Diving with nile CroCoDiles in Botswana

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1 Diving with nile CroCoDiles in Botswana We are inextricably drawn to predators. We know how dangerous they are, but we want more than anything to get close to them. This is your chance to be in the water with an apex predator capable of taking down animals far larger and stronger than humans.

2 nature at its Best. listen to Your heart Pound. Photographic recommendations The best underwater lens for photographing crocodiles is the 16-35mm canon or 14 24mm nikon, dslr full frame for both camera systems. surface lenses will vary from mm up to 300mm. in the water, strobes and video lights are recommended at all times. you will be close enough to allow the light to reflect back from the crocodile s bright eyes and its menacing row of pure white teeth. There will also be opportunities to photograph the crocs resting on the riverbank before they race into the water to avoid us. We will also set up fish eagle hunting ops. in addition, there are often families of hippos that can be seen playing or sleeping in the water, standing on small beaches in the thick papyrus vegetation, or hanging on small river beaches. Accommodations A mobile safari camp will be our home base for the week. Each guest will have their own private tent furnished with a bed complete with a comfortable mattress, pillows, fresh linens, and wool blankets. Attached to each tent is a shower and a seat toilet. our dedicated safari crew will make sure warm water is available in your tent every morning for washing up, and each evening after we return from diving. our safari camp will have a generator that can be used to run refrigerators and lights and will also allow us to charge our computers and batteries. A separate tent will be set up as a charging station for all our gear. There will also be one large dining tent that opens up to a gorgeous view of the river. Please remember that we are in an extremely remote area, and a satellite phone will be the only way to stay in touch with the outside world should you need to do so. Anything that you might need and/or want during your time in the safari camp must be brought with you, because the nearest shopping center is about 500 miles away. What to Bring The water temperature averages 55 to 62 F (13 to 17c) requiring a 5 to 7mm wetsuit with a hood and gloves or a semi-dry suit. Being warm in the water allows complete focus on all the action. This expedition is in remote Botswana, Africa, a country where there is no dive shop to replace broken gear. All diving equipment should be serviced prior to departure to be in good operational condition. This includes your regulator, Bcd, mask and fins, all serviced with new straps. Bring a strong, reliable submersible underwater light. The river is never deeper than 30 feet (10 m) so a dive computer is not necessary. Additional gear includes sun block, hats, polarized sunglasses, and soft dry waterproof bags for cameras and other valuables. While river cruising between dives, the surface temperature can be cold, ranging from 50-80F (10-27c). Bring a windbreaker or water/wind proof coat to wear over your clothes or wetsuit. When dry, wear a fleece or long-sleeved sweatshirt with a wool cap during early morning on the boat and around the evening campfire. clothing at the safari camp is always casual. mornings and evenings are cold, so dress in layers to keep warm. The nile crocodile (crocodylus niloticus) The African crocodile is second in size only to the saltwater crocodile as the largest living reptile in the world. Widespread throughout sub-saharan Africa, they inhabit lakes, rivers and marshlands, like those covering most of the country of Botswana. The average size of the nile crocodile is 13 feet (4.1 m), and at this length they weigh around 900 pounds (410 kg). They have thick scaly skin that is heavily armored. They have extremely strong tails, incredibly powerful jaws, and like great white sharks, they also have nictitating membranes to protect their eyes and cleanse them with tears. The nostrils, eyes, and ears are situated on the top of the head, so the rest of the body can remain concealed underwater. An opportunistic apex predator, this aggressive species is capable of taking down almost any animal. While their diet consists primarily of different species of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, the green-eyed nile crocodile will attack any type of prey. An agile, ambush predator, they can wait hours, days and or weeks for the suitable attack moment. They have an extremely powerful bite with sharp conical teeth providing a grip almost impossible to loosen. They apply force for extended periods holding prey underwater to drown.

3 The African crocodile (crocodylus niloticus) is one of the largest living reptiles in the world and the biggest adult on record measures 20 feet in length and weighs 2,000 pounds. We could easily fill entire pages discussing the amazing facts and characteristics that define these huge, cold-blooded animals, but the simple fact remains that we are inextricably drawn to predators. We know how dangerous they are, but we want more than anything to get close to them. This Big Animals expedition is your chance to be in the water with an apex predator capable of taking down animals far larger and stronger than humans, yet being able to calmly interact with them and capture images that illustrate them in a different light. nile crocodiles like to bask in the sun along riverbanks in the okavango delta. during June and July (Botswana s winter), the water is a chilly F, and underwater visibility is about twenty feet. These huge reptiles spend many hours every day soaking up the heat from th sun s rays, the experience but the moment a crocodile spots our boat, they dive seeking security in the water. cold water makes them lethargic and slow, and their poor underwater vision provides us with a great opportunity to photograph these heavily armored crocodilians with most powerful jaws bite, greater of the Great White shark. Taking advantage of the crocodile s habits, our days on the delta begin between 9-10 am so that we can view basking crocodiles. The moment the croc seeks refuge under water, we stop our boat approximately 100 yards away. Quickly donning scuba tanks over the 5 to 7mm wetsuits, we enter the water. our descent is direct; we do not want to remain on the water s surface, known as the croc s kill zone. The reptile is attracted to subjects on the water s surface, especially those that are silhouetted against the sun, so it is imperative that we descend quickly and spend as little time on the surface as possible so as not to look like a potential meal. closely shadowing the expedition leader at the river bottom and followed by a safety diver with light and camera in hand, we drift down current near the bank searching for camouflaged crocs resting as they hide in debris and weeds. The current is often very strong and just like the crocodile does, we drift with the current and do not fight against it. We might need to dig into the sand bed with a hand or brace against the bottom with our knees just to try to stay in place. This can make an already difficult search even harder, but that is all part of the adventure. The crocodile s body color and shape blends with the river s dark soil, especially near trees and papyrus reeds, making them challenging to locate. We move cautiously and quietly as we search. We look for a line of jagged white teeth, since it is the most easily distinguishing characteristic of a croc as they hide in the shadows of the riverbank. They usually remain completely motionless, perfectly camouflaged in their environment with the exception of those gleaming, white teeth. Then we see them, but they probably don t see us. With their thick nictitating membranes drawn over their eyes for protection, their vision underwater is limited and they won t notice our slow and stealthy approach. The team leader carefully gets closer and closer with the guest remaining behind with the safety diver. When the safe to approach signal is given, the guest (perfect buoyancy is required for this adventure) moves side by side with the safety diver to a distance of no less than 12 inches. While they are not known to be aggressive underwater, it is wise to at least allow this minimum amount of space between their mouth and your port. in addition to boasting the most powerful jaws in the animal kingdom, crocodiles have sensors in their lower jaw that help them interpret spatial relationships to objects to compensate for their poor underwater vision; invading their personal space can trigger a reaction that could result in a negative experience.

4 the experience To intrigue you even more, here is a nile crocodile story from Amos. Fat Albert is 60-year-old croc about (5-6m) long with a nasty reputation, but if you read the following you may learn not to pay too much attention to rumors. A young kid disappeared one day from his village along the okavango delta and everyone in the village thought that the resident croc was to blame. Fat Albert was known to have an attraction to the red life vests of tourists, and being that the boy had been wearing red that day, the villagers were convinced Fat Albert had finally acted on his interest in this color. The men in the village were determined to relocate the croc far away from any community so it would no longer pose a threat to anyone. The kid was found unharmed later on the same night after he had been out playing and hiding in the bushes. After this misunderstanding, Albert became an attraction to some visitors, underwater photographers like myself in particular. Four years ago when i did my first trip along the river, my guide asked me if i wanted to look for Fat Albert. he expected me to hesitate or to say no, but i was thrilled and now the search was on! We did not find Fat Albert that year. When i returned to the okavango the following year, i set out to visit with the notorious Fat Albert, and i did. We searched for four days among the most remote waterways, cutting through thick and over grown papyrus vegetation, and we even got surprised by hippos underwater. We continued on and an hour later we entered an untouched tributary of the okavango delta. A huge croc was lying there peacefully, but as soon as it heard our boat it started moving. it was at this moment that my guide realized this was unmistakably Fat Albert due to its size and slow speed; it had no fear of humans. my guide was able to put me in the water a few minutes later. sure enough, Albert was fat, long, impressive and dominant, but the croc hardly seemed to notice i was there swimming along right next to him. i picked up my kick and moved in to close the distance. i swam along its tail, past its giant, dark-fingered paws pined to the riverbed, past its thick neck and finally past its head. i turned around and prepared my camera to capture a photo taking one image, then two images, then two more. Albert started moving, and i started retreating. Then i realized to my surprise that Albert was not coming at me, but was instead turning away from me to my right to move into the center of the river. When i raised my head to inspect his long body and watch his tail weaving and generating power, there it was. my dive buddy was also coming up for a look at this croc, and that s what caused Fat Albert to leave. The crowded field of two divers. it seems he didn t deserve such a bad reputation after all. no TouchinG! no chasing! our encounter is predicated by our experience in knowing how to view and photograph the nile crocodile without risk to personal safety. We may remain with a crocodile for 30 seconds or 15 minutes. Timing is entirely determined by the crocodile remaining in the same place and for our quiet, relaxed presence not to be considered as a threat. We will stay with the croc as long as it will allow of us, and when the croc is done, so are we. We treat these animals with complete respect because they deserve it, and our safety is dependent upon it. There is also a precise exit procedure. once the croc has left or been disturbed, we depart together. After reaching the middle of the river by following the bottom, the leader surfaces to direct the boat to us. We never ascend mid-water or on the surface as this can make us appear as a prey item to the crocodile. We surface in the protection of the boat s silhouetted shadow when signaled to do so. We move on to the next crocodile sighting following the same procedure with each guest having their turn. only one guest will be allowed in the water at a time, ensuring that our full attention is focused on making sure that you will be completely safe and protected while photographing these gigantic living relics. Along a secluded sandy beach we will enjoy our lunch before continuing our croc searching until mid-afternoon. Alcohol is never permitted during daytime expeditions. When the angle of the sun reduces water visibility, which typically happens around 3pm, we call it a day as we consider it difficult to spot crocs and unsafe to be in the water. changing gears, as we continue to cruise along the river to view birds, hippos, and other creatures, we will photograph the stealthy fish eagle. After catching some fish to entice this raptor towards us, we secure it to a papyrus branch. When we find a fish eagle hunting, we will toss the bait into the water at the perfect moment and angle as it swoops down to gather a meal. That is the secret of getting a close up image of a fish eagle.

5 nile crocodiles, Botswana July 6-13 & 12-19, 2016 crocodile ExPEriEncE: 5 years WhErE: okavango delta, Botswana Amos nachoum Expedition leader Amos has over 40 years experience as an adventurer and guide. he has 5 years experience diving with crocodiles in Botswana and Palau. Amos is also a very accomplished professional photographer who was the BBc wildlife photographer of the year in 2007 and Throughout your trip Amos will be available to provide you with expert coaching on various aspects of photographing crocodiles and their environment, with special attention paid to how to get the best performance from your equipment. Amos uses his leadership and photography skills to artfully capture the lives of ocean Giants whose existence is under threat, but whose hope of survival is linked to us communicating the truth. BigAnimals Expeditions are designed to add value to your life experience, to generate attention for endangered species, to aid in their preservation and to provoke public awareness and opinion. Enhance your photographic skills with Amos. The Experience is Priceless! BigAnimals unique services raising the bar of services in every adventure we operate around the world is our policy. We lead by example with immaculate safety record. Each wildlife expedition is carefully scouted before offered to the public and we schedule departures only during peak animal presence and behavior displays, led by Amos nachoum and based on his 40 years of diving and photographing ocean and land Giants. our nile crocodile Expedition is strictly limited to only 3 privileged guests. This is with consideration of the animal s welfare and behavior, your safety and provides you with room to move freely, ample space in which to photograph and film, with personalized attention and advice. dates: July 6-13 and 12-19, 2016 duration: 8 days max no. of GuEsTs: 3 PricinG: $18,900 per person based on double occupancy registration: deposit of $6,300 AccommodATions: mobile safari camp AcTiviTiEs: crocodile diving, photography, exploration TEmPErATurE: Water F (14-17 c) Air F (10-27 c) TriP PricE includes: 6 nights at our safari camp accommodations plus all meals 5 days of exclusive crocodile diving photo services with Amos and Walter All diving equipment, including tanks and weights medic escort Film permits, taxes and fees Excess gear transport, ground transport across Botswana TriP PricE ExcludEs: international flight charter flight in Botswana hotel overnight in Johannesburg Gratuities to crew items of personal nature such as phone calls, laundry and drinks items not mentioned above

6 nile CroCoDiles itinerary > July 6-13 & 12-19, 2016 DaY 1 July 6 & 12 ArrivE: Johannesburg. spend overnight at airport hotel. DaY 2 July 7 & 13 Fly from Johannesburg to maun, Botswana. We will pick you up at the airport for the five-hour drive and cruise to our safari camp. DaY 3-7 July 8-12 & Five days of extraordinary crocodile diving and adventure in the okavango river with nile crocs. DaY 8 July 13 & 19 depart: 30-minute boat ride and five-hour car ride to maun for flight to Johannesburg. connect to your flight to your next destination. PAymEnT Policy And deposit: When we receive your deposit, we will send you a comprehensive and detailed Trip Preparation Bulletin about the experience and the destination. All trip costs are subject to change without prior notice until your reservation is confirmed. A deposit of 33% of the total trip price is required to secure space on the trip. Full payment is due no later than 90 days before departure. We reserve the right to sell any space that is not paid in full by 60 days before departure. cancellation Policy -must be made in writing. -more than 90 days before trip: deposit will be refunded in full. -90 days or less before trip: deposit will be refunded if space is sold, less unrecoverable costs of sales, and administration costs. -no refund is made for unused part of the itinerary. The following are subject to change: -cost of services which are not included in the expedition price -Flight time and schedule -Weather, water temperature, and animal behavior dates and prices are subject to change without prior notice.

7 ApplicAtion Form Expedition nile crocodiles Expeditions dates: July 6-13 and 12-19, 2016 PErsonAl information first name last name date of Birth Gender: female male Address city state Zip Work Phone home Phone citizen of Passport # Place issued & date trip price $18,900 per person. deposit of 1/3 is required to secure space= $6,300 non-refundable. final payment due 90 days before departure. $ if you intend to shoot video or work on a film project in Botswana, we must obtain a filming permit for you and must receive all the information from you no later than 90 days before departure. Permit cost $1,500 Please make your check payment to BigAnimals Expeditions, 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, ca overseas payment can be done via bank wire, instructions will be sent to you upon receipt of this application. Promotional code travel insurance: yes no Provider Policy # travel insurance is prerequisite and mandatory on BigAnimals adventures. We need to have your policy number.. do you carry diving insurance? yes no Provider Policy # diving Experience in strong current and low visibility none limited Good Expert diving Experience/years in diving Where & When last 3 dive Experiences? how do you rate your Photography and/or Video skills? no interest Beginner inter Advanced Expert BigAnimals.com info@biganimals.com 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, ca Phone Amos nachoum PhotoGrAPhy