Time At The Causeway – Londolozi Blog

For those who are unfamiliar with the Causeway, it is one of our three crossing points over the Sand River, providing access to the northern sector of the reserve even while the other two may seem uncrossable after recent rains.

The Causeway teems with life, a fact well-known to guides and guests who have visited Londolozi. Two major channels of the Sand River flow either under or over the causeway, depending on the water level. Each of these channels is of suitable depth and offers enough space to accommodate a pod of hippos, the third-largest land mammal in the world. These animals are often the primary attraction at the Causeway. Throughout the day, it is nearly guaranteed to spot them resting in the water, as family units establish and defend territories within the pools.

The structure of the causeway provides a base for magnificent photographic opportunities. Often when photographing hippos one would be capturing photos from above them, down by the causeway we are able to get level with these powerful beasts.

A mother hippo and its calf cross the larger of the two channels down at the causeway.

However, it’s not just hippos that inhabit this section of the river. Crocodiles and monitor lizards can be spotted hunting in and around the pools, or basking on the rocks and embankments. Elephants frequently traverse the crossing as they move through the river system, feeding on the reeds and palms that thrive in the water-rich soils, and refreshing themselves with splashes of water to cool down. Antelope species such as bushbuck, nyala, and kudu prefer the dense thickets of the river system, and occasionally, one may encounter a group of buffalo bulls lingering in the reeds nearby.

One of the most captivating attractions of the causeway is its birdlife. The area is home to a plethora of bird species: weavers darting overhead in all directions as they gather nesting materials or search for food, hamerkops and various heron species fishing along the rocks beside the causeway, storks, plovers, sandpipers, crakes, and jacanas, along with kingfishers and fish eagles. The causeway is a vibrant hub of avian activity!

A Three-Banded Plover.

After thrashing the tilapia on the concrete several times to ensure it was dead, we watched as she manoeuvred the fish in her beak before swallowing it whole.

A pride of lions scans the water for any danger before crossing.

Two lionesses lead their cubs across the causeway.

And since we are talking about incredibly rare sightings, there are a few very rare Cape Clawless Otters that show themselves every now and then as they move about hunting the various species of fish that occupy the waters.