Please share your images, tips, and any other helpful information you have for someone headed to Africa for their first BBQ.
NO DRONES ALLOWED. In fact at Kenyatta Airport, when you arrive you have to have your bags screen when you leave the baggage claim. They xray your bags. This last trip because of all the photo gear I bring, the person running scanner asked me if I had a drone.
Drones are not permitted and you will find yourself in deep trouble fast if you did fly a drone. Drones strictly prohibited one due to possible poaching and also they distract the animals. It is a sound that they are not used too. There is already a big enough controversy when Members of Parliament (MPs) fly out to the Mara in their fancy helos. The Mara is pretty a no fly zone except for the aircraft bringing guests. There is even some controversy per say over the use of hot air balloons. These are only allowed in certain areas I do believe. Again it is something the animals are not used too. The balloons fly early in the morning and that is good hunting time.
seaninsa wrote:
NO DRONES ALLOWED. In fact at Kenyatta Airport, when you arrive you have to have your bags screen when you leave the baggage claim. They xray your bags. This last trip because of all the photo gear I bring, the person running scanner asked me if I had a drone.
Drones are not permitted and you will find yourself in deep trouble fast if you did fly a drone. Drones strictly prohibited one due to possible poaching and also they distract the animals. It is a sound that they are not used too. There is already a big enough controversy when Members of Parliament (MPs) fly out to the Mara in their fancy helos. The Mara is pretty a no fly zone except for the aircraft bringing guests. There is even some controversy per say over the use of hot air balloons. These are only allowed in certain areas I do believe. Again it is something the animals are not used too. The balloons fly early in the morning and that is good hunting time.
That's what everyone said the first time I asked so I figured they were not allowed and it makes sense whey the should not be allowed.....however, after seeing many recent YouTube videos of people flying drones there, I've learned you can get a permit to fly a drone. Don't shoot the messenger:
artsupreme wrote:
That's what everyone said the first time I asked so I figured they were not allowed and it makes sense whey the should not be allowed.....however, after seeing many recent YouTube videos of people flying drones there, I've learned you can get a permit to fly a drone. Don't shoot the messenger:
That is just to get the permit to use it in Kenya. You can't bring a drone in from the US. You might be able to but you have to do a crap load of paperwork and unless you have a contact there good luck. Usually getting something done in Kenya you need pay someone. On the Mara from what I researched it is illegal but maybe you can in the conversvacy. But if a Ranger sees you with it haha. Tbh all the time I have been in the Mara I have never seen one drone.
That's what everyone said the first time I asked so I figured they were not allowed and it makes sense whey the should not be allowed.....however, after seeing many recent YouTube videos of people flying drones there, I've learned you can get a permit to fly a drone. Don't shoot the messenger:
seaninsa wrote:
That is just to get the permit to use it in Kenya. You can't bring a drone in from the US. You might be able to but you have to do a crap load of paperwork and unless you have a contact there good luck. Usually getting something done in Kenya you need pay someone. On the Mara from what I researched it is illegal but maybe you can in the conversvacy. But if a Ranger sees you with it haha. Tbh all the time I have been in the Mara I have never seen one drone.
I've decided I will have too much gear to take a drone but yes it's possible to bring one in and get a permit for it. It's a little chunk of change but my buddy was able to connect the dots to bring one in and get a permit to fly it.
Personally I get why they shouldn't be allowed but if like most countries if you connect with the right people and pay the fees you can make it happen. It's not easy and I'm sure that's why not many people bother with it.
artsupreme wrote:
I've decided I will have too much gear to take a drone but yes it's possible to bring one in and get a permit for it. It's a little chunk of change but my buddy was able to connect the dots to bring one in and get a permit to fly it.
Personally I get why they shouldn't be allowed but if like most countries if you connect with the right people and pay the fees you can make it happen. It's not easy and I'm sure that's why not many people bother with it.
Well in all my trips there I have never seen one on the Mara itself. I know you are saying you aren't bringing one but the rangers could say it is disturbing the animals and confiscate haha especially if they need Tusker money haha.
Drones are rather disturbing for the wildlife and TBH, I'd be annoyed as hell too if I'd quitely sit at a sighting, only to be disturbed by a drone.
I'm sure that if you have the right connections and pay the right amount to the right person you'll be able to get it done, but there's a reason drones are not allowed and that reason puts wildlife in a priority seat.
I personally don't get it that people so desperately want to put their own satisfaction above the wellbeing of wildlife. It's selfish. Same as people getting too close to cheetah's, or block the exit paths of wildebeest at the mara river, just to get a good shot. After all, the wildlife is the reason we're there, are we? It's not really a certainty all that natural beauty will even exist there in 20 years so we'd better take care of it.
Of course I'm sure that if you would be able to bring a drone you'd only do it from a distance and use it responsibly but the thing is, most other people that would be able to fly a drone (say, the general tourists), wouldn't. That's where the trouble starts. So that's the reason drone use should not be alllowed unless anti poaching/conservation/research/professional filming crew
I've decided I will have too much gear to take a drone but yes it's possible to bring one in and get a permit for it. It's a little chunk of change but my buddy was able to connect the dots to bring one in and get a permit to fly it.
Personally I get why they shouldn't be allowed but if like most countries if you connect with the right people and pay the fees you can make it happen. It's not easy and I'm sure that's why not many people bother with it.
I was just texting one of my Masai friends who is a also my driver/guide. I asked him about the drones. He has never seen one in all his years. He said maybe people like NatGeo, Big Cats Diaries and other big big productions might get permission. I have been out there when Big Cats was filming the 2nd part to their documentary and never saw a drone. Well anyways just my 2 cents.
evertdoorn wrote:
I'm glad many people don't even bother to try.
Drones are rather disturbing for the wildlife and TBH, I'd be annoyed as hell too if I'd quitely sit at a sighting, only to be disturbed by a drone.
I'm sure that if you have the right connections and pay the right amount to the right person you'll be able to get it done, but there's a reason drones are not allowed and that reason puts wildlife in a priority seat.
I personally don't get it that people so desperately want to put their own satisfaction above the wellbeing of wildlife. It's selfish. Same as people getting too close to cheetah's, or block the exit paths of wildebeest at the mara river, just to get a good shot. After all, the wildlife is the reason we're there, are we? It's not really a certainty all that natural beauty will even exist there in 20 years so we'd better take care of it.
Of course I'm sure that if you would be able to bring a drone you'd only do it from a distance and use it responsibly but the thing is, most other people that would be able to fly a drone (say, the general tourists), wouldn't. That's where the trouble starts. So that's the reason drone use should not be alllowed unless anti poaching/conservation/research/professional filming crew
I totally agree but this can be a slippery slope because the argument could be made that safaris should be banned too. Technically, anyone who's on safari to watch or photograph the animals could be considered selfish and putting their own well being above wildlife. Everyone is potentially disrupting or disturbing the wildlife whether they have proper safari etiquette or not. Safari vehicles are in their territory, getting too close, and on some level disrupting the animals. To make matters worse there are bad eggs who block paths and interfere like you mentioned. There are countless videos of animals charging safari vehicles of people sitting there with proper etiquette.....so should all safaris be banned then? That would never happen as the revenue streams are too important. The point is that although drones could be considered more disruptive than safari, they are both disruptive in some way and everyone there could be perceived as putting their own well being above wildlife.
seaninsa wrote:
I was just texting one of my Masai friends who is a also my driver/guide. I asked him about the drones. He has never seen one in all his years. He said maybe people like NatGeo, Big Cats Diaries and other big big productions might get permission. I have been out there when Big Cats was filming the 2nd part to their documentary and never saw a drone. Well anyways just my 2 cents.
Not surprised they are banned in some areas, make sense.
I totally agree but this can be a slippery slope because the argument could be made that safaris should be banned too. Technically, anyone who's on safari to watch or photograph the animals could be considered selfish and putting their own well being above wildlife. Everyone is potentially disrupting or disturbing the wildlife whether they have proper safari etiquette or not. Safari vehicles are in their territory, getting too close, and on some level disrupting the animals. To make matters worse there are bad eggs who block paths and interfere like you mentioned. There are countless videos of animals charging safari vehicles of people sitting there with proper etiquette.....so should all safaris be banned then? That would never happen as the revenue streams are too important. The point is that although drones could be considered more disruptive than safari, they are both disruptive in some way and everyone there could be perceived as putting their own well being above wildlife.
I have seen some crazy stuff at crossings. One trip a Nairobi driver. They are referred to Nairobi drivers as they are not Masai, had a group of passengers. These passengers got out of the vehicle during a crossing. I leave it up to you all to figure out what nationally they were. Anyways, the crossing stopped. Oh boy did all hell break out. A bunch of the Masais charged that vehicle yelling and screaming at them. Boy I thought someone was going to get murdered that day. A few of them had their Rungus with them. That is a club used by the Masai. There was a Masai warrior also there. You might think these are nothing but to become a Masai warrior is something I doubt very few in our society could attain!!!
Never seen a drone in the main reserve or at any of the sightings at a couple of conservancies that I have stayed at but I did see a guest flying a drone at one of the camps. Didn’t inquire if they had permission for it or if they were making a promo footage for the camp.
artsupreme wrote:
I totally agree but this can be a slippery slope because the argument could be made that safaris should be banned too. Technically, anyone who's on safari to watch or photograph the animals could be considered selfish and putting their own well being above wildlife. Everyone is potentially disrupting or disturbing the wildlife whether they have proper safari etiquette or not. Safari vehicles are in their territory, getting too close, and on some level disrupting the animals. To make matters worse there are bad eggs who block paths and interfere like you mentioned. There are countless videos of animals charging safari vehicles of people sitting there with proper etiquette.....so should all safaris be banned then? That would never happen as the revenue streams are too important. The point is that although drones could be considered more disruptive than safari, they are both disruptive in some way and everyone there could be perceived as putting their own well being above wildlife. ...Show more →
I hear what you're saying, but I don't agree completely. I think normal game viewing, if done according to rules is always less intruding than flying a drone above wildlife in a way that would allow the drone to properly see the wildlife, even if done 'properly' / according to the rules. By that I mean using a drone closer than the way you'd use it as you describe. So there certainly is a difference, as you acknowledge.
Animals charging vehicles are very, very rare and often when it happens, it's case of misreading of the animal's behaviour by the vehicle/guide.
In practice I think they don't allow drone flying (without permits) because the chance of mid-air collisions would end up being too big. Imagine how many would be up in the air during a migration..
I do believe and agree that in some places there should be much more regulation on regular game viewing. The Masai Mara, the NR at least, is a great example, since this has become quite a mess in recent years. Too busy (unlimited growth of camps and such and no limit of vehicles at sightings), off roading in places where it's not allowed (actually, in the reserve it's allowed nowhere) and too close sometimes to animals (in particular cheetah). FYI, misbehaviour also is happening among Masai guides (and I know plenty of 'Nairobi' guides who are excellent and behave very responsibly, so it works two ways). I think often pressure by the guests is a reason. Getting away with things just because you happen to know a ranger, or paying them off, is not a good solution.
The lack of rules and good management is really killing the place. In fact, I heard one camp owner say he believes the Mara will be gone this way in about 10 years. Quite sad, really. Perhaps nationalising the park and letting KWS take over management instead of the County could be the solution. The Triangle and conservancies show a much more sustainable model.
evertdoorn wrote:
I hear what you're saying, but I don't agree completely. I think normal game viewing, if done according to rules is always less intruding than flying a drone above wildlife in a way that would allow the drone to properly see the wildlife, even if done 'properly' / according to the rules. By that I mean using a drone closer than the way you'd use it as you describe. So there certainly is a difference, as you acknowledge.
Animals charging vehicles are very, very rare and often when it happens, it's case of misreading of the animal's behaviour by the vehicle/guide.
In practice I think they don't allow drone flying (without permits) because the chance of mid-air collisions would end up being too big. Imagine how many would be up in the air during a migration..
I do believe and agree that in some places there should be much more regulation on regular game viewing. The Masai Mara, the NR at least, is a great example, since this has become quite a mess in recent years. Too busy (unlimited growth of camps and such and no limit of vehicles at sightings), off roading in places where it's not allowed (actually, in the reserve it's allowed nowhere) and too close sometimes to animals (in particular cheetah). FYI, misbehaviour also is happening among Masai guides (and I know plenty of 'Nairobi' guides who are excellent and behave very responsibly, so it works two ways). I think often pressure by the guests is a reason. Getting away with things just because you happen to know a ranger, or paying them off, is not a good solution.
The lack of rules and good management is really killing the place. In fact, I heard one camp owner say he believes the Mara will be gone this way in about 10 years. Quite sad, really. Perhaps nationalising the park and letting KWS take over management instead of the County could be the solution. The Triangle and conservancies show a much more sustainable model. ...Show more →
We was at the Mara for the first time about six weeks ago, although we had an amazing time and was lucky with Cheetahs especially, we did see some vehicles/guides misbehaving
Going right up close to the cats and it’s not even nessersary to get that close to get pictures, I got great shots with my 300mm lens
Unfortunately it was Masai guides apparently who were doing this mainly drivers of minivans
Our guide was from Nairobi and was very unhappy about what was going on
Yeah the cheetah's I don't get it at all; they're so vulnerable... with tons of vehicles encircling them they can's see lion or hyena coming, resulting in unnecessary risk for cubs.
There was one occasion when a female cheetah had caught a Tommy and was calling her cubs but they didn’t come I think it was because there were some vehicles not on the correct track blocking the way
We left we didn’t want to be part of that situation
LCPete wrote:
We was at the Mara for the first time about six weeks ago, although we had an amazing time and was lucky with Cheetahs especially, we did see some vehicles/guides misbehaving
Going right up close to the cats and it’s not even nessersary to get that close to get pictures, I got great shots with my 300mm lens
Unfortunately it was Masai guides apparently who were doing this mainly drivers of minivans
Our guide was from Nairobi and was very unhappy about what was going on
Competing for tips. Unfortunately, it is a very "B.F. Skinner" trained behavior.
LCPete wrote:
We was at the Mara for the first time about six weeks ago, although we had an amazing time and was lucky with Cheetahs especially, we did see some vehicles/guides misbehaving
Going right up close to the cats and it’s not even nessersary to get that close to get pictures, I got great shots with my 300mm lens
Unfortunately it was Masai guides apparently who were doing this mainly drivers of minivans
Our guide was from Nairobi and was very unhappy about what was going on
If they were driving those mini vans they usually are not Masia but from Nairobi or other areas. The Masai guides hate those minivans. They will leave them stuck in the mud haha.
So talking about gear; I must admit I'm a bit envious towards our Nikon friends who now have an officially announced 400 2.8 + 1.4 TC in their arsenal. Basically, my dream lens..
African Safaris are my favourite place to be. Growing up in South Africa I have been in the bush very often and love it.
The Masai Mara has to be one of my top places to go to - especially for photography. My wife and I had our Honeymoon at The Little Governor's Camp.
Okavango and the Serengeti are very good too and, of course, Kruger. I lived near one of the South gates for awhile, in SA and not far from Mozambique for fishing trips.
In Kruger I had my own 4x4 and did many days out alone away from the tourist tracks. Awesome. My trips to other areas around Africa have all been guided. My last one was in Zimbabwe's Hwange reserve - highly recommended, especially if you like elephants. Also great to take in Victoria Falls although many do that from the Zambia side too.
Most of my trips in the bush have been pre-photography hobby days but my more recent trips were with a Canon 5D IV and 7DII with my longest lens being the EF100-400 and I was very happy with those. I have an R5 and some very nice RF lenses now so itching to get back over to Africa.
Re drones - not good for wildlife and only used for anti-poaching and conservation etc. Tourist drones are disturbing for all. Birds could get injured attacking them too if they are defending nests in the area. I'm a fan of drone photography but not where animals can be negatively impacted.
