Location: 160 km (100 mi) North of Nairobi Map
Area: Park- 188 km²
Lake- 5- 45 km²
Tel. 051 2217 151
Open: 6am- 7pm daily
Lake Nakuru National Park is a nature reserve situated 160 km (100 mi) North of Nairobi in Kenya. The name of the lake literally means "Dust or Dusty Place". It varies dramatically through the year and in wet season attracts thousands of flamingos that feed on algae in the lake. Land area of the park covers an area of 188 km² and Lake Nakuru area varies between 5 and 45 km² depending time of the year.
The water in the lake is salty. The lake is home
to six species of phytoplankton. Among them stands out the tiny
blue-green alga Arthrospira platensis, which lives in large
quantities here. The abundance of algae in the lake attracts a huge
number of flamingos.
The area also has many other bird
species. Of the mammals, there are African warthogs, baboons, black
and white rhinos.
The water level in the lake fell sharply in
the early 1990s, but has since been largely restored.
The
word "Nakuru" in the Masai language means "dust" or "dusty place."
National Park "Lake Nakuru" near the city of Nakuru was created in
1961. At first, it included only the territory of the famous lake
and the adjacent mountainous areas, but now it is spread over a
significant part of the savannah.
Lake Nakuru is protected by
the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.