How explorers mapped the mysterious source of Africa's last great wetland wilderness

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Okavango Delta is a vast, swirling labyrinth of waterways in the Kalahari Desert, yet its true source remained a mystery for centuries. To protect this vital ecosystem, a team of researchers spent over a decade navigating treacherous river systems, using traditional canoes to uncover secrets hidden within the Angolan highlands.

The Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, supports thousands of species and Indigenous communities across Botswana, Namibia, and Angola. For years, the origin of the rivers feeding this 11,000-square-mile wetland was elusive. Unlike other major river systems, the delta lacks glaciers or snowcapped peaks to sustain its year-round flow. This absence of a clear water source, combined with the region's history of civil war and land mines, made exploration exceptionally difficult.

Led by conservation biologist Steve Boyes, the Okavango Wilderness Project began in 2015 to document the basin's life and protect its source. The team adopted mekoro—traditional flat-bottomed canoes—to navigate shallow, reed-choked channels. During their first 121-day expedition, they covered 1,500 river miles, often dragging their boats across dry, burned pastureland using custom sled harnesses. They faced significant dangers, including aggressive hippos and the physical toll of hauling hundreds of pounds of scientific equipment through unpredictable terrain.

The project has since evolved into a sophisticated scientific endeavor. Researchers have returned to the Angolan highlands over a dozen times, completing multiple megatransects. They now utilize advanced technology, such as 360-degree cameras for mapping and 3D-printed spheres that collect environmental DNA to identify organisms without direct observation. These efforts have led to the discovery of more than 70 species new to science, including a nocturnal climbing perch named Microctenopoma steveboyesi and a unique tarantula. By integrating traditional local knowledge with modern research methods, the team continues to reveal the ecological complexity of a landscape that remains one of the planet's most vital freshwater refuges.

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