https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/okavango/

Okavango Wilderness Project, Parktown (2026)

21/08/2026

New Study! Peatlands in the Angolan Highlands are believed to be at least 4X larger than previously estimated.
‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌
Led by researchers from , this effort to map carbon-rich peatlands is crucial to safeguarding rivers, communities and wildlife across seven African countries.

De Beers Group The Nature Conservancy Wild Bird Trust‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌

Read more: https://news.nationalgeographic.org/new-study-peatlands-in-the-angolan-highlands-are-at-least-four-times-larger-than-previously-estimated/

Led by researchers from the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project, this effort to map carbon-rich peatlands is crucial to safeguarding rivers, communities and wildlife across seven African countries

21/08/2026

Traditional knowledge has boldly paved the way for the important scientific research behind the Delta Crossing. Our focus was simple, to move safely through the raw, untamed waters and landscapes of the Okavango Delta while monitoring the water and mapping the Delta. And we have successfully completed the Delta’s 2026 check-up.

The Okavango Delta was real with us. We didn’t simply enter, take what we wanted, and leave. No, we had to give pieces of ourselves to it. We became part of it, rather than mere observers from a distance. I don’t think the crossing would be what it is today if this connection had not been at the heart of the experience.

As much as the team makes an incredible impact on the Delta’s well-being, the expedition also leaves a lasting mark on everyone who takes part in it. As the project founder has always emphasised, this expedition should bring the stories of the Delta to life. The animals we encountered, the islands where we slept in, the challenges we faced, and the moments we shared should reach and fascinate people beyond the expedition itself. And this year’s stories have already begun finding their way to people’s ears the moment we set foot in Maun.

Another beautiful part of this journey is the trust we have in one another. We all relied on our lead poler, GB, for safety and guidance as we navigated the Delta. We didn’t need to stress too much, we simply waited for his call and trusted his experience. On the research side, the science team would suddenly call out, “Research site!” while we were travelling, and over time, it became a normal part of our routine.

These little details kept us grounded, kept us sane, and kept us moving forward. The Delta Crossing has been a beautiful, humbling experience, one that makes it easy to understand why Dr. Steve Boyes never wants to miss it year after year.

The 2026 check-up is complete, and the stories of the Okavango will continue reaching Batswana and the world beyond!

🖊️ and 📸 by Laone Chombo (drone image by Götz Neef)

🇧🇼
De Beers Group

20/08/2026

Today we ended our expedition with a full safari experience, and somehow saw more wildlife than on any other day. What struck me most, though, was not just the sheer number of animals, but where we were seeing them, right in the middle of human settlements.

I had honestly expected there to be much less wildlife activity in an area where people live and move about regularly. Instead, we witnessed a remarkable sense of coexistence.

And our lead poler “GB” has been saying along the way that the Okavango Delta is not only about the animals and the water, but also about the people who call this place home. The water sustains the wildlife, the wildlife shapes the lives of the people, and the people, in turn, have learned to live alongside it all.

🖊️ and 📸 by Laone Chombo

🇧🇼
De Beers Group

19/08/2026

I thought things would start getting easier as we got closer to the finish line, but nope, today turned out to be one long, demanding day.

This morning we got scolded by a mother elephant when we crossed a river without noticing one of her calves ahead of us. Our silent cruise was suddenly shattered by the sharp trumpet of an angry mother, and we quickly realized we had wandered a little too close for comfort.

And that was only the beginning. Later that same day, our mokoro struggled to make its way through a thick layer of Salvinia molesta, an invasive aquatic w**d that floats freely on the surface of the water. When it gathers in large quantities, it forms dense mats that can completely cover the surface and block sunlight from reaching the water below.

Trying to push through it was exhausting. My poler even broke his nkashi during our struggle to escape the Salvinia. It was a two-man job, he battled with the nkashi while I worked with my paddle, both of us fighting to get the mokoro through the thick vegetation.

But somehow, we all made it through tired, frustrated, and completely drained, but alive.

🖊️ and 📸 by Laone Chombo

🇧🇼

18/08/2026

No jumping castle today, thankfully! Instead, today turned out to be one of the longest days we’ve spent on the water. Along the way, we encountered countless hippos and elephants, as well as crocodiles lurking beneath the surface, some of which were estimated to be an incredible five metres long.

We passed the point in the journey where everyone starts saying, “the road smells like Maun.” It’s a feeling that’s hard to explain, but somehow, you know you’re getting closer.

Looking back at just how far we’ve come is honestly mind-blowing. We started all the way up in Seronga, cruising through the waterways in mekoro, and now we’ve already made our way out of the Moremi Game Reserve. It’s incredible to think about the distance we’ve covered and everything we’ve experienced along the way.

What makes this journey even more incredible is that throughout it all, we’ve been monitoring the water as we go, almost like giving the Okavango Delta a health check, observing what’s new, what’s changing, and how the ecosystem is evolving.

🖊️ and 📸 by Laone Chombo

🇧🇼

17/08/2026

Jumping Castle!
Our lead poler, “GB,” had made it clear that today we would be entering a section he loves to call the Jumping Castle because of the ups and downs of the water. Some parts of the channel are dark and difficult to see through and on previous expeditions, mekoro have apparently gone blindly over hippos. When startled and attempting to surface, the hippos hit the mekoro, causing them to rock up and down. And when things like that are said, you can’t help but cross your fingers and hope it doesn’t happen.

Guess what? Today, we almost got tossed out of the Jumping Castle when we found ourselves caught between two hippos, one behind us and one ahead and a small herd of elephants in front of us. Luckily, we were able to steady ourselves along the edge of a small island.

It was so wild. At first, we didn’t know about the hippo ahead of us. We were completely focused on the one behind us, which we were on high alert about as it appeared to be coming straight towards us.

It’s only now that GB has explained that the hippo wasn’t actually charging at us. He was simply trying to pass towards his mate, who was in front of us. We hadn’t seen the other hippo because it hadn’t made any obvious movement.

So, while we were nervously watching the hippo behind us in the water, the other hippo suddenly emerged right in front of GB and BT’s mokoro, taking everyone by surprise. We immediately made our way towards the bank, and that’s when we saw some elephants emerging from the reeds and water and making their way onto land.

Everything seemed to happen at once, hippos behind and ahead of us, elephants appearing from the reeds, and our slender but loaded mekoro caught right in the middle of it all.

I don’t like the Jumping Castle.

🖊️ and 📸 by Laone Chombo

🇧🇼

16/08/2026

Taking part in the expedition is quite unpredictable. You can’t really anticipate what you will encounter on a daily basis. We have passed countless landmarks where we were supposed to encounter hippos or a dense grass blockage, but some of these things were not there and did not happen as expected. These are things that were regular occurrences just 15 years ago during the expedition.

It seems that there is a gradual but slow change taking place in the Delta, tiny details that not everyone would notice, but this team notices every single one. They notice new channels, they notice changes in hippo populations and their lagoons, they notice when animal skeletons are missing in certain islands, and even the science team observes every subtle change in water quality.

So, being out here with all these brilliant minds of science and traditional knowledge gives me comfort in knowing that I am with caretakers of the Delta who mean no harm. The Delta Crossing team has confidence in what they do, while always remembering that this is a wild place with its own rules.

🖊️ and 📸 by Laone Chombo

🇧🇼

15/08/2026

Today was very slow and fast at the same time. Our lead poler, GB, had told us that we would suffer like we did the day before, but to everyone’s surprise, it was a much smoother pole through the thick papyrus. The channels were more open, although there were still some pretty thick blockages that we had to work through.

This meant that the extra time was well spent by the science team, who often stop in various places to monitor the water quality, checking the pH and oxygen levels in the water. They have also been taking drone shots of the areas and monitoring the Delta from above. We’ve been counting different species of birds along the way with them as well, and in some areas they noticed an absence of abundant birdlife that had been present in previous years which speaks volume to how much attention to detail they pay.

The fact that they are able to do all of this by mokoro is even more mind-blowing. It makes sense because the mokoro is so slow and smooth it’s like a ninja of the Delta’s landscape. It is barely noticeable, and there is little to no lasting impact from its travel through the waterways.

🖊️ and 📸 by Laone Chombo

15/08/2026

One day to go! and with that, the excitement is growing but so is the tiredness. We are all looking forward to seeing our loved ones again. Honestly, we are starting to feel like we can’t wait to be around people again.

Part of us doesn’t want to leave the Delta, while another part desperately wants to leave. Our hearts are somehow divided.

Initially, we were supposed to spend 14 days travelling through the Okavango Delta. But on the day we travelled a lot more kilometres than planned to meet the resupply team, we ended up covering almost double the distance we expected. That put us ahead of schedule.

Today, we travelled to our last camp before arriving in Maun.

We arrived at around 3:30pm. Along the way, we started seeing more and more traffic boats and mokoros heading in the direction we had come from. We also saw a lot of helicopters and aeroplanes flying above us. We believe many of them were carrying tourists, some heading to the lodges and others doing aerial tours of the Okavango.

Seeing all that traffic suddenly made me excited. It felt like a sign that, yes, we are really getting close to our destination.

After unpacking and setting up our campsite, I decided to take individual portraits of everyone on the team.

And yes… I also had to have my picture taken.

I’m always a little anxious when someone else takes my picture because I feel like they won’t capture me the way I would. But I had no choice this time, and Ross, one of the explorers, actually did a great job with my portrait.

For a long time, I had also been planning to photograph Keabetswe, Mma Ralph, in the kitchen. She is our chef on this trip, and since Day 1 she has made sure that all of us are fed breakfast, lunch and supper, every single day.

Our meals have mostly consisted of rice and beans. No meat, except for some beef biltong. This was mainly for health reasons and to keep things simple during the expedition.

And honestly, I never thought I would say this, but I have really started enjoying beans!

We have had all kinds of beans you can imagine sugar beans, lentils, black-eyed peas and some varieties I had never even seen before. Somehow, after eating them almost every day, I have developed a real appreciation for them.

I’m definitely taking this experience back home with me. Beans are going on my menu from now on.

(Please note: this is a delayed post from Delta West as they have now arrived back home🎉)

🖊️ and 📸 by Letso Leipego

🇧🇼

14/08/2026

Today for the Core Team was one of those days that makes you question your life choices. It was a long day of pulling mekoro full of supplies and daba grass and we were wet for all of it. Apparently, we were having it a bit easy because of the abundant floodwaters, but there was still a lot of struggling from the morning until we finally arrived, soaking wet, at Chief’s Island.

As tired as we are, we’re still laughing about a hippo encounter we had this morning. We startled a hippo while he was outside the water, and as soon as he heard movement, he immediately rushed towards the water. He first attempted to get in, but then saw the first mokoro. He turned to find another entry point, only to see our mokoro and suddenly, we locked eyes through a passage in the grass.

At that moment, I had no idea what he was thinking, so I just tried to remain as petrified and calm as possible. When he saw our mokoro, I could see confusion and terror in his eyes. He turned and ran through a thicket of grass and papyrus, straight towards where the second mokoro was. Eventually, he cut through the vegetation, dipped into the water right beside the mokoro, and swam off.

I looked behind my mokoro and realised my poler was missing. I looked towards the papyrus and saw him sitting there, so I hopped out. We waited a few seconds, but nothing happened, so we hopped back into our mokoro. By then, the first two had already crossed into the channel ahead.

After a very confusing strategy which apparently involved me paddling in completely the wrong direction because I was sitting backwards we eventually managed to meet the others around the corner. And then we all just started laughing.

The whole thing happened in a split second, by the way.
We’re still talking about how my poler somehow “helicoptered” himself far into the grass without anyone noticing.

So, yes, a long, wet, exhausting day. But definitely one we’ll be talking about for a while.

🖊️ and 📸 by Laone Chombo

🇧🇼

Okavango Wilderness Project

21/08/2026

21/08/2026

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19/08/2026

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14/08/2026

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