Jabulani guests enjoy a unique and special opportunity to share in the herd’s favourite pastime, their midday swim, accompanied by a Ranger and Elephant Carer. The elephants spend most of their days browsing and foraging through the reserve, much the same as wild elephants. When the sun is at its hottest, they naturally gather at one of the nearby waterholes. Our rangers are notified of their location and guests are brought quietly to observe from a comfortable distance how the herd playfully frolics in the water.

This is one of the best opportunities in South Africa to photograph elephants swimming and soak up the special moments. Here you can truly appreciate each elephant’s individual personality. You’ll see that the bulls tend to spend more time in the water, especially Sebakwe, Fishan, Jabulani and Somapane. Sebakwe is the most playful in water and is often seen with a branch in his trunk splashing away. Of the female elephants, Bubi is the greatest wallower and always the last to leave the water. The younger elephants are often not as confident, so they tend to keep to the shallower edges of the dams, preferring to spend their time jostling playfully together.