A rippling lake sparkles with hues of blues, reflections of green and deep graphite colours. These are the spectrum of colours you would associate with the colour of a lake. Whether it’s Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi or even Lake Victoria; their common denominator is that they all fall within the same colour spectrum at first glance. One of the Great African Lakes that falls out of the normal-colour-of-lakes category is Lake Bogoria in the northern Kenyan Rift Valley that forms part of the Lake Bogoria National Reserve.
Between August – October Lake Bogoria turns a shade of pink, and upon first seeing the lake you will notice an expansive sea of pink. Upon closer inspection, you will notice those dots of pink candy-floss are actually a flamboyance of lesser flamingoes.
Lake Bogoria is a fascinating geographical marvel. The lake is dotted with hot springs and geysers on the western shore, which is caused by geothermal activity. The water source of Lake Bogoria is derived from the heavy rains during the green season and from the numerous hot springs feeding into the lake. The lake does not flow into the sea or follow any river course. The water simply dissipates during the dry season from the excessive heat and leaves behind a massive area with a high salinity level. When the water levels begin to drop, that’s when the flamingoes flock to the shores.
August – October is the time to visit this area if you’d like to witness this wildlife spectacle. However – Lake Bogoria is worth a visit, given that it has the highest number of natural geysers in Africa. Another recommended time of year to visit is during the drier season, which is peak safari season in Africa. The rainy season disappears which means so does the availability of reliable water sources. Wildlife will flock to the shores of the many lakes and waterholes in their surrounding habitat as it’s their only source of water. With the fluctuating rains and volatile climatic conditions, the chemistry of the lake can change which always sees an influx of unique wildlife – or none at all when the salt levels are too high.
We recommend staying at the Lake Bogoria Hotel which has a variety of accommodation options. Lake Bogoria is dramatic, fascinating and most certainly worth a visit.
