I Got A Hippo Hollar!

Yes, this Hippo was excited to see me – and I discovered that hIppos are some of the nosiest animals on a safari!

Before I get serious for a moment, let’s enjoy this Hippo gliding slowly into the Okavango Delta in central Botswana:

These beautiful animals spend much of their time in – and under – water, which is why they were my “hide ‘n’ seek” hippos!

Driving on a safari will take you by many watering holes, and that’s where you will find hippos….sometimes at the edge drinking, but usually all the way into the deep end of the pool…

Hippos, or hippopotamuses, are large, semi-aquatic mammals native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are known for their large, barrel-shaped bodies, short legs, and powerful jaws. There are two species: the common hippopotamus and the smaller pygmy hippopotamus.

And this is what they love to do…hang out in the water – take a look:

 Hippos are known for spending a significant amount of time in water to stay cool and protect their skin from drying out – so you will see a lot of eyes and ears above water while they stay submerged…but we did see many of them grazing on land as well. They just don’t stay out of the water for long, because it’s much better like this:

We were at a watering hole near the Little Duma Tau lodge in northern Botswana, and dozens of these Hippos were spending the day staying cool in the water, and having some fun with their friends….you see, we came across what’s called a “bloat!”

Welcome To A Hippopotamus “Bloat!”

While they can also be called a “pod”, a group of Hippos is commonly referred to as a “bloat”, and other terms like herd, crash, thunder, and dale are also used. The term “bloat” is often considered a fitting and common name due to the large, bulky appearance of hippos when grouped together.

Our incredible tracker at Singita Boulders was Louis, who sat in his tracking seat and found us incredible animals – as did George our Guide, who drove the Jeep…what a team! One night, we ended up at this watering hole, where a “bloat” was already enjoying a drink:

These Hippos were at Singita in South Africa, also teeming with them. These gorgeous mammals will live more than 40 years on average…and it’s fascinating to watch them – although when they are in rivers they will sometimes play “hike ‘n’ seek” like this:

They are considered the second largest land animal on Earth (first place goes to the elephant!). Males measure around 3.5m long and 1.5m tall, and can weigh up 3,200kg. That’s as much as three small cars!

To stay cool in the blistering African heat, hippos spend most of their day in rivers and lakes. Their eyes, nose and ears are located on the top of their head, which means they can see and breathe while submerged in the water. 

What’s more, these super-cool creatures sweat an oily red liquid which helps protect their skin from drying out – and acts as a sunblock, too!

When it’s the heat of the day, they will gather as a “bloat” in large watering holes like this:

Despite their enormous size, hippos are great swimmers and can hold their breath for up to five minutes underwater. When completely submerged, their ears and nostrils fold shut to keep water out.

Our Hippo Coffee Break!

Every morning, our guides George and Louis would find a fun place to stop for a morning coffee break – and this was a perfect spot!

We weren’t the only ones having a drink: check out this Hippo slurping up some water in front of me!

Hippos usually live in groups (or “herds”) of around ten to 20 individuals, led by one large dominant male. The other members are females, their young and a few young non-breeding males.

So they stay submerged while we watch them enjoying the end of another day on safari…oh, and remember when we stumbled upon this?

Yes, we had two incredible Leopard encounters and you can see them both here!

One of the most magical aspects of a safari are the incredible sunsets – and a traditional “boma” – see what that is here:

We had a magical safari adventure, and I’m going to continue to share the stories…here is a tease I shared of our trip…

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Categories: Africa, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir

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