We’ve Been Dropped Into the Congo Basin
A lone inflatable kayak vs. the most dangerous land mammal in the world … the internet is skeptical
By: Kaitlyn Tarakji
Paddling into Danger
Self-proclaimed adventurer Ash Dykes is kayaking the 434-mile stretch of the Sangha River, a core part of the Congo River Basin. Beneath its brackish waters, Nile crocodiles lurk near the surface while hippos patrol the muddy banks. Even outside the water, he is not alone. Beside a Raffia palm tree, a gorilla beats its chest as an African rock python hisses and weaves its way below the brush.
Will Dykes spot one before it spots him?
I’m wary that one man’s ambition and an aluminum oar will not get him far enough if danger is already moving toward him. A provoked hippo could swipe Usain Bolt’s gold medal with a 30 mph charge compared to his 27.78 mph run. Meanwhile, a Nile croc can open its mouth up to 22 inches, a feat that could rip apart a kayak’s measly 12 inches of height.
Sounds terrifying? Yeah, I wouldn’t want in either. Nevertheless, Dykes is bringing us along with him. Equipped with an iPhone and a one-man camera crew, the internet has a front row seat to every twist and turn his inflatable kayak takes. By the time I’m writing this, Dykes has been in the river for six days already; however, his production started 30 days before that with a carefully orchestrated marketing campaign.
The Countdown to the Congo
I was first dropped into the Congo Basin on Aug. 27. I was scrolling on TikTok for Nashville outfit inspiration, and one swipe later, I heard an audio eerily reminiscent of the viral sound that had people joking about the terrifying depths of the Atlantic Ocean. It wasn’t the same sound, but it incited the same uneasy feeling while a montage of prowling predators flashed my screen.
Since then, Dykes posted similar videos every day for a month, captioned “X days until I’m dropped in the most dangerous rainforest on Earth.” With 4.9 million followers and some of his videos reaching up to 500,000 likes, his adventure was a marketing success before it even began.
Credit: @ash_dykes on TikTok
I liked one video with the hopes of being brought back once his journey actually started, but my For You Page slowly became infested with input from other TikTokers. People were immediately concerned, intrigued, scared…and excited?
No one can decide how they feel about being brought along on this journey, including me.
The Price of Adventure
Dykes’ journey began on Oct. 3, when he flew from London to Cameroon, hoping to drive a motor boat to New Orleans and begin his kayaking there. However, the next day, he realized the airport lost his most essential bag: the luggage contained kayak pumps and tents, without which the journey was impossible.
Luckily it was reclaimed on Oct. 6. He traveled four more days to New Orleans and officially launched his plastic kayak into the Sangha River at sunrise on Oct. 8. After a month of para-social worry, Ash Dykes’ followers ran into a new problem: the paywall.
After making the internet feel like they were a part of his crew, Dykes pulled a strategic business move.
Once his marketing hype reached its peak, he created a "subscribers-only” channel. For $4.85 a month, viewers get behind-the-scenes insight on his high-risk journey. From what I’ve seen, this move increased his marketing even more. My feed switched from worrying about his journey to constant paywall discussions.
Some loyal adventurers defended him. For example, one TikToker noted “He is going up against Hippos in a kayak, he can put whatever paywall he wants to put on there,” while another said “the Congo Basin guy’s journey is now behind a paywall girl bye.”
While his daily TikTok updates are still accessible, I understand the frustrations about keeping the most high-stakes content guarded. Apparently, the only thing more dangerous than a hippo is a content creator who knows his audience is emotionally invested.
More than the Congo
If you didn’t know who Ash Dykes was before reading this, I’m sorry for stressing you out.
However, knowing a little more about him beyond his recent viral journey may ease some concerns about his chances of survival. The 34-year-old Welsh explorer is no stranger to extreme adventures. He has previously crossed Madagascar on foot, traversed Mongolia solo and walked the length of China’s Yangtze River.
Dykes’ Congo expedition is part of his “Project 6”, an ambitious challenge to complete six extreme expeditions across six continents in just 12 months. Each journey is being documented as part of one yearlong adventure, making the Congo just another chapter within a much larger undertaking.
With 10 to 18 days left in his expedition, I’ll be following along with whatever clips he generously releases to TikTok. Considering he’s made a career out of putting himself in these situations, I have a feeling I’ll be back here again. Maybe next time, I’ll splurge for the premium package.
Good luck, Ash.
Kaitlyn Tarakji is a senior journalism and political science major at UF. She typically writes about fashion and has no clue how she ended up on “Congo River Basin TikTok.” However, she was instantly intrigued and will be following along for the rest of his journey.
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