Danel Wentzel
P H O T O G R A P H Y
FRESHWATER FAIRYLAND
Marico Oog
A cure for my restless soul.
An underwater fairyland filled with shifting shades and lilypad leaves.
It’s between these very stems where we spent countless childhood days captivated by the blue, pretending to be mermaids and pirates.
Time goes by and nothing changes. I am still that very kid who gets lost in exploring this underwater fairyland.
MEANWHILE, IN THE AFRICAN BUSH...
Tucked away in the African Savana, 2 hours away from Johannesburg, lies a hidden gem, so few have ever experienced. Situated on a privately owned farm, the Marico Oog is a freshwater spring fed by the underground aquifer waters of the Okovango.
Growing up in a small, land-locked farm town, opportunities to explore large bodies of water was few and far between. During our annual trip to the beach, I would spend countless hours soaking in as much ocean time as I could. But it never felt like enough to give me a fix that would last until the next year.
It wasn't until my first year of High School, that I discovered a hidden inland water body that was beyond my wildest imagination. To make it better, it was less than an hour away from our farm!
The Marico Eye ("Marico Oog" in Afrikaans) is one of three dolomite pools that make up a major part of the source of the Groot Marico River, which in turn feeds the Limpopo River. The Marico Eye is the largest of these pools and is a popular freshwater diving spot due to the unusual clarity of the water.
The Eye is 17 metres deep and 40 metres wide. Water lillies grow from the bottom, but unlike your usual water lilly ‘pond’, the Eye is completely free of silt and the water is so crystalline that you can see the bottom just by peeking through the surface.
FOLLOW THE PASSAGE THROUGH THE REEDS.
Once you've reached the Eye a world unlike any other waits to be explored.
During the day one can cool off and enjoy the crisp (average 16 degrees) water, following passages that lead to hidden pools scattered throughout the area. Make sure to keep an eye out for the rich diversity of life including many freshwater fish species, crabs, and eels and if you're lucky you will see the resident 2-meter-long Koi fish.
Exploring doesn't only have to happen at night! If you choose to camp there you can continue the adventure with night swims and sleep on the little raft under the night sky.
HOW TO GET THERE
Directions from Johannesburg
Drive from Johannesburg to Krugersdorp, then onto Magaliesburg, Derby and lastly Koster.
+-35 km past Koster on the Lichtenburg road, turn right on the Swartruggens road (R53).
15 km down the road turn left onto the Zeerust road. Proceed along this road (gravel but in good condition) for 29 km. The road then becomes a tar road.
+- 500 meters after becoming tar, you will see the Grootfontein Oog sign on the left. Turn left and proceed down the hill for +- 1 km. Turn nearly 180 degrees left through the gate and proceed for another 1 km.
