Recently I watched two Nat Geo documentaries on the Okavango Delta region, The Flood and Into the Okavango. Both came out in 2018 so I'm behind the curve. Even though they are about the same area they are extremely different. I'd go so far as to say that they are contradictory. I watched Into the Okavango first so I was mostly shocked by how much wildlife was in The Flood.
The Flood can be considered a stereotypical nature documentary where you're viewing animals in their habitats and seeing how they survive as weather and circumstance chances the region around them. I wish there was more about the Okavango and its importance. The Delta has seasonal flooding which means that the area is drained of water through evaporation or transpiration in about one month. When it returns it initially can be up to three times its normal size. This documentary shows animals surviving while all this occurs around them, but is overshadowed by the typical things we see in every other nature show about animals. The Flood on Nat Geo
Into the Okavango was more my style. This is perfect for people who may find typical nature shows boring and would like something with more adventure. It starts with conservation biologist Steve Boyes and introduces us to his background. He talks about growing up in South Africa and his special bond with the wilderness. The Delta is threatened like most nature by humans. As we encroach on what is around us, we are losing the aspects of the world that we supposedly value. Living in harmony with the environment is no longer something we seem to be capable of. I long for this peace and solitude. To be at one with nature. I don't have religion in my life. I don't have a calmness. The moments I'm able to disconnect and embrace the warmth of the sun or the wind blowing against me, I cherish those. Even the rainy, soggy days. To accompany Steve on his quest are a Bushman who I believe was named Walter and a marine biologist named Adjany who is as of this April Angola's Minister of Tourism, Culture, and the Environment. Not a bad promotion.
The documentary does have an issue with clarity. I think it is presented that they are setting out on this long trek through three countries to figure out why the Okavango is drying up, worried that eventually it'll cease flooding altogether and leading to problems for tribes such as the one Walter is from. It's not as clear that they planned to document all wildlife along their way, or that they were looking for other threats to the delta (manmade). The reason for Adjany coming along for the trip is revealed halfway through when we finally learn she is there to document the marine life. There was a lot of focus on her, perhaps more than Steve once the documentary got going. By not distinctly saying why she was invited along it served as a big mystery. This documentary shows us a lot of birds, as Steve has a background with them. There's mention early on of Monkeys and if I'm remembering this right, wild dogs, but we don't see them. Eventually, we are led to a herd of Elephants and there's a Hippo attack on Steve's canoe. Otherwise, we don't see all the wildlife that is presented in The Flood. This is what I meant earlier when I said they were contradictory. Into the Okavango almost makes it seem like there is not that much wildlife left. It is only via text at the end that we learn about all the species that we discovered and documented. We learn a lot about war-torn Angola and how the tribes living around the Delta have recovered from that. These people that live along the Delta are different from us. Many will look at them and say poor but these people live by simpler means and are happy. They don't need to be saddled by our electric gods. They are respectful of the land and life around them and it's wonderful. Into the Okavango on Nat Geo TV
Two very different documentaries about the same region. One focuses on the animals that live there, while the other focuses on threats to the environment and the quest for preservation.
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