Snakes swimming

Imagine, Sunday afternoon, you are under the car, frustrated at the inaccessibility of the filler plug when your kid tugs on your leg and says ' Hey dad, there is a snake swimming in the dam!"

Sure enough, cruising between the reeds is a BIG guy!!

Mad dash to the house for the camera and the quietest approach to the deck possible ( with heaving chest)

Some moments to compose yourself, steady the hands and the hide and seek begins.

Shortly the Cape Cobra makes its appearance, 2 meters long at least. Some light stepping and I am in a position to get a good view. The cobra emerges from the reeds, becomes aware of me and freezes. Its tongue sampling the air.... She begins to move toward me, my pulse races then she turns and disappears into the grass. Back on the deck without touching the grass, we are looking at the pictures when a movement on the open water catches our eye.....

This time its not the Cobra but a Puff Adder- swimming straight for the deck! We lie down and watch the approach. This snake is on the hunt for frogs. The puff swims under the deck, not 40cm from my face- what a beautiful creature.

The snake stops, lies in the shallows, samples the air and explores the grass at the dams edge.
Two flicks of the tail and she lies amongst the grass, the camouflage kicks in, had we not known where she lay we would never have seem her......

Back into the reeds she goes and is gone from sight. 10 minutes later she breaks cover from the reeds on the far bank of the dam and makes her way across the dam to the deck. More hunting in the shallows.

It is impossible to imagine that such an animal was oblivious to our presence, yet by remaining calm and quiet we were able to experience at close hand a spectacle that most would only see on National Geographic.
Africa is truly an awesome place!!