Lakes >> Nakuru

Nakuru means "Dust or Dusty Place" in Maasai language. Lake Nakuru is a very shallow strongly alkaline lake 62 km2 in extent. Lake Nakuru was first gazetted as a bird sanctuary in 1960 and upgraded to National Park status in 1968. It is set in a picturesque landscape of surrounding woodland and grassland.

Lake is internationally known for its Greater Flamingos. Ornithologists often describe Lake Nakuru as "the most fabulous bird spectacle in the world". Thousands of flamingo, joined into a massive flock, fringe the shores of this soda lake. These birds move between the soda lakes throughout the Rift Valley, but the waters of Nakuru often play host to huge flocks that cover the lake edge in swathes of living pink. This dramatic spectacle makes a perfect backdrop for the profusion of game on the Lake's shore..

The Lesser flamingo can be distinguished by its deep red carmine bill and pink plumage unlike the greater, which has a bill with a black tip. The Lesser flamingos are ones that are commonly pictured in documentaries mainly because they are large in number. There are estimated to be over a million lesser flamingos. There's also Buffalo, Zebra, rare Rothschild Giraffe and other plains game. Lion are often seen, as are leopards, resting in trees under the Baboon Cliffs.