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Hippo Pictures

Hippo pictures are best taken while on the water, preferably from a canoe or watercraft of some form.

Although it's possible to photograph hippos from land, they will usually be some distance from the banks of the river or lake, so you'll need a longish telephoto lens, preferably 300mm or more.

If a hippopotamus is near enough to allow a shorter lens, watch out! These massive animals are deceptively agile and can be out of the water in a split second, charging you on land at 40 km/h.

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Hippo on banks of Zambezi River Hippo plunging into Zambezi River Hippo wades in Zambezi River
Hippo swimming in Zambezi River Hippo eyes, Zambezi River Hippo with head showing, Zambezi River
Hippo in shallow water, Zambezi River Hippo entering water, Zambezi River Hippo plunging into the Zambezi River

 

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Hippo, Botswana
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See also our superb selection of Hippo Prints & Posters

 
Hippo feeding, Chobe River, Botswana Hippo in shallows of Chobe River, Botswana Hippo dozing on riverbank
Hippo standing on banks of river, Kruger National Park Hippo sunbathing, Kruger National Park Pod of hippos, Chobe River, Botswana
Hippo Picture Captions
Row 1:
1.Hippo standing on the banks, Zambezi River, Zambia
2.Hippo takes to the water, Zambezi River, Zambia
3.Hippo moves to deeper water, Zambezi River, Zambia

Row 2:
1.Hippo swimming near the bank, Zambezi River, Zambia
2.Hippo with only eyes and ears visible, Zambezi River
3.Curios hippo pokes head above the surface, Zambezi River

Row 3:
1.Hippo moves partly submerged in Zambezi River, Zambia
2.Hippos preparing to enter water, Zambezi River, Zambia
3.Hippos splashing in shallow water, Zambezi River, Zambia

Row 4:
1.Hippo eating water plants, Chobe River, Botswana
2.Hippo in shallow water, Chobe River, Botswana
3.Hippo dozing on riverbank, Lower Zambezi NP, Zambia

Row 5:
1.Hippo pair on sandy river bank, Kruger Park, South Africa
2.Hippo sunbathing on river bank, Kruger Park, South Africa
3.Pod of hippos, Chobe River, Botswana

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Best Way of Getting Close
The main advantage of taking hippo pictures from a canoe is that you can get quite close to them, whether they're in the water or on the banks, without upsetting them unduly.

But it's not advisable to try this on your own. Instead, join a canoe safari where you'll be led by an experienced river guide who understands hippo behavior and knows the river intimately.

The lower Zambezi River is renowned for its canoe safaris, operated from both Zimbabwe and Zambia. This section of the river, between two national parks Mana Pools and Lower Zambezi, has little river traffic with lots of channels and islands, making for excellent game viewing.

The biggest drawback of photographing from a canoe is that it's almost impossible to remain totally stationary because of the current. So you're always shooting from a moving position, making it difficult to frame and focus your subject.

Shaky Hands
And then there's the adrenaline and shaky hands, induced by a couple of submerged hippos ahead and a huge croc sunning itself only meters away on the bank.

It also helps to have your camera gear insured in case you take a dip - which usually happens when you're stepping on to land from deepish water.

On a recent canoe safari on the Zambezi, I opted to take only a small Olympus digital camera with a good zoom lens, rather than a bulky SLR body and lenses.

To find out more about hippos, try the search box further below.

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