The Ngorongoro Crater...

June, 2015

Tanzania

Somewhere between two and three million years ago, a large volcano exploded and collapsed on itself, resulting in the formation of a giant caldera; actually, the Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unflooded and intact volcanic caldera in the world. Besides being a natural geographic wonder that simply takes your breath away, it is a home to some of the most dense large mammal populations in Africa. The floor of the caldera is rich in minerals and covered in grasses, a perfect spot for herbivores like the zebra and the wildebeest. The open plains are home to buffalo, gazelle and topi and within the grasslands live the black rhino and the lion.There is a large variety of flora and fauna throughout the crater and in the swampy areas live pods of hippos. The two lakes that lie within were seen through the fog as we drove in; the mist only enhancing the esoteric quality of the rim.

There are over 25,000 large animals in the Ngorongoro Crater and no, we did not see them all, but what we saw was magical.

Maasai herding their cattle as they have done for centuries.