Seven Worlds, One Planet: Africa

Africa is home to the greatest wildlife gatherings on Earth. Though made up of vast land, wildlife face huge challenges here. Cheetahs hunt prey twice their size, hyena make epic treks to find food on the beach and aardvark dig deep to find food. Discover this and more on a cruise to Africa.

The fastest land animal, cheetahs have long slender bodies covered with unique black spots scattered across their tan coats. Their bodies are aerodynamic enabling them to sprint at speeds of up to 60 to 70 mph.

Cheetahs can be found across Africa, primarily northern Africa, living in a variety of environments; dry forests, grasslands, open plains and desert regions. Female cheetahs tend to roam these environments alone whereas males typically live in groups made up of other male siblings.

Famed scavengers, hyenas often dine on the leftovers of other predators. But despite this lazy trait, hyenas are actually very skilled hunters that can take down wildebeest or antelope as well as birds, lizards, snakes and insects.

Although hyenas are similar in appearance to dogs, they’re actually more closely related to cats. Spotted hyenas are the largest of all hyena species, growing up to 5.9 feet long and 2.6 feet tall (measured from paw to shoulder). On average, they weigh up to 86kg and unlike other species, spotted females are 10% heavier than males.

The aardvark (meaning “earth pig”) is a medium-sized, burrowing mammal native to Africa. Aardvarks are nocturnal and they spend much of their time in cool underground burrows that they have dug with their powerful feet and claws (that resemble small spades).

When looking at the appearance of an aardvark, a number of animal features spring to mind. Their bodies and long snout resemble pigs, their ears are rabbit like and their tails reminiscent of kangaroos.

^{Please note: Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed on any of the cruises mentioned.}