Lake Naivasha

Placidly glide across the sparkling waters of Lake Naivasha , the highest lake in Kenya’s Rift Valley, on a boating safari that reveals a remarkable diversity of birdlife. Just over a two-hour drive northwest of Nairobi, this serene freshwater lake is a paradise for birdwatchers and bird photographers alike. The lake’s shores are fringed with graceful Yellow fever Acacias, their canopies alive with an array of bird species — from Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Pearl Spotted Owlet, Grey-crested Helmet Shrike, Lilac-breasted Roller, Buff-bellied Warblers, and African Fish Eagles swooping dramatically over the water.

Lake Naivasha is a beautiful freshwater lake, fringed by thick papyrus. Lake Naivasha is the highest lake in the Rift Valley, located at an elevation of 1,884 meters above sea level. Lake Naivasha has a surface area of 139 square kilometers. The lake is a Ramsar site — a wetland of international importance — since 1995. Lake Naivasha is almost 13 kilometers across, but its waters are shallow with an average depth of five meters.

Lake Naivasha is fed by the perennial Malewa and Gilgil rivers, both of which originate from the Aberdares Ranges . Other streams that empty their water into the lake have their source in the Mau escarpment . There is no visible outlet, but since the lake water is relatively fresh, it is assumed to have an underground outflow. Lake Naivasha is a well-known world-class birding and safari destination in Kenya . It is a perfect place for a day birding tour , as it is conveniently close to Nairobi . Birdwatching in Lake Naivasha is done by Boat ride and also walking along the shoreline. The African Fish Eagle , Africa’s most iconic bird species, with its haunting cry which symbolizes “wilderness Africa,” will be seen in huge numbers, perfectly perched in the gigantic Yellow-backed Acacias.

Lake Naivasha is home to a variety of types of wildlife, including over 400 different species of birds and a sizeable population of hippos, buffaloes , wildebeest , impalas, zebras , giraffes, and waterbucks . There are two smaller lakes in the vicinity of Lake Naivasha:

Once a saline lake, Lake Oloiden has undergone remarkable ecological changes over the decades. In the early 1980s, when Lake Naivasha’s water levels began to drop, Oloiden became increasingly isolated and gradually turned saline. By the mid-1990s, it had lost most of its aquatic plants and fish life, but conditions became ideal for the growth of Spirulina (Arthrospira) — a green photosynthetic bacterium that serves as a favorite food source for Lesser Flamingos.