Arusha and Northern Serengeti

Day 1, 2 and 3 of our Africa Dream Safari Honeymoon.
A Highlight video can be found here: http://vimeo.com/16209195

Special thanks to Wilfred, our driver and guide.

Herd of Wildebeest. The border to Kenya can be seen in the background.
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The metallic base of these leaves acts like a fire-resistant. That's all I know.
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Wilfred showing Shane the true name of the above leaves. I still don't know what they are called.
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Marker showing the border between T - Tanzania, and K - Kenya. Meaning of numbers unknown.
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Wildebeest running in front of our Land Cruiser. Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Scattered Wildebeest Migration in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Scattered Wildebeest Migration in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Scattered Wildebeest Migration in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Shane standing in moving Land Cruiser in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Shane and Heidi in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Shane and Heidi in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Shane and Heidi in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Wildebeest and Zebra Migration by the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Wildebeest and Zebra Migration by the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Herd of Wildebeest climb down escarpment at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Herd of Wildebeest climb down escarpment at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Herd of Wildebeest following leader at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Herd of Wildebeest climb down escarpment at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Other vehicles anxiously await Mara River crossing.
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Wildebeest Migration at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Herd of Wildebeestwiating for leader to make the first crossing at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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It doesn't look good and the herd climb back up the escarpment.
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It doesn't look good and the herd climb back up the escarpment.
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2 hours later, the herd finally decide to cross the Mara River.
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Wildebeest herd crossing the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Wildebeest herd crossing the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
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Wildebeest herd crossing the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania. Current is so strong, the herd get washed down stream.
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Guess who is waiting for them on the other side...
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NIie Crocodile moves in...
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Close call....
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A young Wildebeest gets swept away from the herd downstream...not looking good...
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Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.
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Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.
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Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.
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Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.
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Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.
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Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.
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Another Nile Crocodile comes from the front...
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So powerful...
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This thing is huge...
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My heart was beating so fast...
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It literally picks it out of the water...
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It's over in a flash...
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Look how long this crocodile is...must be 12-15 feet long.
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Crocs 1, Wildebeest 0.
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Mother and baby Rhino, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania. VERY RARE to see these. Our guide reports it was only his third sighting in 9 years!
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Baby Black Rhino. The rhinoceros family is characterized by its large size (one of the largest remaining megafauna), with all of the species able to reach one tonne or more in weight; an herbivorous diet; and a thick protective skin, 1.5–5 cm thick, formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure; relatively small brains for mammals this size (400–600 g); and a large horn. [wiki]
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Baby Black Rhino. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter, if necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths, relying instead on their powerful premolar and molar teeth to grind up plant food. [wiki]
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