By Vianney J Kabwine, Guide - Greystoke MahaleYou may wonder how the hippo, one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, can be seen in its natural habitat. Typically, at around 4 PM, the guests of Greystoke Mahale go out on Lake Tanganyika (the second deepest and third largest lake in the world) for fishing, sundowners, and sometimes just for a boat ride on one of our three boats---Gwekulo, Kiko and Wolfie. We usually take some drinks (as requested by the guests), and some fishing equipment, including some local, traditional, fishing equipment that most guest have never seen before.
About 200 metres south of Greystoke Camp is the Lubulungu River with its abundance of bird and fish species. Through the extremely clean and clear water you can easily see the sandy bottom below…as well as the footprints of hippos under the water.
It is here where we usually find three or four hippos hanging around and where our guests can sometimes have wonderful views of hippos in the unusually clear water just 5 to 10 metres away from their boat. This is in contrast to the very muddy water that hippos are usually found in. Hippos are also sometimes seen swimming across the bay in front of Greystoke---30 m from the beach. Seeing hippos so very close, and in their natural habitat, is a lifetime experience. How do hippos behave? Do they walk or swim while in the water? How long do hippos stay under water? What do hippos eat? (not fish---as many people believe). Just come and see for yourself! Its amazing how all this happens in front of you---and how much you will learn!
After viewing the hippos, we start fishing, either with rods and reels, or using traditional, hand-made (Tongwe tribe), fishing equipment. While fishing, and before returning to camp, we usually have our drinks (sundowners). On our way back to Greystoke we sometimes have another view of the hippos---at either the Lubulungu River or passing in front of the beach at Camp. Not surprisingly, after such an afternoon, hippos are often a topic of discussion around the bar, at the dinner table, or around the campfire.
