The Mara River crossings are among the most dramatic wildlife spectacles on earth. From July through October, hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra must cross the Mara River as they complete their annual migration circuit from Tanzania. The river is home to large populations of Nile crocodile, and the crossings — when a herd finally commits — are explosions of noise, dust, and water that last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour.
The main crossing points in the Mara are the Musiara Marsh crossings in the north of the reserve and several points along the main road corridor. Getting there early and staying is the strategy: crossings are unpredictable and the waiting can be long. Guides with good radio networks can sometimes predict when a crossing is about to happen based on herd movements. The crossings in Kenya tend to be more spectacular than those in Tanzania because the Mara here is narrower and the banks steeper — the animals have no gradual entry. Park regulations limit the number of vehicles at crossing points, though enforcement varies.