Diving Lake Malawi

An unusual detour in mid-August 2010 via Lake Malawi, during a trip to East and Southern Africa not totally dedicated to diving.

Malawi is little known, uncrowded; It is, however, extremely easy to reach (Kenya Airways flights CDG-Nairobi, Nairobi-Lilongwe in correspondence, 4h from Lilongwe road to reach the lake at Cape Maclear (near the village of Chombe), leaving Paris to 20h30; we are the next day in the afternoon at the lake, without any time difference Cool, no?

So, arrived at Cape Maclear, a first night at the Danforth Lakeside Lodge, run by a very British couple; simple but comfortable bungalows. All possible water activities, including a PADI dive center (two South African instructors) with equipment in perfect condition, no need to come with his gear, they rent everything except computer! The edges of the lake are not recommended for bathing (low risk but not zero bilharziasis); they take off a nearby island for snorkelling and diving. We only did snorkelling (PMT) during this first stage, meeting the famous cichlids of Lake Malawi, well known aquarists (sic).

The next day, transfer (45mn by boat) to the island of Mumbo, 10 km offshore, to Mumbo island camp. Only 5 tents, no water or electricity, on a rocky island which you can go around in 30 minutes by kayak (a good hour at the palm). We live to the rhythm of the sun, we swim, we kayak, we dive - we'll come back to that -; hiking trails crisscross the island ... Simple life in an unusual environment.

The diving is possible there also without gear (once again except ordi). A boat comes from Chombe twice a day, in principle to 10h30 and 15h30 (quite elastic schedule in practice); the instructor comes on request with the Frogman Divers center boat (Kayak Africa) with pre-rigged blocks. There is more to get into the water.

We were not too lucky because it was very windy, the lake was very agitated and the visibility therefore quite reduced (2-3m in a greenish fog); pity, it seems that when the lake is calm, the water is crystal clear with 20 to 30 m of view… Water at 22 °. Shallow dives: 15-20m max (beyond, at least in these conditions, more light), in a landscape made of large blocks of granite on top of each other, sparing overhangs, caves, passages under rock quite astonishing, for who, like me, is more used to coral reefs.
The wildlife is equally confusing: the lake is a real natural aquarium, home to myriads of colorful fish, the "famous" cichlids and huge catfish.

Cichlids are amazing (there are more than 800 species and subspecies in the lake!), Because they adapt to their environment and therefore according to the seabed, the food they find, the light, ... they develop innumerable variations of dress, to such an extent that their formal identification is far from easy. I had a lot of difficulty identifying the few species that we saw around our island, but with the help of Patrick LOUISY and an Italian specialist (Enrico CATTANI), I was finally able to identify everything.

Air dives (no Nitrox); no escape plan, but shallow dives, with no real risk, so we do without ...
40 US $ diving, blocks, stab and regulators provided.
A highly recommendable experience to who likes to go out of beaten whole.

Some photos are attached to this short presentation (more photos online on my site: http://www.aquaphot.fr/Malawi2010.htm).