Lake Nakuru Expedition Pictures

A group of yellow-billed pelicans

Lake Nakuru!

A family of White Rhinos! (kifaru)

Another shot of Lake Nakuru...with Flamingos. There were hundreds! The lake is a really important spot on their migration route.

I really love the colors in this one! More white rhinos grazing on the edge of the lake. The sand is so white because the water in the lake is full of alkaline sediments and is very salty. Like many of Africa's water sources, it is also drying up, which is why so much of the saline sands are exposed. Because Lake Nakuru is in the middle of the Great Rift Valley, and is one of the lowest points in the valley, it acts as a catchment for the entire Nakuru-area watershed. This means that every possible pollutant imaginable is in this lake due to runoff. They actually had to introduce an exotic species of fish that could withstand the alkalinity of the water so that the piscivorous birds would have something to eat.

Lion cubs!!!!!!!! They were SO close to our car! Hiding from the sun in some Tarconanthus bush. We watched them for the longest time...they seemed so curious about us.

Papa lion! So beautiful. (simba)

An African Buffalo. There are SO many in this park. I loved this guy...he is very, very old...you can tell by his decrepit horns. (nyati)

A Defossa Waterbuck! These guys are so cute. I love their heart-shaped noses and their super furry necks. My friends and I renamed them Mwasi Waterbuck because they are our favorite teacher's favorite animal.

A Rothschild Giraffe (twiga)

Mama and baby white rhino :) Look at how long her horn is!

Another picture of mama rhino

A view of the lake from Baboon Cliff

"KENYA!"

It didn't show up too well in this one unfortunately, but there was this beautiful rainbow arching over the lake after a rainstorm.

Another view of the rainbow...the colors in this one are great! The sun was coming through the clouds behind us and it made the grassland look like gold.

Sorry this one's a bit blurry :( We drove by right after this guy had scared off a leopard to steal his kill (that's why it's up in a tree, an unusual place for a lion) a juvenile buffalo.

Eating the buffalo...

...and dropping the buffalo. Such a cool moment.

'notha Giraffe :)

A beautiful Leopard lounging in the tree canopy.

Sunset on the lake! Sorry it was just pictures again! Tomorrow I'll blog about it and add some pictures of our camp and some shots of me and my tent-mates!