About Lake Kariba
For those who have not had the opportunity to visit the magical Lake Kariba and to give some idea as to the scope of the challenge, here are a few facts about the Lake:
- It is situated on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border.
- It was created when the mighty Zambezi River was dammed in the 1950s and 1960s.
- It is the largest man-made lake in the world, by volume.
- It has a surface area of approximately 5,500 square kilometres (about 2,100 square miles), making it one of the largest man-made lakes in the world by area as well.
- It contains about 200 billion tons of water and is a major source of hydro-electricity for the region.
- Its shores are home to all sorts of wildlife – elephants, hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles, antelope, snakes, hyenas, jackals, vultures and eagles - to name but a few.
- Its waters are home to the famous tiger fish, different breeds of tilapia, the tiny freshwater sardine known as kapenta and the vundu (an enormous catfish), among others.
- Being in the Zambezi Valley (500m/1,600ft above sea level) it can also get very hot in the summer months, with highs of up to 40℃/104℉.