The Confrontation

This image was taken at the Caprivi-strip in the far north-east of Namibia. One early morning before sunrise, I went out on the water in a tiny boat, because I knew that the pre-glow of the rising sun would nicely reflect off the water's surface. I also knew there was a pod of hippos that would make a great subject.

When I arrived at the pod, this large bull rose from the water and looked me straight in the eye. They do this to impress intruders of their territory - works like a charm. Hippos are considered to be the most dangerous mammals in Africa, because they cause the most deaths each year.