I’d come halfway around the planet to Tanzania to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration, but specifically to watch those animals leap from the cliffs of the riverbank into the Mara River.
I wanted to capture that moment, not only in my memory but digitally to share long after I returned home. To remember it forever—every detail.
The northern Serengeti is private, isolated, and a challenge to get to. We flew into Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, in the remote Northern Serengeti on a twelve-passenger bush plane.
August and September are the best months to witness the migration, as the rainy season begins in October when the herds start their return.
The numbers were getting higher, so many that all we could see were wildebeest and zebras.
With our Land Rover parked on the opposite side of the river where we’d hope they would jump, we waited.
Then, suddenly it happened. Not as expected, but instead, the zebra and wildebeest walked down the grassy slope, and with no need to leap, they walked into the water for a safer descent.
While the water splashed as expected, as we made some excellent images of the splash, the wildebeest had picked their spot wisely, so they didn’t need to leap, reducing the threat of a broken leg.