Unique Features of Ngorongoro Crater
Unique Features of Ngorongoro Crater
Unique Features of Ngorongoro Crater; Ngorongoro Conservation area has many unique features of the memorable crater lakes that one can visit during his or her vacation in Northern Tanzania around Ngorongoro conservation area. During the period of volcanic activity 2 million years ago many crater calderas were formed which were later filled with water to form crater lakes.
Ngorongoro crater lakes called the garden of Eden due to its historical and archaeological discoveries made around Ngorongoro conservation area. There are three Ngorongoro crater lakes those are Empakaai crater lake, Olmoti crater lake and finally the crater centre lake Magadi. Ngorongoro crater lakes are a must see to make your Tanzania wildlife experience complete especially if one is interested in completing the list of African big 5. The lakes create an ideal place to support wildlife with large green fresh pastures and water that attract them.
The Soda ash lakes are part of the unique features that contain some alkaline water support a large number of water birds especially the flamingos making them pink lakes. Most of these are lesser flamingos with dark red bills which like feeding on Blue-green spirulina algae. Lake Magadi has a unique smell that thinks especially in dry seasons leaving crystalline salt pans that are most visited by Jackals to link, Hyenas and other animals.
Ngorongoro crater lakes are always flooded during rainy season and the water levels reduce during dry season. The crater lakes are all drained by one river that is Munge River located at the Eastern part of the crater.
Ngorongoro crater lakes are listed as world heritage sites in 1979 together with all the Conservation Area. They comprise of the 7 natural wonders of Africa well known worldwide.
The lakes in habit over 30,000 animals including all the African big 5 those are Elephants, Buffalos, Leopards, Lions and Rhinos. Other animals include Hyenas, Jackals, wildebeest, Zebras among others. The animals in this place are also part of the unique features.
The main crater lake (Lake Magadi)
The magadi lake sits in the largest broken caldera in the world that gives the highlight of Ngorongoro conservation Area as seven natural wonders of Africa. The crater lake is the flagship of tourism in Ngorongoro Conservation Area formed after the collapse of the volcano in Ngorongoro 2 million years ago. Other craters are Empakaai crater and Olmoti crater.
Vegetation cover
The crater lakes are a home of evergreen forests as well as open grassland that occupy the bottom of the crater, mix with swampy vegetation along the crater lakes. The abundant grass has attracted more grazing animals in the forest except the Giraffes which are only found outside the crater due to steep sides of the crater that hinders the giraffes to enter in to the crater.
High moorland, forests cover the steep walls of the crater mixed up with Bamboo while the Dove-weeds dominate the lower slopes of the crater. At the crater floor is covered by short grass dotted with short Acacia trees and many more.
Relevant links
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