Surfing hippos. River elephants. A 200-mile fever dream in a kayak.
Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and stretching 40 miles into the jungled interior, we kayaked and portaged more than 200 miles around the park's perimeter, seeing this wild country from a new and different perspective. Along the way we encountered river-swimming elephants, manatees, tarpon, surfing hippos, gorillas and more. By trip's end it was hard to decide which were the most beautiful, and the most difficult, parts of the expedition, but it was eye opening, for us all.
Cinematography
Raw 2006 digital footage that feels illegally intimate.
Practical Effects
Real portaging through actual Gabon—no insurance, no crew.
Production
Micro-budget doc that puts NatGeo specials to shame.
Director
Jon Bowermaster
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jon Bowermaster made this after six Oceans 8 expeditions; Gabon was his first African project. The surfing hippos were unscripted—local guides didn't believe they'd catch it on camera.
Gabon's Loango National Park was virtually unknown to Western audiences in 2006; this film helped kickstart its reputation as 'Africa's Last Eden' before Disney+ crews arrived.
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