Lake Tanganyika

'Tanganyika's waters lap Tanzania, Burundi, Congo DR and Zambia'

Size & Location: north to south a distance of 677 kilometres and averages about 50 kilometers wide
When to visit the park: Year round
Climate: Very hot and humid in summer
Rainfall: Unavailable
Altitude: 791m
Lodges & accommodation: Unavailable at the moment

PARK INFORMATION:

Tanganyika's waters lap Tanzania, Burundi, Congo DR and Zambia. It is the longest fresh water lake in the world and the second deepest after lake Baikal in Russia. The immense depth is because it lies in the Great Rift Valley, which also has created its steep shoreline. It reaches a depth of 1433 metres (4 700 feet), which is an astounding 642m below sea level.

Although Zambia can only lay claim to 7% of its surface area, it stretches north to south a distance of 677 kilometres (420 miles) and averages about fifty kilometers wide (31 miles). The clear waters host more than 350 different species of fish and is well known for aquarium fish exports and excellent angling.

Lake Tanganyika has a remarkably uniform temperature. The lower regions are only a mere 3° C colder than the surface. The reason for this strange phenomenon has yet to be discovered.

Lake Tanganyika boasts over 350 species of fish of which most are endemic. Like Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika is extremely old, and the combination of its age and ecological isolation has led to the evolution of unique fish populations. Since new species are being discovered continually in these remarkable lakes, it is difficult to determine which has the highest diversity, but they at least share the distinction of being the top two lakes in the world in terms of biodiversity, whilst Lake Tanganyika has the highest proportion of endemicity, concentrated mainly in the Zambian waters of the lake.

Lake Tanganyika Ferry: The MV Liemba, a large ex German warship that has been converted into a passenger ferry, arrives at the port of Mpulungu every Friday morning and leaves in the afternoon for Kigoma in Tanzania and Bujumbura in Burundi. If you have time to do the week long trip there and back or if en route further up Africa, this is an experience not to be missed. It's not luxurious but the trip itself offers a spectacular experience of this vast Lake in the heart of the continent.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS:
» Lake Tanganyika Ferry
» Mpulungu (Zambia's only port)
» Niamkolo Church

ACCOMMODATION AND SAFARIS THAT INCORPORATES LAKE TANGANYIKA
GAME AND SAFARI LODGES	SAFARIS AND TOURS
» LAKE TANGANYIKA ACCOMMODATION	» ZAMBIA SAFARI