| Africa Great Lakes: Adventure Travel and Fishing Expeditions |
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| Written by AndrewMuigai | |
| Saturday, 28 February 2009 | |
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The East African great lakes are large water bodies situated around and in the African great Rift Valley, which formed as a result of tectonic plates action. Among these lakes are Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Malawi.
The East African great lakes are large water bodies situated around and in the African great Rift Valley, which formed as a result of tectonic plates action. Among these lakes are Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Malawi. Lake Victoria, wrapped by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, covers an area of 26,830 square miles and is 250 miles long at its greatest width thus making it the worlds second largest freshwater lake after Lake Superior in North America. Lake Victoria has an average depth of 120 feet, with its deepest point reaching 250 feet. The Lake is not really situated in the rift valley, but rather lies between the main branch and the western branch. Numerous East African rivers feed the Lake Victoria, with River Kagera being the largest. Originating from Burundi, River Kagera is considered to be the remote source of the Nile. Lake Victoria is the youngest of the three great lakes, but drains its waters into the River Nile, the world's longest river. The Nile flows northwards into the Mediterranean Sea, and in the process, providing the much needed water for the Northern Africa dry regions along its 6670km course. Lake Victoria abounds in the Nile perch, a fish species that was introduced to the lake by the lakes residents in the 1950s. Nile Perch is a dangerous predator fish that can grow up to 6 feet long and has wiped out half of the 400 cichlid species of fish that inhabit Lake Victoria. Lake Tanganyika is Africa's deepest lake, and also the second largest after Lake Victoria, occupying an area off 12,700 square miles. With a depth of 4,710 feet, it is the second deepest in the world after Siberia's Lake Baikal. Lake Tanganyika is situated in the Western branch of the rift valley. Lake Tanganyika is the world's longest lake being 420 miles long. At its widest area, the lake has a width of 45 miles. The lake is found along the borders of four different countries namely: Tanzania, Zambia, DRC Congo, and Burundi. The water in Lake Tanganyika is more alkaline and harder than the water in lakes Victoria and Malawi. This is because the lake has just one outlet " Lukaga River which flows into the Congo River. This sees most of the salts that flow into being left behind as the water evaporates. As a result the lake's pH levels range from 8.6 to 9.5. Lake Tanganyika is known for its over 200 species of fish that abound in its waters. Many of these species are small and can be housed in 10 and 20-gallon aquariums. On the other hand, crocodiles and hippopotamuses are often found on the shores of the lake. Hundreds of miles away from Lake Tanganyika is Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa by the residents. Placed between Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique, with an estimated area of 8,683 square miles and being 360 miles long and 25 miles wide, Lake Malawi is the ninth largest lake in the world. The lake forms the eastern border between Mozambique and Malawi. The lake is unusual in that it does not have tides or currents. The variety of cichlid fish species in Lake Malawi is greater than that found in any other lake in the world. Researchers from the World Wildlife Fund have to date identified over 500 of these species. The Lake Malawi cichlids are mostly brightly colored with beautiful patterns, a fact that makes them popular with aquarists around the world. About the Author: The Author works with Africapoint.com, a reputable online travel agency for Africa. View information on African Safaris and flights from Africa including tours to the Great Lakes region. |
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