The sifakas of Madagascar are distinguished from other lemurs by their vertical clinging and specialized mode of locomotion. Their bodies are highly adapted to an arboreal existence—sifakas use their powerful hind legs and stabilizing tails to help them leap more than 30 feet from branch to branch. But, their extremely long legs and very short arms make it impossible to walk or run on all fours. On the ground, their only means of locomotion is hopping on their hind legs. Apex travelers on our Madagascar expedition enjoyed watching as several Verreaux's Sifakas danced across the ground. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Video credit: expedition leader Marco Tonoli
#madagascarlemurs #madagascarwildlife #madagascartravel #madagascarwildlifephotography #verreauxsifaka
Have you heard the beautiful (yet haunting!) song of the Indri? The Indri is a critically endangered species of lemur found only in Madagascar. Not only are Indris the largest lemur, but they can also be distinguished by their loud and complex song that carries throughout the rainforest. In 2021, scientists discovered that the songs of the Indri have a component that no other mammal species besides humans possesses—rhythm! Over a period of 12 years, these scientists recorded and documented 636 songs from 20 different social groups. And once they analyzed the songs, they discovered the rhythm. Watch (and listen!) to this 30-second clip recorded on our recent Madagascar expedition.
Video credit: expedition leader Marco Tonoli
#indrilemur #IndriIndri
Watch as Apex expedition leader Marco Tonoli takes us to an underground hide situated on the edge of a waterhole at Etosha National Park in Namibia. Here, you have the rare opportunity to see the endangered Black Rhinoceros alongside its larger cousin, the White Rhinoceros. Incredible!
Video credit: Marco Tonoli
#blackrhinoceros #whiterhinoceros #etoshanationalpark #etoshanamibia #namibiasafari
One of the highlights of our Uganda expeditions is visiting the spectacle that is Murchison Falls, where the mighty Victoria Nile squeezes through a 22-foot-wide chasm to cascade nearly 120 feet to the rocks below. Approaching by boat is a great opportunity to watch for wildlife. Here you can see a plethora of waterbirds, enormous Nile Crocodiles, grazing African Elephants, and one of the highest concentrations of Hippopotamus in Africa.
Video credit: Apex expedition leader Marco Tonoli
#murchisonfalls #murchisonfallsuganda #murchisonfallsnationalpark #ugandasafari #ugandaphotography
It is the magnitude of space and beauty that first steals your attention when you arrive in the Namib desert, which at first glance seems devoid of life. But it is a land of remarkable biodiversity where life has adapted to live in the sand. On a short walk, we encountered the resilient Flightless Dung Beetle, a well-camouflaged Peringuey’s Adder, and even witnessed a fierce battle between a Dung Beetle and a Burrowing Scorpion, all a testament to nature’s remarkable adaptability.
Video credit: Apex expedition leader Marco Tonoli
#namibiatravel #namibiawildlife #NamibDesert #namibdesert #peringueysadderr
Watching elephants arrive at water anywhere in Africa is a sight to behold, but on the edge of Etosha Pan in Namibia, where water is a rare commodity, this arrival turns into sheer joy. We were lucky to witness a special moment as a baby elephant took its first plunge, only to realize swimming wasn’t yet a mastered skill. Its mother quickly came to the rescue, creating a heartwarming scene that highlighted the bond and beauty of these incredible creatures.
Credit: Apex expedition leader Marco Tonoli
#etoshanationalpark #etoshanamibia #explore #babyelephants #namibiatravel #namibiawildlife #namibiaphotography
Feeding a young Meerkat!
Thank goodness mom's around to help find breakfast! This video clip was captured on our recent Secret South Africa expedition.
Video credit: expedition leader, Liam Rainier
The Pel’s Fishing Owl is one of the most sought-after bird species in Africa. It blends into dense canopies by day and comes out to fish along the banks of pristine river systems by night. Shy, elusive, and confined to extremely healthy riparian habitats where it can find enough cover and food, the Pel's Fishing Owl is not an easy find. We managed to find a pair on our recent visit to Botswana’s Okavango Delta and you can see our excitement!
Video credit: Apex expedition leader Liam Rainier
#pelsfishingowl #botswanasafari #botswanabirds
How about this for a first time ever on safari, an Aardvark! Apex guests on their first safari in Africa were treated to this wonderful sighting of an Aardvark as it foraged for termites in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana. These shy animals are notoriously difficult to find, only coming out late after dark and normally taking refuge in their burrows during the day. They use their large ears and acute sense of smell to locate termites above and below the ground on which they feed, using their powerful limbs and claws to dig down into the ground sometimes reaching a few meters below the surface. What an incredible animal to find!
Video credit: Apex expedition leader Liam Rainier
#aardvark #botswanawildlife #makgadikgadisaltpans
Spectacular start to our Tanzania safari with this remarkable sighting of one of Africa’s rare cats, the Serval. This grassland specialist uses its acute hearing to track down small rodents and pounce up and over the grass onto its prey. This individual, seen in Ngorongoro Crater gave us a show to remember!
Video credit: Apex expedition leader Marco Tonoli
#tanzaniasafari #tanzaniawildlife #ngorongorocrater
Apex travelers had an incredible day in the Serengeti! Exploring the endless plains, we had the exclusive privilege of witnessing mating lions with the surrounding landscape covered with thousands of wildebeest.
Video credit: Marco Tonoli
#serengeti #tanzaniasafari
Serengeti Great Migration
In this video, Apex expedition leader Marco Tonoli shows you what it’s like to travel through the Southern Serengeti during the wildebeest migration. Imagine sitting in the Southern Serengeti right in the heart of the greatest migration of terrestrial mammals on our planet, surrounded by hundreds of thousands, if not a million plus wildebeests. Amazing!
Video credit: Marco Tonoli
#serengetimigration #serengetiwildlife #greatmigration #wildebeestmigration
It's an infrequently seen creature, but the Honey Badger has a well earned reputation of being fearless and ferocious. Our early morning exploration of the Central Kalahari rewarded Apex travelers with unhindered views of a pair of Honey Badgers actively digging and searching for prey. What a spectacular start to our Botswana Safari!
Video credit: Apex Expeditions leader Marco Tonoli
#honeybadger #botswanawildlife #botswanasafari
In an environment where water is a rare commodity, the Burchell’s Sandgrouse is required to fly huge distances to find free standing water. Individuals seek each other out in early morning flight, then join with more and more until large flocks amass for safety in numbers. When the flocks are large enough, they swoop down for a rapid drink and then explode off again to avoid predators. We started our first morning off in the Central Kalahari, Botswana, witnessing this incredible behavior.
Video credit: Apex Expeditions leader Marco Tonoli