Delta Force.

Egrets, I've had a few.

Okavango Delta, Botswana – The bleached bones of a years-dead elephant lie scattered like broken china on the lawn. Its skull is amazingly simple to lift.

Awakened before the sun, we're on a 15-kilometre hike into the Okavango Delta, where we just came within 50 metres of a pair of elephants – likely the ones from overnight. The breeze is a saviour in the already-blazing sun.

We trace sandy paths through the parched grounds of one of the larger local islands, stepping over prints left earlier by four lions. They have chased much of the wildlife to another corner of the delta. Still, skittish antelope and zebra graze amidst various elephant families.

Towering termite mounds and football-sized elephant dung punctuate the land like exclamation marks. Both are critical to the inland delta's survival.

The termite mounds, which – like icebergs – are 90 per cent underground, provide the basis for many of the delta's islands during the wet season, creating homes for wildlife. They also serve as signposts given that they point west – they follow the sun when they're still wet.

Elephant dung, meanwhile, is full of seeds and plays an essential role in 'drop planting,' ensuring life returns to the delta, providing food sources and shade.

At that, it's amazing to consider we have seen but the tiniest speck of the greater delta.