Monday, May 17, 2021

Virtual Africa: Lake Malawi

 

Stretching to the horizon...Lake Malawi is HUGE. 

It covers 1/5 of the country of Malawi.

 Malawi Overview 

https://youtu.be/zgMWEqLWT6g

The 5th largest freshwater lake in the world.

It is a meromictic lake meaning the layers of its waters stay stratified and do not mix. Slight chemical differences and thermal differences are the cause of this. 

360 miles long...47 miles wide and 2,316 miles deep at its deepest point.

David Livingstone would see it in 1859 and refer to it as The Lake of Stars...because of all the Malawian fishermen with their lanterns on its surface after dark. 


Biodiversity distinguished this lake from other places in Africa. Although large predators are fairly limited to Nile Crocodiles, Hippos and Monkeys...there are thousands of species of fish found here. Some which have evolved and are found nowhere else in the world. Nearly 1000 separate and different species of Cichlids have evolved here. 


Because of their bright colors and diversity...these are sought after for aquarium fish.

Along with Tilapia, a common edible fish in this lake is the Kampango Catfish. These catfish sometimes grow to lengths of 5 feet long.

To put this in perspective, I measure 5 feet four inches. Some are only 4 inches less than I am tall...

Malawi also has 28 different species of snails and a single crab species ( Malawi blue-crab).

 

Shifting like streams of smoke the lake flies are visible from the shoreline.

You might say

"What are a few flies???"

But, and I have seen similar on the Great Lakes in Michigan...believe me...you do not want to see them up close.


 The black plumes are literally millions of individual flies.

Lake Malawi

https://youtu.be/44EzcfpM5tk

Next time we will check out the Scottish Cities I was telling you about.

 

Until then!