Safari and more! "Fun is about the learning of other Cultures" Animals have a culture too"

We think the group could agree that today was the most entertaining day we’ve had here in Africa. Many of the other days were informative and interesting, but today was an experience of a lifetime. We began our day traveling from the Zulu Nayla Safari Lodge to the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Safari Parks. We were divided into two groups and put on large, open vehicles and taken on a three hour adventure. During the trip, we spotted large giraffe families, elephant families, zebras, warthogs, and various birds. It was so exciting every time we found an animal in its natural habitat. The elephants and giraffe families each had babies that followed their parents around. The trail of elephants walking in a line must have been a mile long! Later on in the adventure we spotted giraffes, zebras, and antelope all existing peacefully together. I think some of us were disappointed we didn’t see any cheetahs or lions, but we saw cheetahs a few days ago so our experience is complete. Also, one group was able to see Rhinos, but unfortunately the other group did not. One Marist student, Samantha Battline, pointed out a little known fact that rhinos have an instinct to trample small fires that begin in the desert. Since forest fires are so common in dry areas, this has become a survival instinct. There were no forest fires for the rhinos to extinguish so we did not spot too many rhinos!

Once that journey was over, we went to the St. Lucia estuary for a water safari. There, we saw hippos, baby hippos, crocodiles and exotic birds. We learned that hippos account for many accidental human deaths a year. While they appear friendly and docile, they are actually quite aggressive! We saw families of hippos and watched them play and/or fight. There are also many endangered birds on the island that build nests and create homes along the estuary shores.
After a quick trip to the market, we made it to the beach! It was the first step many of us have made into the warm Indian Ocean. Although none of us had swimsuits, we decided to jump in the water with our clothes, figuring it was a small chance we would ever get to again. The water was so clear and warm, compared to the New Jersey and Long Island shore most of us are used to. It was a great bonding experience for all of us. It was an amazing time that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Tomorrow, we will be traveling back to Durban and visiting with St. Henry’s Marist College.