Tracking the rare Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin

Dolphin researcher Dr Gill Braulik and her team with the Wildlife Conservation Society have been scanning the waters of the Indian Ocean between the islands of Pemba and Misali for humpback dolphins since dawn, when suddenly a pod surfaces for air.

The excitement is palpable. Straightaway, the team starts taking pictures of the dorsal fins and record the exact sighting location with their GPS. The exercise will continue for two weeks, 11 hours a day, using a local dhow, come rain or shine.

Gill Braulik, head of the WCS dolphin team, has been studying dolphins for most of her adult life. She set up a dolphin research project in Pakistan, to study one of the world’s most endangered species — the Indus River dolphin.

Read more on the rare Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin in Pemba waters

On the Moors of the Aberdares

September 2016

 

dsc05295-800x600
The high moorland of the Aberdares Copyright Rupi Mangat

The slippery high road to the moors of the Aberdares is stunning through thick groves of bamboo forest giving way to the hagenia forest that’s also known as rosewood on higher slopes. The colours of the forests are rich and lush – the luxuriant green of the thick moss on the fat branches of the hagenia and the wispy tails of the hanging lichens in the fresh, clean air of the mountains. At this high altitude, forest ferns and giant lobelia compete for space with Red-hot pokers breaking though the many shades of green. I’m eager to see the Mountain Bongo – one of Kenya’s rarest antelopes but the antelope with ivory-tipped horns doesn’t dash out of the forest like it did a decade ago.

Continue reading “On the Moors of the Aberdares”

Epicurean Feast at the Ranch House Bistro

January 2016

By the lakes of the Great Rift

dsc01332-800x600
Lake Oloidien with Mt Eburru

My plate, the Ploughman’s lunch is an artist’s delight with the colours of freshly picked salad, a chunk of cheese, cold ham and a wholesome slice of bread and sauces. We’re dining al-fresco on the lush lawns of the Ranch House Bistro in sight of Oloidien, the little lake that goes from fresh to salty depending on the levels of its neighbour, the fresh water Lake Naivasha. At this point this little lake is fresh, filled with fresh-loving water birds instead of the crimson-coloured flamingos that relish the algal bloom when the lake’s salty.

Continue reading “Epicurean Feast at the Ranch House Bistro”

Nyeri Second World War Cemetery

February 2016

Peaceful resting place for the men who fought the deadliest global war in human history

dsc04281-800x600
The Cross of Sacrifice’, a common feature in all the CWGC cemeteries worldwide takes centre stage

The remains of the men who fought in the 2nd World War lie quiet in the beautiful Nyeri Second World War Cemetery in Kiganjo amidst a lush green lawn with headstones standing in neat rows. The headstones are inscribed with the name, age, rank and regiment of the soldiers who fought in the East African Campaign during WW2.

Continue reading “Nyeri Second World War Cemetery”