When Dr. David Livingstone arrived at the southern part of the lake malawi In September 1859, he did so thinking that he was the first European to see this immense mirror of water up close. He was not right, as several documents prove that a Portuguese merchant had already passed through there some 13 years before the famous scottish explorer.
Boat on Lake Malawi.
To continue the nonsense a bit, he called the lake “Lake Nyasa”. “Nyasa” means “lake” in the local language, so the original proclaimed name remained “Lago Lago”. It would have been better if he had baptized it with another of the names that he came to consider: “Lake Nyinyesi”, which means “ Lake of the Stars”, a name that he came up with when he saw the many points of light that every night illuminated the surface of the lake. They were just the local fishermen looking to make a living, but they created a mysterious, beautiful and unreal atmosphere.
Today, the waters of Lake Malawi are still traversed by boats from artisanal fishing. It is the heartbeat of a people for which the lake means his blood and his life . An archaic town that knows that beautiful environment like the back of its hand and establishes a deep contact with its biodiversity, in a way that no traveler will ever understand.
Activities on the lake.
LAKE MALAWI, AN IMMENSE RESERVOIR OF FRESHWATER
If we are told that Lake Malawi is about 570 km long and about 75 km at its widest point, exceeding 700 meters deep in its deepest zone (a large depression in the center of the lake), we may not fully understand the dimensions of this colossus of fresh water
Nor when we know what it is, considering the volume, the fifth largest lake in the world and the third of Africa , second only to the victoria lakes and Tanganyika.
However, everything seems somewhat clearer when we know that it contains about 7% of the freshwater reserves (not taking into account groundwater) of the entire planet. It is, without a doubt, a true well of the Earth.
Fishermen on Lake Malawi.
Guilty of this are the rivers that feed it, the most important being the Ruhuhu, which flows into the Malawi after a long journey from Tanzania.
One of the most impressive curiosities of Malawi is that it is a meromictic lake, that is to say, that the waters of the deeper layers of the lake never mix with those of the surface layers . Therefore, the fish that live in one area and another are totally different.
A SPECTACULAR BIODIVERSITY
It is precisely the fish that attract many curious people to Malawi.
And they have been counted over a thousand different species of them in the waters of the lake. The clearly dominant family is that of the cichlids (70% of the total), with many endemic species and an almost endless variety of sizes and colors.
Sunset over Lake Malawi.
Also, the great visibility that Lake Malawi has –up to 30 meters during the dry season of the year– makes it an unbeatable place to admire this wonder.
Birds are also very present, such as the osprey, which flies over the waters looking for food in an almost infinite pantry.
flush with water, Two animals impose their law unequivocally: hippos and crocodiles. Both are really territorial and highly dangerous for humans, but, luckily, they are usually located in the milky deltas of the rivers that feed the lake and not in areas of transparent water. In addition, the rare times that they venture into them, they can be seen from far away.
THE PEOPLE OF MALAWI
While tourists tend to concentrate on the resorts in the south and the islands of the lake, the local people are scattered along its shores, living in humble places and still living from fishing, despite the fact that during In recent decades, the large fishing boats have been draining this source of life in a dangerous way..
Lake Malawi.
Sometimes, You only have to walk a few meters from the last cabin of a westernized resort to meet dark-skinned men and women. Due to the complex language barrier, mixing with them is not easy , but if it is tried with humility, nobility and sincerity, the looks, the signs and the smiles will help us to travel much of the way.
They They not only fish in the Malawi, they also bathe, wash clothes, swim, laugh and have fun. If they want to guide us, they will show us hidden paths to any inexperienced eye, revealing totally virgin parts of the immense shores of the lake. Those are the best, where man feels small before the force of nature and he must treat her with the utmost respect.
In the central part of Malawi there are two inhabited islands: Likoma (just over 10,000 people) and Chizumlu (4,000 people). They are places where there are no paved roads and the electric light disappears at 10 at night. However, in Likoma we find a huge, Gothic-style building made of stone, which bears the name of St. Peter's Anglican Cathedral.
Likoma Island.
FISHING, DIVING AND NAUTICAL ACTIVITIES AT THE RESORTS
In the southern resorts -especially in the Cape Maclear and Monkey Bay area – and some to the north (Chinteche and Nkahata Bay), Western travelers enjoy Lake Malawi as they would any tropical Caribbean destination. And there are hardly any differences between one and the other.
The sand on the beaches is fine and white, and the waters are crystal clear. In addition, there are several companies that organize activities on the lake, the most popular being diving, snorkeling, kayaking and sailing.
With the help of fins and a snorkel we can marvel at Malawi's colorful underwater life. While by paddling, a canoe can take us to discover coves and more remote areas of the lake and those that are not reached by paved roads.
Residents of Monkey Bay doing their laundry.
Resorts are of all kinds. Backpackers find their paradise at Monkey Bay, while there are authentic luxury accommodation on private islands in the lake, having nothing to envy to typical 5 star resorts in other parts of the world. In addition, here we find them at a lower price and surrounded by a unique natural environment.
A CURIOUS BATTLE ON LAKE MALAWI
Lake Malawi hides a warlike curiosity that attracts a lot of attention. In its waters took place, as historians claim, the first naval battle of the First World War.
The English ship SS Gwendolen put the German steamship, Hermann von Wissmann, out of commission in a surprise attack shortly after war was declared. A legend tells that the c The captains of both ships were friends and had shared countless drunken nights.
That's why, when the British started shelling the Germans, the good captain Berndt (top officer of the German ship) took a boat and rowed to the English ship to see if his friend had been drinking too much. I wish all wars were resolved like this in these times when the world seems to have gone crazy.
Today, peace wins in malawi and at nightfall the stars continue to light up on its surface. Those stars that, like everything in Africa, began to beat long before the arrival of Livingstone and Europeans who had never been invited to the party.