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Why we should preserve Kenyan Lakes which are a major tourist attraction center in Africa
Kenya in East Africa is home to a number of spectacular lakes, most of which are found in the Great east African Rift Valley Lakes. Each of the lakes has a unique different character. Situated in at the center of the Great Rift Valley, the site of the prehistoric fissures that extends from Syria in the Middle East to Beira in Mozambique. Kenya is also dotted with several fresh water lakes from north to south.
A traveler or researcher can tour/explore the Kenyan Lakes visiting each individual lake taking time to study its characteristics /formation of each one of them in relation to the others and compare and contrasts the diverse environments, formation and the various inhabitants.
• Lake Baringo
• Lake Bogoria
• Lake Chala Kenya
• Lake Elementaita
• Lake Jipe
• Lake Magadi
• Lake Naivasha
• Lake Nakuru
• Lake Rutunda & Lake Alice
• Lake Turkana
• Lake Victoria
Kenya is has proposed Lakes Nakuru, Bogoria and Elementaita for inclusion in the esteemed UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lake Bogoria
Lake Bogoria is found in Lake Bogoria National Reserve, Kenya, North of Nakuru. The lake is the heart of an arid landscape, in the shadow of the dramatic walls of the Siracho Range. Lake Bogoria has no outlet and the intense evaporation has led to high levels of salt and minerals. The soda lake is shallow with a maximum depth of 9 metres and covers an area of 30 sq km. is volcanically active, and the Western shore is lined with spouting geysers and hot springs, spurting steam and bubbling geothermal pools. Fresh water springs at the lake edge attract an abundance of birds and wildlife.
Lake Elementaita
Lake Elementeita, located off the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, is a popular Kenya Safari destination among birding enthusiast sand is situated in the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley about 40 km from the town of Nakuru, the 18km-square soda lake hosts hundreds of thousands of enthralling flamingos, pelicans, crested grebe and many other birds that dot the waters.
The Elementeita attracts visiting the Greater and Lesser flamingoes that feed on the lake’s crustacean and insect larvae and suspended blue-green algae.
Lake Elementeita is a shallow lake with the depth being less than 1 metre in some instances and is bordered by encrusted mudflats during the dry seasons. Zebra, gazelle, eland and warthog graze on the shores of the lake.
Ramsar Site
Lake Elementeita has been a Ramsar site in 2005. Ramsar site is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru a worlds renowned bird paradise is situated in Lake Nakuru National Park, located in Central Kenya, 140km north-west of Nairobi, in Nakuru District in the Great Rift Valley Lake Nakuru is home to a myriad of greater and lesser flamingo flocks which frequently form a stunning pink ribbon along the edges of the lakes. The world famous paradise abounds with the greatest bird spectacle on earth – myriads of fuchsia pink massive numbers of flamingos often more than a million – or even two million. There are two types of flamingo species; the lesser flamingo may be distinguished by its deep red carmine bill and pink plumage unlike the greater, whose bill has a black tip.
During the winter in the northern hemisphere the park becomes an important feeding ground for migrant wanderers includes the little stints, Curlew sandpipers, Marsh sandpipers and Greenshanks. Large numbers of Pelicans are seen on the southern and eastern shores. Verreaux Eagles can be seen around the updrafts on the western escarpment and other commonly spotted birds of prey include long crested eagles, Augur buzzards, Harrier eagles, Fish eagles, Gabar goshawks and Harrier hawks.
The National park was recently named as an Important Birding Area IBA. No wonder this lakes needs our protection for posterity.
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Source by Julius Koome Muthuri
