Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi, which is also referred or well known as the place of many little birds, is located in the south western part of Uganda and situated between the two districts of Kisoro and kibale close to the border with Rwanda.
The lake, is located at 1962 meters which approximately 6437 ft above sea level and this is all about 25 kilometers and this is also approximately 15.5 miles long and 7 kilometers and it is also approximately 1.35 miles wide. The depth of the lake is expected to vary between 44 meter which is 144 fts and 900 meters. Form this, the lake is recognized as the second deepest water body in Africa. It is also one of the few lakes in the region that is rumored to be free of bilharzia and safe for swimming.
Bunyonyi is in the neighborhoods of kabale town in the south western part of Uganda and in road it only takes 6 hours from Kampala which is about 410 kilometers to kabale town and 8 kilometers marram road right away from kabale to lake Bunyonyi on your way to Bwindi forest in kabale or Mgahinga gorilla home in Kisoro district.
The lake geographically is a body of great water which is seven kilometers or 4.3 miles in the west of kabale town, south western Uganda. It is also 25 kilometers long and 7 kilometers wide and still all that, it covers an area of 61 square kilometers or 23 and half miles.
The lake is surrounded by hills that are 2200 to 2478 meters high and intensely cultivated. Its 29 islands are all concentrated in the central part of Lake Bunyonyi and have few settlements but instead they are mostly used for tourist activities and for secondary as well as also primary school students study tours.
It has surface temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius which is 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Different types of fish was introduced in lake Bunyonyi and this took place in the later years but still in 1930s fishing became profitable and unfortunately in 1960s all most all the fish died massively and this came up as a result of violent shallow mixing that anticipated to be caused by the strong winds that are blowing in this place. Due to that, subsistence fishing prevailed in the lake and during its period of existence in this place, people mostly caught Clarias species.
The lake’s depth in consideration with its stratification has made it difficult for breeding of common Uganda species that is to say Nile perch and Tilapia but again nevertheless, Nile Tilapia and Clarias fish were also released in the great lake of Bunyonyi and this happened at the end of 2002, but some of the fish species present in lake Bunyonyi include mud fish, crayfish and mirrow carp and plenty of their predators, otters. All are found in the beautiful pure blue waters of lake Bunyonyi where water takes a big percentage of the land.
Lake Bunyonyi, is being surrounded by beautiful towns full of good people, and some of the towns on the shores of this mighty lake include kyevu and muko and the among the 29 island that surrounding it also includes the known punishment island and Bushara island.
The lake is also a good location for water sports. The Lake is also popular with both foreign and domestic tourist attractions and therefore it inputs a wide range of tourists in its premises because it also has a variety of tourists accommodations which are well trained to handle people.
The lake’s main center is simply located in Bufuka village and this is one of the areas inhabited by the two tribes of the Bakiga and Batwa .
Lake Bunyonyi, also called the place of five islands and each island has got it’s own history behind to its consideration that is attached to it. Some of these islands include the Bushara island, Akampeno island, kyalugye island, Bwama, njayeera also known as sharp’s island, and finally the Bucurannuka island which known as the upside down island.
In lake Bunyonyi there a variety of tourists activities that are carried out around the lake and these include canoeing, boat riding, and local tours, swimming because the waters are pure and clean free of any disease, hiking the highlands around lake bunyonyi, pygmy village tours and also bird watching since it has a variety of bird species. Since it has pure blue waters also the winds blowing from it are totally clean and pure so also breathtaking under this great nature of lake Bunyonyi.
Lake Bunyonyi will still be a place of wonders because of the wildlife features that are found in the premises of lake Bunyonyi, but again it has also improved in developing the economy of our country Uganda. Tourists coming to lake Bunyonyi should be comfortable that they are coming to the right place where all the nature of the water that they have ever heard of is only and only found in the silent grounds of lake Bunyonyi, come have the memorable experience with one of Africa’s unique grounds and this is lake Bunyonyi and discover the lost treasures of this lake.
