At 1880 metres above sea level, Lake Naivasha is the highest of the Rift Valley Lakes.  It is the second largest freshwater lake in Kenya and one of only two freshwater lakes in the rift valley, the other being L. Baringo.  Lake Naivasha is unusual in having no known outlet, normally a prerequisite for a freshwater lake! The lake edge supports dense vegetation which, in turn, supports a thriving bird population including the Grey-capped Warbler, Spectacled Weaver, Brimstone Canary and Red-billed Firefinch. All told the area has a bird list of over 350 species. While not usually one the of the main safari stops, Lake Naivasha is a good place for a one-night stop. The Kenyan roads mean that travelling from North to South (or vice versa) usually means travelling via Nairobi and is sometimes too much for a comfortable trip in one day. Lake Naivasha is on the main road to Nairobi and not too far from the city so makes a good alternative stop-over with some interesting birding.

Being a freshwater lake, Naivasha has a healthy fish population which attracts a variety of fish-eaters. Both Long-tailed and Great Cormorants can be seen, along with Fish Eagles and Pied Kingfishers. One of the memorable sights for us was a chance to watch Black Herons feeding on the lake. They are one of the bird species which form a canopy over their heads with their wings when feeding. This is presumably to reduce the surface glare or maybe to trick small fish and insects into believing that they are a shady sanctuary. We would like to include a link to a photograph of this behaviour at this point but ….. we have to confess that when we saw Black Herons behaving in this way we were so fascinated that we completely forgot to pick up our cameras!

Naivasha is also a good place to see the Grey-backed fiscal. This bird replaces the Long-tailed Fiscal in areas with higher rainfall. Also to be seen in the area is the Black-lored Babbler. The Naivasha race tends to show pale tipped feathers on their heads which this gives them a somewhat frosty effect. It is believed that this variation may be the result of hybridisation with Northern Pied Babblers at some point in the past.

The Naivasha region also supports a large population of Lovebirds. These are mainly hybrids of Fischer’s and the Yellow-Collared Lovebird. In the main these populations have been established as a result of the escape (and deliberate release) of cage birds (both Fischer’s and the Yellow-collared Lovebird are native Tanzanian species). Lovebirds are often seen for sale on the roadside. Often the birds are in very small, cramped cages and the vendors are young children. In fact you have to be licensed to catch and sell them but many tourists fall into the trap of buying and then releasing the birds, which are promptly retrapped and resold. This makes the illegal trade highly profitable and most Kenyan guides advise against being soft-hearted!

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At 85km North West of Kenya’s capital Nairobi Lake Naivasha is just over an hours drive by public or Private Transport, including Charter Flights. The lake is located some distance from the town and taxis are readily available. For overnight travelers, there are well-furnished lodges and hotels such as Cray Fish, Simba, Sopa, and Fish Eagle among others. The Yellow barked Acacia that abound with bird life make Naivasha a world class birding destination thus a haven for Bird Lovers and Researchers. A great way to spend a morning or afternoon is taking a boat trip around the lake encountering local fishermen, Columbus Monkeys calling from the tree tops, Wallowing Buffaloes from the swamps, Wandering Giraffes among the acacia, and a population of Hippos sleeping the day out in the shallows.

Splendid scenery around the lake is the privately owned Crater Lake Game Sanctuary situated on the former estate of Lady Diana Delamere, which is home to Ox- Wagon Safaris. “Elsamere” a Wildlife Education and Conservation Centre was once home to Joy Adamson, author of Born free. Walking, hiking, biking and rock climbing is ideal in Hell’s Gate National Park named for its pair of massive Red Tinged Cliffs framing a Geothermically active interior of steam vents and bubbling springs. The lovely lake with its cool climate is a noble retreat for any Resident or Tourist looking for peace and a relaxing environment. The haunting call of a Fish Eagle high over the lake brings a perfect daybreak making the sunsets very stunning.

Surrounded the lake there’s a lot flower plantation, the flowers provide an important source of income to Kenya, but the industry comes with a price. Flowers are not held to the same standards for chemical residues as food products. Strong chemical pesticides can be used on the flowers to produce the perfect, pest-free bloom, and this could pose a health risk to workers and local wildlife, including hippos, environmental groups told the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2002. The chemicals may also threatened the water quality of Lake Naivasha, one of Kenya’s few freshwater lakes. The Kenya Flower Council instituted a code of conduct establishing guidelines for pesticide that phases out the use of one of the most toxic pesticides.

African wet habitats during the Neogene: contribution of the large semiaquatic and potamophilous mammals.  This type of habitat played a central role in the ecological and biogeographical history of hominids. The selected environmental markers (hippopotamuses, pigs), in association with human fossils and behavioral evidence, will allow me to reconstruct the evolution of wet habitats and of hydrographical networks.

Hippopotamids are large mammals, with short, stumpy legs, and barrel-shaped bodies. They have large heads, with broad mouths, and nostrils placed at the top of the snout. Like pigs, they have four toes, but unlike pigs, all of the toes are used in walking. Hippopotamids are unguligrade, although, unlike most other such animals, they have no hooves, instead using a pad of tough connective tissue. Their stomach has three chambers, but they are not true ruminants. The living species are both smooth-skinned, and lack both sebaceous glands and sweat glands. The outer epidermis is relatively thin, so that hippos dehydrate rapidly in dry environments.

Hippos have rotund bodies and short legs. Unlike other artiodactyls, which have only two functional hooves, there are four toes on each foot with slight webbing between them. The thick skin appears hairless apart from a few bristles around the mouth and on the tail, but there is a covering of very fine hairs at low density over the whole of the body. There are no sweat glands as such, but there are large skin glands that secrete a viscous liquid that turns pink on exposure to air. The secretion probably acts as a sunscreen; it is also thought to have antiseptic properties. The skin needs to be kept wet, and cracks appear if the hippo is prevented from entering water.

Lake Naivasha is a beautiful freshwater lake, fringed by thick papyrus. The lake is almost 13kms across, but its waters are shallow with an average depth of five metres. Lake area varies greatly according to rainfall, with an average range between 114 and 991 sq kms. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Naivasha completely dried up and effectively disappeared. The resulting open land was farmed, until heavy rains a few years later caused the lake to return to existence, swallowing up the newly established estates. Afternoon wind and storms can cause the Lake to become suddenly rough and produce high waves. For this reason, the local Maasai christened the lake Nai’posha meaning ”rough water”, which the British later misspelt as Naivasha. The lake and its surrounds are rich in natural bounty, and the fertile soils and water supply have made this one of Kenya’s prime agricultural regions. Much of the lake is surrounded by forests of the yellow barked Acacia Xanthophlea, known as the yellow fever tree. These forests abound with bird life, and Naivasha is known as a world class birding destination. The waters of the lake draw a great range of game to these shores. Giraffes wander among the acacia, Buffalo wallow in the swamps and Colobus monkeys call from the treetops while the Lakes large hippo population sleep the day out in the shallows. The region surrounding the Lake is well worth exploring. There are two more smaller lakes nearby, Oloidien, and Sonachi, a bright green cater lake. Hell’s Gate National Park lies beside the lake. This Park was named for its pair of massive red tinged cliffs framing a geothermically active interior of steam vents and bubbling springs. The park is home to a profusion of plains game and birdlife. Walking is permitted, making it ideal for hiking, biking, and rock climbing. Boat trips on the lake are widely available, and is a great way to spend an afternoon or morning.