Micato Safaris Photo Contest 2015: May & June Winners

We received many wonderful photographs for the May and June Micato Photo Contest, giving our judges the challenge of selecting a mere four shots total for our winners and honourable mentions.

Here now the winners, who not only gave us their stunning images, but also shared a few words about what these special moments on safari meant to them.

Enjoy!

May 2015
WINNER
Satish Nair

Satish recalls the memorable moment when he and his group encountered these three cheetahs on the Micato Safaris/Lindblad Expeditions Photo Safari earlier in 2015:

“We were out at first light at Samburu, and came upon this cheetah trio emerging from the bushes.  The sun was just peeking over the hills, burning what remained of the overnight fog, and bathing the entire landscape in golden light.  Our Micato driver expertly maneuvered the vehicle so we could get backlit shots as the cheetahs marched forth with laser-like focus, having caught wind of an impala herd several hundred yards away.   We stayed with the cheetah for well over a half hour, as they stalked the herd, in and out of the bushes.  In the end, however, their efforts came to naught when a sentinel grant’s gazelle sounded the alarm, and the herd scattered.”

May 2015
HONOURABLE MENTION
William Merrick

William’s story behind this photo shows how we can really get to know certain animal families while travelling on safari:

“We were just getting ready to hit the tents when this cub was spotted.  At the time, this appeared to be the only lion.  The next day we returned thinking we might see mom as well.  No mom, but two siblings to make three.  After about 15 minutes, a lion’s roar was heard and it was mom coming back to get her kids.  A fresh breakfast was about a mile away.  We followed them and that’s when we found the kill, on the other side of a small stream.  This then offered additional shots of the lions jumping across the creek or the cubs swimming across.  In all, we spent several hours following the family from their evening bed under the tree trunk to breakfast the following day.”

June 2015
WINNER
Anna Drake

Anna remembers this moment from her first day on safari in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania:

“We had come upon a herd of about 40 elephants and it was an amazing sight! I never thought I would see so many elephants in one place like that. There were so many all around us and I wanted to get some close-up shots of individual elephants. I saw this one who I caught just as it was chewing a mouthful of grasses and it seemed to be looking right at me! The elephant appeared unfazed by our presence and continued eating its lunch before it moved on across the road to join the rest of the herd. It was so special to be so close to such a magnificent creature and to watch it living its life in the wild!”

June 2015
HONOURABLE MENTION
Maribeth Venezia

This is Maribeth’s second Honourable Mention with a giraffe photo. We’re beginning to wonder if the giraffe is Maribeth’s totem!  About this photo, she recalls:

“This was our last afternoon game drive in Samburu National Preserve. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a giraffe, or did I? I certainly did a double-take. I asked the driver and guide to stop the vehicle and if possible to back up a little bit. There it was, a beautiful giraffe, playing “peek-a-boo” behind a bush. It looked like the he was wearing the bush for clothing. The giraffe stared at us, never moving away from his camouflage outfit. We all got a good chuckle!”

It is never too late to enter the Micato Safaris Photo Contest. Photos are eligible as long as they were taken on safari with Micato. Each monthly winner receives a $250 credit for Micato’s Safari Shop and at the end of the year we award a $3000 Micato Safaris credit to put towards a safari or to use in the safari shop.