Sunset on the Okavango Delta

As the sun sets over the Okavango, the golden glow mixes with the deep blue sky to silhouette Abu as his trunk curls up and back to sniff at Elke's outstretched hand as she sits with legs wrapped around his massive head.

The Okavango is one of the most incredible wildlife sanctuaries in Africa, hosting the largest elephant population in the world. This 15,000 square kilometer area is crisscrossed by river channels, lagoons, islands, and floodplains. Deep within the Kalahari Desert, an influx of water flows seasonally into this area creating a wetland that supports and sustains a huge diversity of plant and animal. Large elephant herds roam throughout the area, as does a large population of buffalo. Large mammals are plentiful. Red lechwe, reedbuck and hippo frequent the floodplains, lagoons, and channels. Zebra, impala, blue wildebeest and giraffe are more common in the dryland. Warthog, kudo and tsessebe antelope roam the area. Lions and spotted hyenas are the dominant carnivores.

Photographed at Abu’s Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana in 1995. Nikon 35mm cameras, 80-200mm, f2.8 zoom lens. Kodax Ektachrome Reversal Film 100, and Kodax Plus-X 125 Black and White negative film.