- May 1, 2023
- 3 min read

Aerial Photography Over the Okavango Delta

Our Helicopter Flights

We at Untamed Photo Safaris, offer a rather unique and exciting add-on to one of our photographic safaris when on one of our Botswana wildlife photographic safari. This add-on is an exciting way to get those iconic bird's-eye view shots of the remarkable wildlife that roam the Okavango Delta.

Our guests can choose to do a helicopter ride just after sunrise and before sunset when the photographic opportunities are at their best. Photography guide, Mark A Fernley, will be with you at all times as you fly over the many herds of elephants, buffalo, crocodile, hippos, and more. The doorless Helicopter will allow you to gain full photographic access to the wildlife below. In this 30-minute outing over the Delta, you will be amazed at how many photographs you will be able to take during this period. This may seem like a short flight but our drivers are keen and experienced wildlife spotters and will locate the wildlife quickly to help you capture those ideal shots.

The Delta in Brief

The Okavango Delta here in Botswana is famous for being one of the largest wetland in southern Africa. It is home to some remarkable wildlife, holding an impressive 1,000 species of plants, 480 species of birds and 130 species of mammals along with many species of reptiles and fish. The delta stretches over 2,023,590 hectares with a buffer zone of 2,286,630 hectares. This untouched wetland in Botswana is a prime destination for wildlife photographers all over the world.

In the months of June to August and September to October is when you must visit the Okavango Delta. The period of June to August holds great migratory herd movements of Elephant and Cape Buffalo that are making their way into intricate waterways of the Delta, flooding the area with life. In the period of September to October, Botswana is getting astonishingly dry and leaves the Delta as one of the few places to hold a respectable body of water. This, therefore, encourages wildlife to stay and enjoy the Delta until the rains arrive at the end of the year.

The Okavango Delta holds permanent swamps that cover a vast amount of area. The grass encounters flooding of up to 1.2 meters, providing homes for many species. From above, animals can be seen walking through the flooded marshes and provide photographers with fantastic photo opportunities. Aerial photographs of herds of elephants can be taken as the animals walk through the grasses leaving veiny trails through the marshes. These make for artistic photographs that best describe how many animals walk through this untouched wildlife hotspot.

View one of our flights that took place during one of our Namibia - Botswana photographic safaris.

Guest Clark Grace says:

"Flying over the lush Okavango Delta, and into the setting sun provided a great, bird's-eye view of the incredible scenery and wildlife that we had seen during the day. Game tracks crisscrossed the ground, and flying low, we spotted and photographed crocodiles catching the last rays of the sun that were reflected in water everywhere. We flew over roaming herds of elephants and hippos ambling along and I managed to get some outstanding photographs from above. This was my first helicopter flight, and I was so glad to get this different perspective of a very beautiful place. It was one of the highlights of the trip and an experience that I will not soon forget."