OKAVANGO DELTA
The Okavango is, without any doubt, the most widely known area in Botswana. The Delta is an area of tranquil, lily covered lagoons and narrow channels hemmed in by papyrus Reeds, and teeming with animal and bird life. Probably the most precious wetland in the world, The Okavango is a river delta that feeds into dry land instead of the sea. It is the only one of its kind. The Okavango Delta is a unique oasis at the northern edge of the sands of the Kalahari Desert. Flood rain waters from the Angolan highlands are carried by the Okavango River into the delta where it spreads out creating countless waterways and lagoons over an area of approximately 10 000 square km.
Papyrus and Phoenix palms flourish here on the edge of the desert, and the waters provide an ecosystem for Fish Eagles and Kingfishers, Hippopotami, Crocodiles and Tiger fish. During the peak of the flooding, the deltas area can expand to over 16,000 square km, shrinking to less than 9,000 square km in the low period. As the water travels through the delta, the wildlife starts to move back into the region. The areas surrounding the delta are beginning to dry out (the rains in Botswana occur approximately the same time as in Angola) and the wildlife starts to congregate on the edge of the newly flooded areas, May through October.