Lake Turkana Safari Park
The Jade Sea
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Turkana National Parks covers a total area of 130,860 km2, and comprises three national parks located around Lake Turkana basin. The (3) three parks consist of Sibiloi National Park and two islands on Lake Turkana (Central Island and South Island). The Lake is the largest alkaline lake in East Africa and the largest desert lake in the world; – the Lake is strikingly beautiful.
Well-known as “The Jade Sea”; due to its turquoise colour seen approaching from a distance. Its breathtaking colour comes from algae that rise to the surface in calm weather.
Lake Turkana is a key stopping point for migratory birds, and is a key breeding site for the Nile crocodiles, hippopotamus, and snakes. It also contains fossils in the Koobi Fora deposits rich in mammalian, molluscan and other fossil remains, including the Turkana Basin Institute which is a research and educational facility located in the region often referred to as the Cradle of Mankind. Here, you will learn about everything from dinosaurs to our ancient ancestors.
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Lake Turkana Landscape & Scenery
Lake Turkana is in an enclosed basin in an environment with extreme aridity, low and poorly distributed rainfall, high evaporation rates and strong southwest winds. The alkaline water body is surrounded by volcanic rock and vegetation is sparse and spiky.
The lakes remoteness has preserved the area as a natural wilderness, featuring diverse habitats resulting from environmental changes over time which range from terrestrial and aquatic, desert to grasslands. On the grassy plains yellow speargrass Imperata cylindrica, Acacia tortilis, and other acacia species predominate along with A. elatior, desert date Balanites aegyptiaca and doum palm Hyphaene coriacea in sparse gallery woodlands. Salvadora persica bush is found on Central and South Islands. The muddy bays of South Island have extensive submerged beds of Potamogeton pectinatus which shelter spawning fish.
Top Things To Do In Lake Turkana Parks
Discover some of the best things to do in Lake Turkana Parks. The setting and climate of Northern Kenya allows for quality wildlife viewing all-round the year; from birding, cultural tours, guided nature walks to camel trekking safaris, let’s have a look at the number of notable activities that Lake Turkana Parks offers.
Visitors can enjoy game viewing, camping, boating, nature trail hiking, sport fishing and sightseeing. Boats for hire are available and negotiable with the local community, on the eastern and the western shores of Lake Turkana.
Lake Turkana Scenery
Animals & Wildlife In Lake Turkana
Although Lake Turkana is not primarily a wildlife safari destination, it’s famous for its crocodiles and bird colonies. Discover up to an estimated 120,000 Nile crocodiles which breed on Central Island, and can be visited by boat. Elsewhere, Sibiloi National Park protects wildlife in the area; including some north Kenyan wildlife specials such as reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, lesser kudu, gerenuk and Grevy’s zebra. The big cats; Lions, leopard and cheetahs are present, but very rarely seen.
Birdlife & Birds In Lake Turkana Parks
The Lake is an important flyway passage and stopover for palaeartic migrant birds, with the South Island Park also being designated as an important bird area. Lake Turkana is internationally-recognised important Bird Area, with 84 water bird species, including 34 Palearctic migrants (for which it serves as an important flyway and stop-over site for birds on passage). More than 10% of the entire East African/South East Asian population of Little Stints (more than 100,000 individuals) may winter here; at least ten regionally-threatened species of birds breed, including African skimmer. This also makes the lake, a fantastic place for sport fishing and birding.
Lake Turkana National Parks
Lake Turkana National Parks comprise of Sibiloi National Park, the South Island and Central Island National Park, all covering an area located within the Lake Turkana basin. All these Turkana Parks have collectively been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
1. Central Island National Park
Positioned almost in the middle of Lake Turkana is Central Island National Park which covers an area of about 5sqkms. The island towers starkly from the blue-green waters of the largest permanent desert lake in the world. In addition, the Central Island is made up of three active volcanoes that gulp sulphurous smoke and steam. The lakes found here are key breeding ground for the world’s largest concentration of Nile crocodiles and home to thousands of rare fish.
Central Island is a bird’s paradise that acts as a stopover for migratory birds from Europe who feed and rest here as they return home spectacularly viewed between the months of March and May. Resident birds like the Egyptian goose also breed here. Sport fishing is allowed at Central Island, boating, nature trail hiking, and sightseeing.
Lake Turkana is home to some of the world’s venomous reptiles that include the saw-scaled viper, puff adder and cobras. The species of fish include the huge Nile Perch, large Tilapia and puffer fish a group normally found in seawaters.
2. South Island National Park
Just as the name goes;- South Island National Park is positioned in Southern L. Turkana, and is yet another breeding ground for Nile crocodile and a range of venomous carpet snakes. Additionally, it’s also one of Kenya’s Important Birding Areas as defined by Birdlife International. South Island is also characterized by unique geo-morphological features that include extinct volcanic ash overflows, sandy beaches, rocky outcrops islets and unidentified fossil deposits on sedimentary formations. The towering caldera to the North of South Island is an important water fowl breeding site for the Great Cormorant, Reed Cormorant, Redheaded Gull.
The water bird species seen here include; Goliath heron, African skimmer, white open African billed stork, duck and congregatory birds such as lesser flamingo. While in South Island, you can enjoy birding, walking safaris, picnicking and boat safaris. Lake Turkana Cultural Festival is also a great attraction. This is an annual festival done to celebrate rich cultural splendor of the communities living in the area.
The South Island Park is surrounded by the Turkana, Samburu and the El molo communities that showcase rich traditional cultures. The Loiyangalani desert museum located 2KM from South Island on top of a hill bears a backdrop of the picturesque Lake Turkana with a display of rich cultural splendor of the eight communities living around Lake Turkana.
3. Sibiloi National Park
Call it “The Cradle of Mankind”, an undiscovered gems in Northern Kenya awaits your exploration. Set on the wild and rugged shores of Lake Turkana, the cradle of mankind that is Sibiloi National Park is home to important archaeological sites including Koobi Fora where the fossil remains have contributed more to the understanding of human evolution than any other site in the continent. Visitors can see the fossil of a three million year old giant tortoise, an ancient species of crocodile and a behemoth dating back to millions of years.
Sibiloi National Park is characterized by a desert habitat and open plains flanked by the volcanic formations including Mount Sibiloi, where the remains of the Petrified Forest can be seen, the casts of elephants, giant tortoise, Koobi fora museum, TBI museum the (Turkana Basin Institute:- human origins research in Kenya).
Sibiloi is a haven for the water bird species, while serving as a stopover for 34 Palearctic. 23 species breed here, including Ardea goliath, and up to 50 pairs of the regionally threatened Rynchops flavirostris have bred on Central Island.
The other notable wildlife species found here include endangered northern topi, Somali ostrich, plain zebra, grant gazelle, gerenuk, spotted and stripped hyena, cheetah and lion (though the big cats are rarely seen). Culture wise, the park is surrounded by the Dassanach, Turkana and Gabra communities with very rich and unpolluted traditional cultures. In Sibiloi Park, guests can enjoy the game viewing, walking safaris, picnicking and boat safaris.
Best Time To Visit Lake Turkana National Parks
While Lake Turkana National Parks can be visited year-round, keep in mind that Lake Turkana experiences a desert climate and rainfall is very low. The area can be visited at any time, though the scenery is most stunning after the rains, which happen in April and November.
Weather & Climate At Lake Turkana National Parks
Lying in the Northern frontier of Kenya, Lake Turkana is positioned at one of the hottest area of the country where daytime temperatures average 35°C/94°F. The long rains happens during April and the short rains begin in November. Generally speaking, Kenya lies on the equator and experiences quite a pleasant, tropical climate, but there are other climatic variations influenced by factors, including altitude. Kenya is too close to the equator to experience a real winter and summer; though there is both a Dry and Wet season.
Safari Tours To Lake Turkana National Parks
Want to visit Lake Turkana National Parks? This is one of the most rewarding safari destinations in northern Kenya that you can easily add on a safari package to Masai Mara.
You have plenty of choices to pick from, Lake Turkana midrange safaris to Lake Turkana luxury safaris depending on your travel style.
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