What is the largest crater in Tanzania?
What is the largest crater in Tanzania?
From spectacular parks to towering volcanoes like Kilimanjaro and Meru, Tanzania boasts some of the most thriving tourist attractions. If you think of watching large wildebeest herds sweeping the wide, stretched plains, Serengeti is your place.
But for curious explorers, a Tanzania trip isn’t just about exploring wildlife reserves or hiking Kilimanjaro. It’s going beyond the ordinary. In this article, we address the question, “What is the largest crater in Tanzania?” Sit tight because we’ll give some bonus craters and explain what is so special about them.
The largest crater in Tanzania is the Ngorongoro Crater. This huge, spectacular expanse is about 18 km (12 miles) across, 600 meters (1968 ft) deep, and has a surface area of 264 sq km (101 sq miles).
The origin of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Simply put, Africa had the Ngorongoro Mountains, said to be taller than Kilimanjaro. But a volcanic eruption happened 2 to 3 million years ago, resulting in the formation of a volcanic bowl—the now Ngorongoro Crater.
Is Ngorongoro a crater or a caldera?
Ngorongoro is a caldera, not a crater. The difference is that craters form when an outward eruption of rocks or other materials happens, but calderas form when an inward volcanic eruption occurs (National Geographic). So, to be precise:
The Ngorongoro Mountains collapsed from inside, resulting in a large, enormous caldera. And because it didn’t completely break into a lake, Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken and unfilled caldera.
What’s so special about the Ngorongoro Crater?
It’s the world’s largest unbroken caldera.
If you compare craters in terms of size, Ngorongoro may not make the top five. Because large craters like Vredefort Crater (South Africa), Chicxulub Crater (Mexico), Sudbury Basin (Canada), Popigai Crater (Russia), and Manicougan Crater (Canada) take top spots.
But if you compare it with intact and unfilled calderas, it tops the list. This crater is unfilled (which means it’s not a lake) and boasts an array of habitats—from savannahs to shrublands.
It hosts the Big Five.
If you crave the Big Five, this crater will satisfy your senses. A game drive through the trails will introduce you to the views of the Big Five.
Around 30 lion prides live on the crater floor. And it’s much easier to spot them since they dominate the plains, where there’s clear visibility. A note to take is that the crater has the world’s highest density of lions—70 lions in just 100 square miles.
Elephants roam the woodlands and forests (Lerai Forest). These gray giants maintain the woodlands, preventing them from overgrowing.
About 30 black rhinos live in the crater. These massive, solitary mammals hide in shrubs and dense forests, usually acacia and others. The nature of the Ngorongoro Crater’s habitats allows clear visibility of rhinos on the floor.
Leopards are among the elusive creatures found in this enormous caldera. Since the crater is mainly an expanse of plains and woodlands, it may be challenging to spot leopards. Chances are higher if you visit the Lerai Forest.
The Cape buffalo forms large herds and roams in the woodlands and savannah plains. They graze alongside wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle.
It’s home to over 25,000 animals.
Despite being small, Ngorongoro Crater has one of the highest wildlife concentrations in the world. Herbivores like wildebeest, zebra, eland, buffalo, elephant, impala, and topi graze in the plains. Predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, and hyenas also coexist with their prey. The painted dogs are hardly seen.
Other Craters in Tanzania.
Ngurdoto Crater—the Little Ngorongoro
This crater is 3 km across and 100 meters deep, and it lies within Arusha National Park. Unlike Ngorongoro, visitors aren’t allowed to descend into the crater floor, the reason being to protect its fragile ecosystem. But you can walk on a guided walk on the crater rim. It has a swampy, forested floor with forested crater rims. Animals commonly found here include buffalo, warthog, and monkey.
Empakai Crater.
About 40 km northeast of the Ngorongoro Crater is the Empakai Crater. This crater is broken into a lake, which takes about 75% of the floor. People go there to hike on the crater rim, watch pink flamingos, and see some animals, such as elephants, buffalo, and lions. The Maasai also herd their cattle in this crater.
Olmoti Crater.
Olmoti is one of the craters within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. It’s about 6 km across, and the highest point is about 3,080 meters above sea level. Popular activities include walking and hiking.
The bottom line.
So, which crater are you visiting? Is it the Ngorongoro Crater? We can advise the best way to do that. A crater safari always feels so great when combined with the Serengeti, which is adjacent in the west. Also, don’t forget to combine it with a cultural visit to the Maasai village a few kilometers from the crater.
