Day 86 Durban, South Africa

Weather
Low 80's, partly cloudy

Map

What we did
Today's safari was more of a game drive at the Tala Private Game Reserve. We had a 75 minute bus ride to get there and then entered our Land Rovers to head out. These vehicles were open air and held about 10 passengers. Other than Tsavo, all of our safari's used open air vehicles. They explained that most animals saw in 2 dimensions and so we weren't in danger as long as we kept are bodies in the vehicle as they saw us a just one big animal. If you stuck your hand out, all bets were off. We would stop to view different animals and our guide would spend a few minutes telling us about them and how they fit into the area. There were no predators on the property and the animals all seemed more relaxed. We saw the following animals while here, blesbok, antelope, zebra, rhinos, birds, hippos and giraffes. Those poor blesbok! Botflies often deposit larvae into the antelope's nostrils, boring into the flesh. These larvae cause severe irritation causing them to sneeze, snort, and stomp their feet in a persistent effort to expel them. The giraffes were the most pleasant surprise as we were able to drive into the middle of a herd and see them from every angle. They are truly majestic animals. This reserve has 5 rhinos and unfortunately their 2 males died recently. We learned that these reserves often trade among themselves to prevent inbreeding and balance the male/female ratio.

Our trip concluded with snacks and beverages before returning to our ship.