With 13 islands and over 170 rare bird species Lake Baringo is a paradise
What you need to know:
Covering about 130 square kilometres, the lake is a favourite site for researchers and photographers.
It has 13 islands. The largest of them is called Olkokwe.
Among the rare birds are the bat hawk and majestic verreaux eagle.
With more than 470 rare bird species, Lake Baringo has become known globally as the birdwatchers’ paradise.
The fresh water lake is found in Baringo County.
Covering about 130 square kilometres, the lake is a favourite site for researchers and photographers.
It is also home to hippos and crocodiles as well as many small reptiles. Giraffe and other grazers can be seen on the north of the lake.
It has 13 islands. The largest of them is called Olkokwe. In the Ilchamus language, olkokwe means a meeting place.
BREATHTAKING VIEWS
Samatian island is small but with breathtaking views. Adventures on the lake cannot be complete without a boat ride.
Among the rare birds are the bat hawk and majestic verreaux eagle.
Others include flycatcher, African fish eagle, marabou storks, shikra, white-faced scops owl, Hemprich”s hornbill, African darter and the African skimmer.
Then there is the Korossi volcano not far from the lake. It rises 1,449 metres above sea level. It is the ideal place for watching and taking pictures of birds.
The lake offers lots of sporting experiences, including sport boating and riding, fishing, water-skidding and diving.
The first European to see the lake was Scottish explorer Joseph Thomson in 1883.
In 1892, English geologist JW Gregory explained the formation of the Rift Valley from his observations at Lake Baringo.
Tourism in and around the lake has shot up in the last couple of years.
Lake Baringo’s water changes colour, depending on the time of the day and colour of the sky.
At sunset, one gets the opportunity to watch noisy groups of hippos emerging from the water to graze.
Only at Lake Baringo is the crocodile considered a harmless creature.
Members of the Ilchamus community use small boats and dive into the lake as crocodiles swim about or warm themselves in the sun on the shores.
Word has it that the abundance of fish has supported the crocodile population in such a way that the reptiles have shown no interest in humans and other mammals.
In fact, the Ilchamus is the only pastoralist community whose members consume huge quantities of fish.
The rocky isle of Gibraltar, on the eastern part of the lake has the biggest Goliath heron population in East Africa.
