Lake Nakuru

Soda lake famous for Flamingos

The Lake Nakuru (English: Lake Nakuru ) lies in the Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya, and is regarded worldwide as a unique natural spectacle. The up to four meters deep endorheic lake, one of the alkaline soda lakes in the eastern East African grave breach, the Rift Valley, is world famous especially for its many flamingos. The times up to two million flamingos feed on blue-green algae ( Spirulina ) or by small crabs, which are actually white animals only get their pink color. Even from a distance you can see a pink ribbon, which usually encircles the entire lake lakefront. Particularly attractive is a view from a small plane, comparable to the scene in the movie " Out of Africa" ​​. For lack of feed the flamingos pull one of the other soda lakes such as the Lake Bogoria or the Elmenteitasee.

Geography

The lake is in the eastern part of the East African grave breach ( Great Rift Valley). The lake basin is in the north of the Menengai caldera in the south of the volcano Mt Eburru, bounded on the west by the edge of the grave Mau Escarpment and on the east by Kinangop Plateau and the Aberdare volcanic complex ( Aberdare Range). The 1800 km ² large catchment area is low rainfall, so the hydrological budget of the basin extremely negative and the endorheic lake is highly alkaline.

The lake lies entirely in the State of Kenya in Nakuru District in the Rift Valley province, about 140 km north- west of the capital Nairobi.

Flora and Fauna

In 1960, one exposed to mosquito control two small cichlid species of the genus Alcolapia (A. & A. alcalica grahami ). It is in this bass to excellent food fish, which is to survive in an alkaline environment possible. The tilapia have multiplied so much that they attract fish -eating birds: herons, pelicans and cormorants. The lake is home to about 450 species of birds, especially flamingos and pelicans. In some years, up to a million Lesser Flamingos were counted at Lake Nakuru. The surrounding Nakuru National Park has a rich wildlife including rhinos, giraffes and antelopes. Grow in the lake about 550 plant species.

Environment

The lake is located entirely within the Lake Nakuru National Park. He is threatened with drought by increasing siltation (and pollution), including the entire community about the unique bird life begins to suffer. On the northern shore of the lake Nakuru town is located, with about 300,000 inhabitants ( 2000), the fourth largest city of Kenya. The Extraction of water from the tributaries of the Nakurusees ( Njoro, Makalia, Nderit ), cutting down the Mau forest and the discharge of waste waters provide strong threats to the environment dar. From August to November 2006 wiped the lake lack of water flow almost out, partly caused by commercial mining of sand on the tributaries of the lake. The lake was only one (also threatened ) inflow from Baharini - river. Of the flamingos, who can no longer breed, the vast majority emigrated already, preferably on the lake Naivasha and the Lake Baringo.