Created by tectonic movement of two main fault lines millions of years ago the delta contains 95% of Botswana’s surface water.

As a result of huge tropical rain storms in central Angola, the Cunabngo river flows through Southern Angola, Namibia and into Botswana where its name changes to the Okavango River. This area is known as the panhandle, the northern most point of the famed Okavango Delta where over 11 billion cubic meters of water enter the jewel of the Kalahari as it is known but by the time it runs through the town of Maun 300kms away, more then 90% of the inflow is lost to evaporation and seepage. The river is funnelled through the pan handle until it hits a series of faults that force it to slow down and spread out forming over 15 000km2 of the Okavango delta as we know it.

The Floods
Rain that falls in Angola in November and December reach the panhandle in January and February. As this water hits various fault lines it spreads out, slowly making its way south reaching the middle point of the delta in April / May and finally making its way to Maun in July August almost 9 months later. This means there are two distinct seasons in the delta almost opposite to what we expect

November – March the accepted rainy season for Botswana – the delta is normally low
April – October the accepted dry season for Botswana – the delta is normally high (in flood)
The delta consists of a multitude of ever changing channels, tributaries and lagoons that can be divided into two distinct zones:

Water Levels
The northern zone including the pan handle is “permenantly flooded” and always has water to some degree. Banks and fringes tend to be covered in reverine forest and encompasses up to 12,000km2 of papyrus, reed beds and crystal clear water ways. The Pan handle is famous for its tiger and bream fishing.

Seasonally Flooded
Makes up the southern 3rd of the delta and includes chiefs island. Here food plains are normally dry until such time as the floods arrive in April/May. This part of the delta tends to be very shallow with many sandveld islands hosting mopane trees and thornveld. The southern Delta is excellent for makoro trips and walking

There are many fine camps situated in both zones meaning that the Delta is always fascinating and rewarding which ever time of year one visits. Birding is excellent with notables as Pels fishing owl and slaty egret being reasonably common and almost all species of game can be found including the “big 5”