The sky above was darkening but the lake was still mirror calm, disturbed only by the paddling pelicans.
On the shore nearby, beyond a grove of sprawling acacias, a herd of zebras ambled over to the waterhole.
With their distinctive drooping throat pouches and stumpy frames, pelicans aren’t the prettiest of feathered creatures. But on the water, when it’s time to feed, they perform the most graceful synchronised swimming routine. Drifting in a compact group, they drive fish beneath them into the shallows by beating their wings on the surface, and then dive below to scoop them up in unison.
I admired this elegant show of water ballet last Friday afternoon from the verandah of my tent at the Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp. The sky above was darkening but the lake was still mirror calm, disturbed only by the paddling pelicans. On the shore nearby, beyond a grove of sprawling acacias, a herd of zebras ambled over to the waterhole in front of the camp’s central dining tent. My wife and I had only just arrived, but our hectic drive down from Nairobi was already forgotten.
