.

 

 

 

Heavy rains in Tanzania, aerials

 

 

 

 

The great Ruaha river here flooded.

 

This section of the great Ruaha was nearly dry a few weeks ago, near Msembe airstrip.

 

Rufiji river in the Selous, the usual sandbanks are gone.

 

 

Mdonya river near Msembe, usually dry...

 

 

Fields in Rufiji delta.

 

Rufiji river near Mtemere airstrip.

 

This southern part of the Rufiji is most often dry...

 

 

 

Aerial photography of wildlife, Tanzania

 

In this era of drones let me precise that I take these aerials while flying the plane myself. The challenge is quite different.

All the animals below come from the Selous reserve in southern Tanzania along the Luhego (Luwegu) river and the Rufiji river. There are many airstrips in that huge reserve which we have good reasons to fly low and slow, that is while taking off and landing.

Hippos gathering and a fish eagle on take

 

2 ground hornbills (bucorves en français) land near a fish eagle at lunch

 

Egyptian geese.

 

 

Saddle-billed storks (jabiru d'Afrique)

 

Egyptian geese, a few yellow-billed storks and hippos.

 

 

Waterbucks (cobes)

 

Buffaloes.

 

Wildebeests (gnous)

Aerial photography, Tanzania

Tanzania is such a big country gifted with many beautiful landscapes. Not only that, those landscapes vary tremendously come the rain seasons.

 

Salt lakes are perfect examples of ever changing colors and patterns. Here is a detail of lake Eyasi.

I guess pelicans visiting Tanzania.

 

The Ruaha river after the rain season.

 

The famous wildebeest migration near the Mara river, here on the Serengeti side.

 

Lake Natron, another salt lake.

 

The Rufiji river in the Selous reserve.

 

Lake Natron again.

 

A typical homestead like millions in the country.

 

Tarangire national park. Quite famous for its elephants.

 

Lake balangida, a lesser known salt lake. Those white dots are salt extraction activities. I would guess operated by local people only.

Short flight in pictures over the Selous reserve, Tanzania

Amongst many things, what makes a bush pilot happy?

a lovely location in Tanzania, like the Selous, no passengers, a quick hop to justify low level flying, a newly acquired Go Pro Hero 6 attached on the tail and tally ho!…

Here taking off from Mtemere towards Siwandu a few minutes away.

 

Some giraffes were hanging around the airstrip. Dangerous hazard along an airstrip! Chasing them was a courtesy for the next pilot about to land.

Notice the little logo “No weapons on board”. In South Sudan they would have died laughing.

 

 

Following the Rufiji river and its gorgeous sand rivers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little low pass to inspect the airstrip. Checking for animals or any hole…

 

A quick tear drop turn and here is the landing, a 5 minute flight.

 

Happy pilot!

Aerial photography, Tanzania

 

low sea bottom near Pemba island.

 

Hippos in a lake, Selous.

 

Buffaloes.

 

Ruaha river one early morning

 

Stonetown by the sea.

 

Sisal plantation, Pangani region.

 

Elephants by a drying pond, Selous.

 

Along the Rufiji river, Selous

 

A flock of storks, Rufiji river bank

Aerials, Tanzanie

 

one of the wonders in Tanzanie, the active volcano Lengai. And in the foreground lies the crater Empakai.

 

Artistic sandbanks on the Luwegu river, Selous reserve.

 

Bush fires spread slowly and rarely kill trees. That black surface will turn green at the first drops of rain.

 

Housing on the Indian ocean beaches.

 

Drying lake in the Selous.

 

Off Mafia island during low tide, 2 different views.

 

Siwandu airstrip, Selous.

 

Low tide around Pemba island. Notice the under channel.

Tanzania, aerials

 

Buffaloes in a dwindling pool,Selous.

 

Hippos in the mighty Rufiji river.

 

A pond shows an artistic nature, Selous reserve.

 

Elephants in the Ruaha. Notice the one-tusker.

 

Buffaloes crossing the Rufiji.

 

Mafia island.

 

Some suburb houses, Dar es Salaam.

Aerials, Tanzania

 

Hippos in the Luwego river.

 

In the Selous game reserve.

 

Unfortunately I’m not too sure of the reason behind this minimal art sea surface.

 

The Indian Ocean and its beach can offer a lot of different sceneries.

 

 

Arusha one early morning.

 

Swollen river around lake Natron.

Aerial photography, Tanzania

 

Detail of the mangrove, Pemba island.

 

 

Overtaking a competitor over the vast African landscapes.

 

On one frame, let’s admire the volcano Lengai, Mt Kilimanjaro on the horizon, Mt Kitumbeine and Mt Meru. Not everyday that we can enjoy a 100 mile visibility.

 

Dar es Salaam center.

 

Ngwazi airtsrip,

 

A highway crosses some swamp near Ngwazi.

 

Rufiji river and a swamp, Selous reserve.

 

Indian Ocean.

Aerials of sea, lakes and rivers, Tanzania

 

Tanga town on the Indian ocean.

 

Ruaha river and residents in the Ruaha national park.

 

 

 

Selous reserve, some side lake and river near the Rufiji river. They were created some decades ago by massive floods. The dead white trees show the waters haven’t receded to this day.

 

 

 

Mahale village, lake Tanganyika. The red spot is a giant fishing net being repaired.

 

 

 

Mafia island at low tide.

 

On the Indian Ocean between Mafia island and the main land, one can observe that sharp separation in the waters. Those sediments (well I guess) seem to come from the island.

 

 

Fishermen village in the Rufiji river delta.

Aerial photography, Tanzania

 

Salt pans, lake Balangida, southern tip of the Rift valley.

 

Monik airtrip, lake Natron. That mountain is the active volcano Lengai.

 

 

Sunrise on the Indian ocean.

 

Luwegu river, southern Selous.

 

Drying Katasunga river, Katavi NP.

 

A dust devil on the burnt Katasunga plain.

 

A reef in the Indian ocean is  by fishermen and their nets.

 

In the Selous reserve, some floods from 40 years ago haven’t totally disappeared. The dead white trees are numerous to tell the tale.

 

Aerials, Tanzania

 

Sea bottom, not very deep obviously. Pemba island, Indian ocean.

 

A detail of the Selous wetlands.

 

 

 

More of the Selous reserve.

 

Kipili Bay, lake Tanganyika.

 

Wildebeest migration, Serengeti.

 

Empakai crater, Ngorongoro highlands. Notice the mounts Kilimanjaro and Meru far away. One of those days with an exceptional visibility.

 

Elephnats in the Great Ruaha river.

 

Socialist traces in Zanzibar…

 

but colors are available too.

Tanzania, aerial photography

 

Footprints on a salt lake bed, lake Balangida. Of humans, cows and goats I presume.

 

Hippos are having a hard time in the Katavi. They squeeze in the last remnants of muddy pools.

 

Last week a massive bush fire started on Katasunga plain, Katavi park. 80% of that vast plain was black at the time of the picture. The rangers were clueless or lying about the origin of the fire.

 

Mahale, lake Tanganyika, life on the beach. I guess the fishermen have laid out that massive net for fixing the damages.

 

A detail of the Indian ocean near mafia island. It looks like a channel at the shallow bottom.

 

A bit of the shoreline in Pemba island, my favorite island to overfly so far.

 

Siwandu, Selous reserve.

 

Near Mufindi, patchwork of fields.

 

Near Kipili bay, southern part of lake Tanganyika.

A little flight in the southern Selous

 

And what a show time! Hippos, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants…on top of the artistic work of the Luwegu river  flowing through the sand banks.

 

 

 

Some guys have a weird notion of straightness… unknown airstrip for now in the southern Selous reserve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waterbucks on the run.

Aerials in the Selous, Tanzania

 

A flight in the southern part of the Selous reserve along the Luhego river. I had never flown to that airstrip, Luhanyando, so I was quite pleased to discover that river.

 

Here at the junction with the Lukula river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerials, Tanzania

 

Stiegler’s gorge, Rufiji river, Selous reserve.

 

A perennial pond on the southern dormant top of the active volcano Lengai.

 

Just outside Arusha.

 

Lovely early morning out of Dar es Salaam.

 

Elephants in the Katavi park.

 

Pemba shores, Indian Ocean.

 

A pond in the Selous.

Aerials, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 top pictures: the Rufiji river in the Selous. The rains had been heavy, the river was carrying mud, the lake (foreground) stayed clear and the ponds got various patterns and colors.

 

 

The Indian Ocean, worth admiration and pictures. A concept the selfie maniacs seem unable to grasp. 50 selfies in average between the lounge and the airport. And no picture through the windows! The record is held by a punk who owned a top range Canon kit and didn’t shoot once outside…

 

 

Aerials in 15 min in the Selous reserve, Tanzania

 

Flying along the Rufiji river and its numerous side rivers and ponds is an amazing experience, well for those you can appreciate. I have spotted artists who had taken fascinating selfies while boarding the airplanes but didn’t shoot anything while in the air…

 

 

 

Buffaloes, about 50, not a bad sighting at all.

 

 

 

 

 

Aerials between mafia and Selous, Tanzania

 

Just one little flight, 40 minutes, from Mafia Island to the Selous reserve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice the fisherman village on the edge of the forest.

 

Here is a sail boat on the Rufiji river.

 

The Selous in the north is crossed by the Rufiji. This area between Stiegler’s Gorge and Mtemere is quite flat and sandy so the river’s arms and ponds change quite a lot when the rains show up. Here are 2 ponds which were dry and quite colorless 2 weeks ago.

Selous reserve, Tanzania, aerials in 15 minutes

 

Yes I know I love these posts about a stunning spot shot in so many minutes, whether it is the lake Natron or lake Eyasi or today the Selous. But the diversity in such areas is so phenomenal that I love the exercise.

These pictures were shot between Sumbazi and Mtemere along the Rufiji river on one flight.

 

Before landing at Mtemere.

The same buffaloes on the right hand side, the clouds can move fast.

 

 

 

A pond and the river, the water colors don’t match.

 

 

This rainy season was not excessive, far from it. The water level has gone down, and some water puddles are momentarily visible on sand banks which have been submerged for a few weeks.

 

 

Some trees survive the floods every year, other don’t. Those white dead trees are quite common along the river.

 

 

 

Shot with Leica M8, 28mm

Aerial photography, Selous, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerial photography in Tanzania

Some of my recent shots since I’m back in Tanzania.

 

In the lovely Mahale mountains, western Tanzania.

 

Katasunga plain, Katavi NP, in the south west.

 

While hopping between islands, here is Pemba island.

 

The Rufiji river in the Selous reserve, less than an hour away from Dar es Salaam.

 

Mtemere airstrip in the Selous.

 

The old star, the volcano Lengai.

 

A competitor’s camp along the Rufiji river.

 

Before landing over the Rufiji river.

 

The historic Stonetown, Zanzibar. Notice the House of Wonders, the white building right of the trees, on the left side of the picture.

Aerials in Tanzania

 

Our company flies in the remote bush and also performs island hoping in the Indian Ocean. 2 pictures of Pemba Island.

I should remind my great boss that I have a seaplane license… I’d love a seaplane in those lagoons and reefs.

 

The Rufiji river in the Selous.

 

The active volcano Lengai last month. Active but quite for some years.

 

Some mornings near Dar es Salaam.

 

 

A herd of buffalos in Katavi. 500 heads is common…

 

And these elies a bit further. After South Sudan I feel I’m flying in paradise.