CIRCLE OF LIFE, AFRICA PHOTOGRAPHY& VIEWING 'No matter how much you prepare and imagine your journey to the Serengeti is beyond imagination'
Africa: A photographer's paradise Serengeti is undoubtedly one of the world s most celebrated wilderness areas and the cheetah, the world's fastest land animal, is a pure delight to view and photograph. The earth vibrates with the thundering of millions of hooves, as the heaving herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles fill the plains. This is the epic annual struggle for survival. Welcome to the greatest show on earth! This great migration is an overwhelming, humbling and quite simply amazing wildlife experience. This event is a natural spectacle that compares to no other. Be ready for a true life changing experience. It s something that has to be seen to be understood and treasured. No words can do it justice The Serengeti National Park is home to the most photographed and filmed game reserves in Africa. With an incredibly dense population of wildlife and never-ending rolling plains, this is the Africa many of us dream of: an abundance of wildlife, beauty, tranquility and endless clear, summer days. Serengeti, meaning endless plains in the Maasai language, is undoubtedly one of the world s most celebrated wilderness areas and is an ongoing source of inspiration to photographers, writers, and filmmakers. It is Tanzania s oldest game reserve, renowned as the site of the annual Great Migration where an estimated one million antelope, mostly wildebeest, and 500,000 zebras migrate. People never forget their encounters with Serengeti National Park. For some it's the breathtaking view from Naabi Hill at the park's entrance, from where the Serengeti's grasslands appear to stretch to the ends of the earth. For others it is the promise of incredible adventures and immersion into the Serengeti s animal kingdom. Rest assured you will not be disappointed. There are very few events on OUR planet as inspiring as a PHOTO expedition to Africa. It can put the world in a different perspective and have us forget everything at home as the view of a coalition of lions stalk across open plains, their manes catching the breeze. Or it could be the migration of wildebeest and zebra in there millions, following the ancient rhythm of Africa's seasons. This is one of the greatest wildlife-watching destinations on earth. The purpose of our photographic adventure will be in two core areas. Our first delight will be to witness the great Serengeti annual migration. After this we will shift our focus and cameras to the large cats and their life cycle. Our energies will center on birthing, nursing and predation. In Africa the basic survival cycle is the one that makes the big picture so phenomenal. Our encounter with the cheetahs left us breathless. We were first greeted with the sight of cubs playing and this delighted us. The mother s demeanor changed and we became aware it was time to start hunting. It appeared to us that she briefly offered her cubs a training session. This was our moment to start adjusting our lenses as the hunt continued. The next morning we left the tent camp before dawn to locate our mother cheetah with her young cubs. Among the cats, the cheetah is known to be active only during the day. We knew we would find her in the morning in the same area where we parted last night. Yesterdays hunt had not been successful for her and all her attempts had
all ended in failure. We left her last night she looked exhausted. Her cubs looked tired and hungry as well. It was clear that if she could not catch enough food for the cubs, their survival would be in peril. On our drive we past herds of wildebeest and zebras. We saw giraffes, elephants, lions, and other animals. These are fascinating sights in themselves, but we were full of purpose and continued on our way until we found the cheetah and her cubs. We located them not far from where we left the night before. The mother, who seemed not to have eaten a satisfying meal in the past few days, was constantly scanning the area, and we hoped that she would succeed today. Located them not far from where we left the night before. The mother, who seemed not to have eaten a satisfying meal in the past few days, was constantly scanning the area, and we hoped that she would succeed today. In February each year, more than one million wildebeest arrive in the southern part of the Serengeti. This is the littering period and at its peak, about eight thousand wildebeest calves are born every day. The great carnivores also arrive and we chose to focus on the cheetah and their tantalizing and highly photographic hunting tactics and action. Our mother cheetah hides in the weeds and from her location she is able to watch a herd of 3 to 4 dozens Thompson gazelles grazing about four hundred yards away. She wisely positions herself upwind, so she can smell the gazelles and the herd cannot see, hear or smell her. Soft and slow she marches towards them. During this time her cubs lay very still. The cheetah's eyes don t move away from the gazelles and when she notices they are grazing peacefully, she cautiously moves a few yards towards them leaving her cubs behind. At one point, she motions for her cubs to stay as she continues to move forward. The day before the young ones followed her on the hunt, which alerted the gazelles, and she had to abort the hunt. The hungry mother cannot afford another day without prey. The cheetah continues toward the grazing gazelles, slowly and in stealth motion so typical to this apex cat. She inches slowly forward and stays very low in the tall grass. When she is about two hundred yards away from the herd, she lies completely down and waits in the hope that the gazelles will move in her direction. We followed and watched the cheetahs and the gazelles from afar so as not to disturb and influence the natural occurrence. At this point we settled in the distance, our experienced driver /guide maneuvers the car in a perfect filming position between the grazing gazelles and the ambushing Cheetah without our presence affecting her. All the while, the gazelles, naturally always alert for danger, scanned the area to make sure there was no predator in sight, and the cheetah waited for the moments of lack vigilance. At one point when our Cheetah estimated that the distance between her and her prey was ideal she began her attacked. Her amazing strength and physical abilities are apparent to us all. She slowly rises determined, checking that the gazelles are not yet aware of her existence. At the right moment in her mind she opens into a mad sprint and the gazelles began to flee in all directions. Knowing her chase has to be short to guarantee success. During the time she stalked her prey; the cheetah identified the weakest gazelle in the group and set out to hunt it down. Within a few seconds she had closed the distance between them. She caught her gazelle and swiftly knocked it down. The gazelle rolled on the ground, gathered himself to his feet, but it was too late, his fate sealed. The Cheetah knocked it down again, grabbed it by the throat, and strangled it. Mother Cheetah is known for her devotion to her cubs. After the kill she immediately raises a high pitch sound in what is known as a gathering call for the young ones to join her. She does not immediately join the feast. Our mother is exhausted from her hunt and must recover. She lies down and we see her breathing deeply from her efforts. She will eat later.
Circle of Life, Serengeti, Tanzania. The Greatest Show on Earth. The Great Migration. ExpErIEnCE: 35 years AMOS NAUCHOM Expedition leader Amos has over 35 years experience as a wildlife adventure guide, and 18 years experience diving in Antarctica. Professional photography will be done with Amos Nachoum, who was the BBC wildlife photographer of the year in 2007 and 2008. He will be coaching individuals on wideangle and ambient-light photography of big animals. Amos explorations have been featured on National Geo, BBC and the Discovery Channel. BigAnimals Expeditions recreates the same adventures and photo opportunities for you. Amos uses his leadership and photography skills to artfully capture the lives of Ocean Giants whose existence is under threat, but whose hope of survival is linked to us communicating the truth. BigAnimals Expeditions are designed to add value to your life experience, to generate attention for endangered species, to aid in their preservation and to provoke public awareness and opinion. YORAM SHPIRER Expedition leader Yoram Shpirer, 58, a biologist and natural photographer from Israel, an expert on animal behavior, is a graduate of dozens of photography trips around the world in general and in Africa in particular. Served as an officer with the rank of Major in the Special Rescue Unit of the Israeli Air Force. Since childhood, Yoram combines two loves. One for nature and for animals. And the second for wildlife photography. Yoram conceived and established (together with Amir Ayalon) the "Israeli Society for Photography of Nature" Yoram is active in the conservation of wildlife in Israel. Photographing and documenting the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (especially the biggest horsemen in Israel). His photos are used in many publications of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI). Yoram is a judge at the annual Israel Bird Photography Competition. Yoram have been leading photography expedition and coaching to Africa for the past five years. This photo adventure is a cooperation between Yoram and Amos and the respect they have for each other as friends and professionals expedition leaders. where: Serengeti, Tanzania dates: February 24 March 3, '19 duration: 8 days MAx no. of GuEsts: 4 AvAIlABIlIty: open pricing: $9,800 per person, based on double occupancy registration: deposit of $3,300 ACTIVITIES: Photography, Extensive Photograhy Coaching, Viewing temperature: 80-100F (26-37C) Daytime Temperatures to 60-70F (15-21C)Nighttime Temperatures trip price InCludEs: 1 night hotel in Arusah 6 nights & all meals at Matembezi 6 days safari in special converted 4x4 land rover Only two person per vehicle Scheduled round trip flight Arusha- Ndutu-Arusah & luggage overweight Airport transfer All park entrance fees and local taxes Photo coaching by Yoram and Amos trip price ExCludEs: International flight & Departure tax Activites and meals not mentioned above Single occupancy Items of personal nature, phone, laundary Travel insurance Gratuities ACTIVITY & AGE LEVELS This trip is leisurely and designed for people in good heath and who enjoy the outdoors. We spend lots An excellent adventure for tall ages from 16-90.
CIRCLE OF LIFE TRIP ITINERARY >Feb. 24 - March 3, '19 Itinerary * DAY 1 / Feb. 24 Arrive at Kilimanjaro international airport off charter. Meet and greet upon arrival followed by transfer to Katambuga House for check in,dinner and overnight. Arusha, it is the safari capital of Tanzania located at the foot of Mt. Meru, close to Mount Kilimanjaro, the and Ngorongoro National Parks. DAY 2-7 / Feb. 25-3/2 Matembezi Classic Camp - Southern Serengeti, Southern Serengeti. After breakfast, you will be transferred to Arusha Airport to connect to your domestic flight to Ndutu airstrip. Upon arrival you ll met by your private guide and vehicle proceed on game drives en route to Matembezi Classic Camp for check in. Stay for 6 nights on FB accommodation with game drives at Ndutu area and Serengeti National Park. Classic Camping is about total privacy with no other camp for miles around. The tents are spacious and comfortable offering the perfect blend of mobility and comfort, the sites are wildlife rich and scenically beautiful and the dining caters to your personal needs with a private chef, a well appointed mess tent and free consumption bar. Classic mobile camping is the best standard of mobile camping in Tanzania; in the grand style of the traditional East African safaris, once the privilege of royals. Large, comfortable and beautifully furnished mobile tents, with en-suite toilets and hot showers! It is a private home away from home in the bush and is ideal for anyone who wants the ultimate in comfort, mobility and exclusivity, offering a more flexible wilderness and wildlife viewing experience than any lodge can offer! The camp is fully lit by solar lighting, the kitchen is equipped with a gas freezer and fridge, and a generator serves as a backup for any emergency. The camp is run with a strict adherence to eco principals, all cooking is done on gas and bio-briquettes brought in from our head office. Our teams maintain a no trash policy, all compostable waste is buried, all plastics and metals are collected and brought back to Arusha for recycling; and the camps carbon print is offset annually through Carbon Tanzania. The Serengeti together with Kenya s Maasai Mara Game Park form Africa s most famous wildlife park. The image of acacia trees on an endless grass plain epitomizes Africa for many, and then adds a Maasai warrior and some cattle to the picture and the conversation need go no further. The annual wildebeest migration through the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara is the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet with more than a million animals following the rains. But that is not where the game viewing ends; large prides of lions, elephants and giraffes in grasslands, gazelles and eland to mention but a few. DAY 8 / March 3 Departure day Itinerary After breakfast, enjoy a morning game drives en-route to Ndutu airstrip arrive and fly to Arusha by a domestic schedule flight. Upon arrival meet your private transfer to Katambuga for Lunch and day room, and then drive to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your international flight back home. *If arriving from the USA, Asia or South America, you will likely need to leave home 1 or 2 days prior to Feb. 18. payment policy And deposit: when we receive your deposit, you will receive confirmation. All flights and trip costs are subject to change without prior notice until your reservation is confirmed. A non-refundable deposit of one third of the expedition price is required to secure a place on the trip. Full payment is due no later than 90 days before departure. we reserve the right to sell any space that is not paid in full 60 days before departure. A refund will be made if the space can be filled in time, less unrecoverable costs of sales, administration, or special promotion. Cancellation must be made in writing. deposits are non-refundable if cancellation is made 180 days or less before departure. no refunds for unused part of the itinerary. For payment, please mail your check to: Big Animals Expeditions 189 Evans Avenue, suite A pacific Grove, CA 93950
ApplicAtion Form Circle of Life expeditions Dates: February 16-25, 2018 Personal InformatIon BigAnimals Expeditions CIRCLE OF LIFE February 16-25, 2018 first name last name Date of Birth Gender: female male address City state Zip Work Phone Home Phone email Citizen of Passport # Place Issued & Date trip price $9,800 per person. Deposit of 1/3 of trip price is required to secure space = $3,300 non-refundable. final payment due 90 days before departure. $ Please make your check payment to Biganimals expeditions, 189 evans ave #a, Pacific Grove, Ca 93950. overseas payment can be done via bank wire, instructions will be sent to you upon receipt of this application. Promotional code travel insurance: Yes no Provider Policy # travel insurance is prerequisite and mandatory on Biganimals adventures. We need to have your policy number.. Biganimals.com info@biganimals.com 189 evans ave #a, Pacific Grove, Ca 93950 Phone 831.241.6657 amos nachoum PHotoGraPHY