Lake Chala, also known as Dschalla, is
a crater lake in a caldera on the
eastern edge of Mount Kilimanjaro, not far from the town of Moshi. Depending on the time of year, it ranges in colour
from deep blue to turquoise and green, it is surrounded by a 100 metres
high crater rim. The lake is fed by groundwater flows, which come
from Mount Kilimanjaro, fed and drained under ground with a rate of
about 10 million m³ / year. Even the Chala loses volume. Its level had
dropped in the last 6 years, by 2.4 metres, at the start of 2011 the
water level has risen again by over 1 metre.
The lake is home to the endemic Lake Chala tilapia (Oreochromis hunteri), which is now considered Critically Endangered on the IUCN red list of threatened species
Crocodiles were introduced to Lake Chala in the early 1900s, and in 2002, a woman was killed by a rare Nile crocodile(Crocodylus niloticus) while swimming in the lake. Since then the local fishermen, tired of having their nets ripped to pieces, started an eradication programme by shooting and poisoning. It is doubtful if any crocodiles remain in the lake today.
This stunning volcanic area is rapidly growing in tourism and it is now possible to stay at Lake Chala at the new camp on the Tanzanian side.
The lake is home to the endemic Lake Chala tilapia (Oreochromis hunteri), which is now considered Critically Endangered on the IUCN red list of threatened species
Crocodiles were introduced to Lake Chala in the early 1900s, and in 2002, a woman was killed by a rare Nile crocodile(Crocodylus niloticus) while swimming in the lake. Since then the local fishermen, tired of having their nets ripped to pieces, started an eradication programme by shooting and poisoning. It is doubtful if any crocodiles remain in the lake today.
This stunning volcanic area is rapidly growing in tourism and it is now possible to stay at Lake Chala at the new camp on the Tanzanian side.
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