Lake Nakuru is one of the Rift Valley lakes at an elevation of 1,754 m above sea level. It lies to the south of Nakuru, in the rift valley of Kenya and is protected by Lake Nakuru National Park, one of the best national parks in Kenya.
The lake’s abundance of algae used to attract a vast quantity of flamingos that famously lined the shore. The park’s main feature is a large, shallow lake supporting great birdlife, including big flocks of pelicans and variable flocks of flamingos.
The lake was once famous for its flamingos, however, since 2012, conditions have become unfavourable for these birds and most have moved to other Rift Valley lakes.
Lake Nakuru is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most famous lake in Kenya. With large bushy green sections, not commonly seen in other Kenyan parks such as Masai Mara national reserve.
Visitors descend upon Lake Nakuru to see the flocks of flamboyant flamingoes and critically endangered black rhino. In addition to these popular protagonists, the Park also has over 50 species of mammals and 400 species of bird.
There are no elephants in the Park—Lake Nakuru National Park is fenced off to protect the Rothschild's giraffe and endangered rhinos.
Commonly spotted mammals include hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, lions, leopards and cheetah. Birds to spot include the long-tailed widowbird, Abyssinian thrush raptors, waders, Rüppell's vulture and grey crown crane.
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