Full moon over the Okaukuejo waterhole: Lucky spectacle or try to avoid?
 

Just wondering what you think.

I understand your dilemma. I visited the waterhole 10 yrs ago and then again last year. It's a fantastic waterhole but it is busy there now as there is a lot of accommodation available and everyone can walk to the waterhole from their chalet/tent. We hung around until late when most people had gone to bed and then we had it to ourselves and it was beautiful, so you could be lucky.

I liked it a lot when I visited in 2003. Around 2100 hours most people have gone and if you you don´t like your sleep too much, you can get the waterhole to yourself during the night. I did that at Halali, I went there at around 0300 and I had the place to myself. I watched 7 hyenas playing around the waterhole and saw 3 black rhinos all by myself. It was great!
Actually the waterhole at Halali was almost as good as Okaukuejo and it is a bit further away from the camp than Okaukuejos.

Your question made me think of the advice you received in the Pantanal to avoid the full moon. I wonder why that should be true, and assuming it is true, why it wouldn't be true everywhere???

From what I've been told by guides/rangers in Africa, the full moon is not the best time for wildlife viewing, especially at night. Same rule in Pantanal. I wondered how the illumination of a waterhole would affect that advice. Would the viewing be less because of the full moon or could you see more of whatever animals showed up?

Do the floodlights remain all night at the Etosha waterholes?

Lynn,

Was at Selinda during the full moon in June. Didn't really notice too much difference in the gameviewing! all same the days following the full moon. Also, they do have the full moon game count in their concession on those days ....... don't know their observations, though!

Hari

I might be wrong but I think the only waterhole you can visit at night is the okaukuejo one, the others are outside the gates. When we were there it was floodlit all night.

Just don't fall asleep on a bench at the waterhole! Our Etosha guide related a story about a sleeping tourist killed during the night at the Okaukuejo hole.

Lynn: this is just an opinion but I think it depends more on time of year. If it's dry the animals are still going to need to come and drink. In general during the full moon the smaller creatures may be less likely to show themselves and its definitely harder for most of the predators to hunt since they lose the cover of darkness but I'd be surprised if it impacts the large species from coming to drink. I would think rhinos, elephants, and lions would be at that waterhole whether its full moon or not and with the full moon you may see them much better. Since its floodlit anyway I wouldn't think the behavior changes much there. That said the moon cycle is a mysterious thing and I could be absolutely wrong.

There was a thread on this a ways back, and some interesting (and different) opinions:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34916231

Been at the waterhole 2 nights after full moon and we saw white rhino, ellies, a full on ellie-rhino fight for a spot at the waterhole, foxes, hyaena, zebra and various antelope.

I didnt think it would make a difference.