Seeing the Nile for the first or the tenth time is always an awesome experience. The Nile is the aorta of Africa. The cruise up the river is a unique adventure, full of activity and constant surprises.
Hippos are everywhere, sometimes in large groups, sometimes along, but always wary of the passing boat. They are usually passive, content to ignore the boat, or simply submerge and resurface some distance away (they can actually spend up to five or six minutes underwater). An occasional obstreperous male will feign a charge by lunging noisily at the boat half out of the water (in the case of a true charge, the hippo will remain just beneath the surface and approach silently and quickly). However, female with young are the most common aggressors, as with all animals.
Hippo mothers tend to isolate themselves to give birth and usually remain alone with the youngster ( they seldom have more than one) for about two weeks. During February and March it is very common to find mothers and their infants somewhat apart from a main group.
Strangely, the huge gaping yawn and the heavily armored lower jaw play no part in feeding, but have evolved as tools for ritualized fighting which determines all relationships in the social life and courtship of the hippo.
The broken and chipped teeth in the lower jaw are a result of this practice. Hippo feed entirely by means of their horny, wide lips and will eat about 35 kgs of grass per 24 hour period. Though very uncommon, there are at least two living albino hippo on this stretch of the river and the guides will usually know exactly where to find them. They are not white, but a sort of blotchy pinkish gray.
There are some sizable crocodiles basking along the river banks. One particularly large old-timer, nicknamed “Edroma”, is without his front right foot. March is a good time to see newly hatched young crocodiles as they spend a lot of time out of the water. A crocodile lays up to about 100 eggs in a hole that it excavates in the river bank. They have particular breeding areas and can usually be seen incubating their eggs during the months December, January and February. They have no natural enemies except for the recently hatched young which are vulnerable to birds and monitor lizards. Monitor Lizards also frequently dig up and devour the eggs.
About a third of the way to the falls, the Nyamsika River enters the Nile. The river only flows during heavy and prolonged rains, and for most of the year it is a “sand river”.
Because of the wide sand-spit at the mouth of the river it is rich in bird-life and frequented by animals such as water buck, warthog, bushbusk, buffalo and elephant who use the river as a highway to the Nile. Leopard, lion and hyena also commonly seen here. The leopard often rest in the branches of trees overhanging the sand river.
The birds along the Nile can be thought of in three main groups. Firstly, there are those that feed in open water such as darters, cormorants and ducks. Secondly, there are those that hunt the river margins with specially adapted physiology such as herons, kingfishers, storks, ibises, egrets, stilts, geese and the ever-present fish eagle. Finally, there are birds that feed off the insects that rise from the water, and these include the migrant swallows, some bee-eaters and pranticoles. Armed with a bird book, identifying these individual birds can be a lot of fun; there is always a book on the boat.
Darters and cormorants look very similar to the untrained eye. In fact the darter is easily distinguishable both in flight, when it appears to have a disproportionately small head and long neck, and in the river where it swims with only neck and head above the water.
Of special interest is the extraordinary shoebill or whale-headed stork. A giant, usually solitary bird, it is aggressive predator feeding on fish ( especially small catfish), frogs, water rats, lizards, snakes and even small crocodiles. Unlike most birds it has binocular vision. The two yellow eyes that starts unblinkingly indicate that the shoebill is mainly a nocturnal hunter. The preferred habitat of the shoebill is swamp and marshland. This habitat is fast disappearing, and Murchison is one of only few accessible places in Africa where the shoebill can be seen.The population in the park is very difficult to estimate, but there are thought to be at least five pairs.
Another fascinating bird is the African jacana or liliy-trotter. Usually found in pairs they are conspicuous for their long legs and extremely long toes, specially adapted for… lily-trotting. The female, which is slightly larger than the male, has a unique habit of carrying its young chick tucked under a wing.
The goliath heron is a regular feature in the shallows near the river banks. Standing still and along, it waits to stab at a fish with its powerful beak. About halfway along the journey to the falls, on the north bank, a steep sandstone cliff drops about ten metres into deep water. Pied kingfishers and red-throated bee-eater nest in the numerous holes in the cliff. This is a fascinating place to stop for photography as it is the closet one is ever likely to get to these birds. The tiny, brilliant sapphire-blue malachite kingfisher is often seen darting from one overhanging branch to another along the cliff area.
Further along the sand spit at the mouth of the Nyamsika river is a common place to find the increasingly rare saddle-billed stork. Similar in size to the goliath heron, the saddle-bill has a thicker, longer bill with a distinct yellow saddle and the tip of the bill is red. Egrets are found along the length of the river. For quick reference, the little egret’s yellow feet and black bill instantly mark it part from the other similar looking white birds.
Africa fish-eagle – haliaeetus vocifer. One of the conspicuous birds found along the river, the bold white head and dark chestnut body make them quickly identifiable, even at a distance. They have a very distinct call, which once heard is never forgotten. In calling they throw their heads back almost looking at their tails, this performance is unique in eagles. Unlike most birds, male and female are virtually indistinguishable, except that the call of the male is much higher pitched, and the female’s tone is more mellow and melodious. The female also tends to be a slightly larger bird. They are territorial birds and will vigorously defend their particular stretch of water.
The scenery along the river banks is always changing. Near the falls, on the south bank ther is stand of huge mahogany (reddish foliage) and iron wood trees. These are very often covered with colobus monkeys during the day and baboons in the early evening. Both types of trees are a firm indication of former human settlement in the Fajao area. According to records, the settlement at Fajao was 2-3,000 strong at the turn of the century. The remaining abandoned structures formed part of a landing used by East African Railways and Harbours for their luxury steamers prior to the floods of 1962. The height of the launch trip is the view of Murchison Falls.
The torrent of waters rushing through the narrow passage has been culculated to flow at 300 cubic metres per second.