The East African animal migration occurs annually from late June to mid-October, with the peak period generally from mid-July to mid-August. July to August: This is the peak period of the animal migration in Kenya, with millions of wildebeest and zebras pouring into the Maasai Mara Reserve, crossing rivers and grasslands, making it an excellent time to observe the migration. October: In early October, animal groups begin to leave the Maasai Mara Reserve and return to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. During this period, you can see a large number of migrating animals crossing rivers.
Note: Animal migration actually occurs in a continuous cycle throughout the year, so any season is suitable for visiting Africa. However, different seasons offer different views of animals and landscapes. Here are some recommended time periods for better value:
✅ March-April: Calving Season – Miniature Wildebeest During this time, the wildebeest herds will stop and give birth in the short grass plains of the southeastern Serengeti, with over 500,000 wildebeest calves being born. There’s a great opportunity to witness carnivores hunting. Coinciding with the spring festival, it’s an absolute delight to visit the Serengeti with your family! ❗ Focus on: Southern Ndutu area ⚠️ Note: The Ndutu area mainly consists of movable tented camps.
✅ Late May: Off-peak Season – Ngorongoro Crater Just in time for a short holiday, it’s a good time to visit Tanzania, avoiding the traditional peak season. Passing through the Grumeti River, Ngorongoro is unusually beautiful and a well-kept secret for travelers. With fewer people, you can enjoy the vast grassland, witness sunrise and sunset, and even enjoy luxury hotels at half price. ❗ Focus on: Ngorongoro Crater and the endless sea of flowers ⚠️ Note: The crater rim has a high altitude, so bring lightweight down jackets.
✅ July-August: Migration Season – Crossing the River (Crowded) This is the climax of the animal migration, with thousands of wildebeest crossing the river. Experienced guides also seize the opportunity to secure prime viewing spots. This is the peak tourist season, so naturally, costs are higher, especially for popular hotels, which often need to be booked six months to a year in advance. ❗ Focus on: Northern Serengeti/Mara River area ⚠️ Note: Peak season means more people; poor road conditions; and a lot of dust.
✅ October: Migration Off-peak Season – Crossing the River (Less Crowded) The wildebeest herds return south to the Serengeti, with a higher chance of seeing them crossing the river. With fewer tourists than in July and August, there are also fewer safari vehicles, providing a better experience. ❗ Focus on: Northern Serengeti area ⚠️ Note: You can see river crossings in early October, but in the latter part of the month, it depends on luck.
Best Viewing Locations:
Maasai Mara National Reserve: As Kenya’s most famous wildlife sanctuary, Maasai Mara National Reserve is undoubtedly the prime location for observing the animal migration. With its open terrain, vast grasslands, and diverse range of animals, it’s an excellent place for capturing wildlife and natural landscapes.
Serengeti Plains: Although located within Tanzania, the Serengeti Plains are closely linked to the Maasai Mara Plains and serve as the starting point for the animal migration. Here, visitors can experience the migration atmosphere in advance and admire natural scenery different from that of Maasai Mara.
Migration Overview:
With millions of wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of zebras, and gazelles forming massive herds, they migrate north from the Serengeti Reserve in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, covering over 3,000 kilometers. Along the way, they must traverse the ambushes of lions and leopards in the grasslands, beware of scavenging hyenas, and the crocodiles congregating on the banks of the narrow Mara River, all preparing to share in the impending feast.
Upon reaching their destination, due to climate changes, just two to three months later, this expeditionary force of over two million herbivores will once again tirelessly seek out green grass and return to the Serengeti. In this migration of millions, only 30% of the lucky ones can return to their place of departure, and along with them, there are 400,000 newborn lives born during the perilous journey.
Migration Animals:
The herds participating in the migration are divided into “front, middle, and rear armies.” Leading the charge are over 200,000 wild zebras, followed by over a million wildebeest, and trailing behind are around 500,000 gazelles. Since zebras prefer to eat tall grass, which is the food of wildebeest, and the lower grass is the delicacy of the shorter gazelles, each benefits from the other’s foraging habits. Following the herbivores, there are packs of fierce carnivores such as African lions, cheetahs, and hyenas.
Zebras: There are around 300,000 zebras, which prefer to eat tall grass, namely the tops of grass stems.
Wildebeest: Over 1.5 million wildebeest graze behind zebras, consuming the lower parts of grass nibbled by zebras.
Within the vast migration procession in Africa, wildebeest stand out as the main protagonists due to their absolute numerical advantage and are also the representative species of the Great Migration. Wildebeest, also known as gnu, are large antelopes that inhabit the African savannah. They are classified as near-threatened species. Wildebeest belong to the bovid family, subfamily Alcelaphinae, genus Connochaetes, and there are two species: the white-bearded wildebeest and the blue wildebeest. The blue wildebeest, also known as the common wildebeest, is the most familiar to us, exhibiting migratory behavior according to the seasons.
Wildebeest primarily feed on grass and young shoots. During the July to September dry season in Africa, wildebeest must migrate in search of fresh grass. During the nearly 3,000-kilometer Great Migration in Africa, there are numerous dangers, and approximately 250,000 wildebeest are estimated to die. However, despite this, wildebeest continue this endless cycle of migration between Tanzania and Kenya, gathering in large groups for long-distance trekking and river crossings.
Gazelles: Approximately 500,000 gazelles are the rearguard of the herds. After the wildebeest leave, the grasslands reveal freshly grown grass, which becomes the delicacy of the trailing gazelles.
If you’re lucky, you may also see the African elephant migration, where even young elephants, just born, must endure the harsh tests of nature. Many weak elephants that can’t keep up with the herd are destined to be eliminated by the rule of natural selection.
Or the mischievous honey badger, which is relatively common in Africa, is known as the “ballet dancer of the African savannah” and is considered one of the most amusing animals on the savannah. They are highly alert and territorial, and are very social animals, migrating multiple times a year if food becomes scarce.
In addition to the Great Migration, there are also other attractions in Tanzania such as:
The “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Ngorongoro Crater, which is a paradise for wildlife.
The endless plains of the Serengeti, one of the “Top Ten Natural Wonders of the World.”
Tarangire National Park, the “Elephant’s Paradise,” with forests of baobab trees.
Mount Kilimanjaro, the “Roof of Africa.”
Lake Manyara, the “World’s Most Adorable Place,” a bird paradise.
1. Go to “Settings”, tap “Network & internet”, then tap “(+)” next to the SIMs section, if it’s not available tap “SIMs/Mobile network” on your device.
2. Tap “Download a SIM instead?”, then tap “Next”.
3. Tap “Use a different network” if you need to confirm your network.
4. Scan the QR code, then tap “Download/Activate”.
5. Tap “Settings/Done” when you see the Download Finished screen.
Step 2: Enable airalo eSIM
1. Go to “SIMs”, then select the recently downloaded eSIM on your device.
2. Enable the “Use SIM” toggle, then tap “Yes”.
3. Enable the “Mobile data” toggle.
4. Enable the “Roaming” toggle, then tap “OK”.
5. Tap the “Automatically select network” toggle then choose the supported network manually if your eSIM has connected to the wrong network.
Step 2: Check your offline map by tap on your profile icon and tap on offline map.
Step 3: Use offline maps
After you download an area, use the Google Maps app just like you normally would. If your internet connection is slow or absent, your offline maps will guide you to your destination as long as the entire route is within the offline map.
In PowerPoint, you can control the speed of your slideshow presentation in a few different ways:
Manual Control during Presentation: During your slideshow, you can manually control the pace by clicking your mouse, pressing the spacebar, or using the arrow keys on your keyboard to advance to the next slide. This method allows you to present at your preferred speed, pausing when necessary to elaborate on points or interact with your audience.
Set Slide Transition Timing: PowerPoint allows you to set specific timing for slide transitions. This means that each slide will automatically advance after a certain amount of time. Here’s how to set slide transition timing:
Select the slide you want to set the timing for. Go to the “Transitions” tab on the PowerPoint ribbon. In the Timing group, enter the desired time in the “After” box. This represents the number of seconds you want the slide to display before automatically advancing to the next one. Repeat this process for each slide if you want them all to advance automatically. Custom Animation: You can also control the timing of individual elements within a slide using custom animation. This allows you to reveal text, images, or other content on the slide in a sequential manner. Here’s how to apply custom animation:
Select the element you want to animate. Go to the “Animations” tab on the PowerPoint ribbon. Choose the desired animation effect from the list. To control the timing, click on the “Animation Pane” button to open the Animation Pane. In the Animation Pane, you can drag the animation effects up or down to change the order, and you can adjust the duration by clicking on the drop-down arrow next to the animation effect and selecting “Timing.” By using these methods, you can effectively control the speed of your PowerPoint slideshow presentation to match your preferences and the needs of your audience.
When photographing the bubbles trapped in the ice at Abraham Lake, several camera settings can help you capture stunning images. The key settings to consider include aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
Here’s a breakdown of each setting and its significance:
Aperture: Select a narrow aperture (higher f-stop number) to ensure a deep depth of field. This will help keep both the bubbles close to the camera and the distant landscape in focus. An aperture around f/8 to f/16 is often suitable for landscape photography.
Shutter Speed: The appropriate shutter speed depends on the lighting conditions and the effect you want to achieve. A faster shutter speed can freeze motion and help capture sharp details of the bubbles, especially if there’s wind causing movement. However, if you want to capture the movement of water or clouds, you might experiment with slower shutter speeds. Start with a shutter speed of around 1/125th of a second and adjust as needed.
ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible to maintain image quality and reduce noise. Start with a low ISO setting such as ISO 100 and increase it only if necessary to maintain proper exposure in low light conditions.
Focus: Use manual focus to ensure that the bubbles and surrounding landscape are sharp. You can focus on the bubbles themselves or choose a focal point that includes both the bubbles and the distant landscape for a more comprehensive composition.
White Balance: Consider adjusting the white balance settings based on the prevailing lighting conditions to ensure accurate color reproduction.
Tripod: Since you might be using slower shutter speeds to capture the details, using a tripod is highly recommended to avoid camera shake and ensure sharp images.
Experiment with different combinations of these settings to achieve the desired effect and adapt to changing lighting conditions throughout the day. Additionally, bracketing exposures can help ensure you capture the scene optimally, especially if the lighting is challenging.
No NEMA 10. IF you actually have Hot, Hot, Ground, use NEMA6, properly. NEMA 10 is obsolete and dangerous. NEMA6-30 or L6-30 are common as dirt. See this recent question, or a bunch of older ones.
Offline maps.
