Microlighting over Victoria Falls and Wildlife

On my last morning in Zambia, I woke up early to take a 30-minute microlight flight over Victoria falls and national park land around the Zambezi just upstream of the falls.

The Zambezi zig-zags from the falls through a series of gorges, each of which used to be the location of the falls.

In this photo, the nearest end of the gorge is being cut back by the river, forming the beginning of a new gorge, where the water will fall in a few millenia.

The photo below clearly shows how the falls have receded upstream over thousands of millenia.

Upstream of the falls, the Zambezi flows through a wide channel in flat plains, providing substantial water for plants and animals.

The photo on the left was taken as we flew over a couple of rhinos, which you can see more clearly (barely) in the close-up on the right.

If you look ever so closely at this photo, you might see some elephants.

Again, the second photo is a zoomed-in part.

I hadn't been on any safaris during my time in Africa, so taking this flight the morning I left was really worthwhile.

In addition to the rhinos and elephants pictured here, I saw crocodiles and hippos in the river, buffalo, cranes and a few other creatures I was quite excited about at the time, but have since forgot!

Due to the proven risk of people dropping their cameras into the propelar blades, it's not allowed to take your own photos from the craft.

All the photos above were taken from a camera fixed on the microlight's wing and cost extra.

Although you get a great view of animals from the air, it's not so easy to photograph them.

This photo of hippos is one of the complimentary shots I got with my purchase.