Amboseli National Park lakes

The lakes are seasonal and mainly located in the Western part of the park and usually fill up during the rainy season; they occupy part of the drained basin of an ancient lake of the Pleistocene.

 

The main ones are the Kioko Lake, the Simek Lake, the Conch Lake and the Amboseli Lake, also called Embosel or Empusel; in these basins the water is almost always present, except in times of drought, but the depth is never more than 50 cm.

 

The shores of these lakes are covered with papyrus and are frequented by many species of aquatic birds both resident and migratory.

 

In addition to rain water they are also fed by the Simek river that on its own collects the water from the Enkongo Narok swamp.

 

The Conch Lake, that in English means shell, owes its name to the shells that are found in its bed; they were discovered in the 50’s as a result of a drought that completely drained the lake.

 

The Amboseli Lake is located in the Western section of the park, compared to the other lakes in the park, it covers a very large area, leaving the boundaries of the park, a part of it extending beyond the border with Tanzania; perhaps less picturesque than the other lakes of the Great Rift Valley as the Manyara Lake, the Natron Lake and the Magadi Lake, but it has a very special charm.

 

Flamingos, once almost absent in the park, are increasingly present, especially during the dry season; they can be easily spotted in the shallow water and alkaline lakes while feeding.

 

In the Park, especially at the end of the rainy season, there are many small and medium sized pools.