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Trip ReportTrip ReportDIVING WITH CICHLIDS IN LAKE MALAWIDIVING WITH CICHLIDS IN LAKE MALAWI

AFRICAN AQUARIUMAFRICAN

AQUARIUMExploring the barren, rocky bottoms of a veritable freshwater inland sea - in search of fascinating, colorful fish among hippos and Nile crocodiles

Exploring the barren, rocky bottoms of a veritable freshwater inland sea - in search of fascinating, colorful fish among hippos and Nile crocodiles

HEREGOOGLE EARTH COORDINATES HERE

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Maylandia sp.This cichlid is flashing its bright blue sidebars, possibly as a sign of aggression or territorial display.

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TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT BENNETT

Domwe Island The rocky shoreline of Domwe Island.

or some reason, many peopleattach an unwarranted stigma to Africa.Whenever there is trouble somewhere,many assume the entire continent ishazardous simply by geographicassociation. As African nations go,however, Malawi remains refreshinglyinnocuous; it doesn’t make the news for allthe wrong reasons. Make no mistake; thecountry’s small size belies its multitude ofattractions. Known as the warm heart ofAfrica for its friendly people, I quicklyrealized it could also be called the land ofsurprises.

Proclaimed a National Park in 1973,Liwonde features a diverse range ofhabitats and abundant wildlife despite itsrelatively compact size of 580 sq km.Mopane woodland dominatesapproximately three-quarters of the parkalong with candelabra trees and numerousbaobabs. Reed swamps and marshlandfringe the Shire River while the southfeatures floodplain grassland, mixedwoodland on the hills and semi-deciduousriverine forest. After paying the park fees,we set out for Mvuu, the sole lodge locatedwithin the park boundaries. En route, gamewas abundant with impala, bushbuck,waterbuck, warthogs and kudu. A herd ofelephants was an unexpected surprise withquite a few juveniles present.

Discreetly nestled on a small lagoon off theShire River, the camp was simply stunning.Resting on a raised platform high beneathan imposing thatched roof, the main lodgefeatured an open-air reception / diningarea offering views of both the lagoon andShire River beyond. Lodge facilitiesincluded a dining room, pub, lounge area,library and swimming pool.Accommodation consists of eight luxurioustents for a maximum of 16 guests, each withensuite bathroom facilities and a privateviewing platform overlooking the water.It didn’t take long to spot some wildlife.Egrets waded through the lagoon’sshallows while some imposing crocodilesbasked on the muddy riverbank. Mvuumeans “hippo” in the local Tonga languageand the name couldn’t be more fitting.Approximately 2000 reside in the ShireRiver and seeing them is a 100% certainty.To me, their snorting and bellowing is asound synonymous with the African bush.A short drive brought me to a lookout overthe Shire River, where I enjoyed a glass ofwine as the setting sun transformed the stillwaters to liquid gold. Afterwards, a nightdrive yielded kudu, white-tailed mongoose,genets, scrub hares and even a bushbabyhopping along the ground. Over dinner, Iwas asked what I wanted to do the nextmorning. Activities included guided bushwalks, game and boat drives. I opted for

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African Elephant Loxodonta africanaPeacefully grazing in knee-deep water by the lake’s edge.

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Masimbwe Island The rocky, barren bottom of Masimbwe Island is home to countless, colorful cichlids.

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Maylandia auroraMost Malawi cichlids display a brightly iridescent and very colorful livery.

the latter, which provided tremendousphoto ops, especially for birds. Over 300of the country's 650 species reside withinthe Park, which includes a copious numberof waterbirds.

Getting up for sunrise, we crossed the riverjust in time for the clouds to roll in. Birdspecies included open-billed and yellowbilled storks, African spoonbills, fish eagles,African pied kingfishers, little bee eaters,reed cormorants and African jacanas toname but a few. Golden and brown-throated weavers congregated amongst thereeds fringing the waterways, while wiretailed swifts were constant companions,perching on the boat’s bow or under thecanopy barely an arm’s length away.Hippos were everywhere. Fortunately, myguide knew exactly which ones toapproach or which ones to avoid.Elephants grazed in the marshy areassurrounded by cattle egrets, eager to snapup insects disturbed by their enormouscompanions. Within Liwonde is a 4000 hafenced area called “The Sanctuary,” wherea number of rare species have beenintroduced including buffalo, Lichtenstein'shartebeest, zebra, roan, eland and blackrhino. The Liwonde Black Rhino Project,initiated in part by Wilderness Safaris, hasestablished a small breeding population toprovide a source of animals to establish inother Parks. Although we didn’t see any,they were definitely around, with middens

(rhino latrines) indicating their presence.Elephants were much easier to find. Onemassive bull standing astride the tracknecessitated a monumental detour! Lots ofbirds were on view, including yellow-billedand crowned hornbill, Livingstone’sflycatcher and Lillian’s lovebird. Liwonde isthe only place in Malawi where the latterhas been observed. We were also lucky tospot sable antelope, several hundred ofwhich reside in the sanctuary’s mopanewoodland. Another first was a bush pig, aclose relative of the red river hog found inthe central African rainforests.Distinguished by less colourful markings,coarser hair and a larger size than theirjungle cousins, bushpigs are usuallynocturnal. However, during the dryseason, they emerge prior to dusk whentemperatures are cooler.

The following morning, a second boatcruise revealed more, filling my flash cardto the bursting point. Waterbirds wereespecially tolerant, allowing a closeapproach for frame-filling images. Thecrocs were far more skittish, sliding into thewater the moment the boat got anywhereclose. One massive male in the river raisedhis head above the waterline and emitteda deep booming call to attract females.Although brief, my stay at Mvuu wasspectacular. Although Malawi isn’tregarded as a safari destination, Liwonde’swildlife was most impressive.

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Mumbo Island Water and savannah meet along the rocky, wooded shores of Mumbo Island.

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Maylandia callainosMost cichlids of Lake Malawi have no common name outside the aquarium trade.

A drive of several hours brought me toCape Maclear in the Lake Malawi NationalPark. A World Heritage Site, itencompasses the Cape Maclear peninsulaas well as the lake itself and islands up to100 metres offshore. Upwards of 23 divesites are located within the Park’sboundaries. Situated within the Park limits,Cape Maclear is a resort area with a reallyinteresting vibe. Abounding with overseasbackpackers and souvenir vendors, I feltlike I was in Southeast Asia rather thanCentral Africa! Bordering Malawi,Mozambique and Tanzania, Lake Malawiis no ordinary body of water. One ofAfrica’s Rift Valley lakes, its vast basin wascreated by titanic geological forces thatcontinue tearing the continent apart.Plummeting to a depth of 800m, the world’sfifth-largest lake features the largest numberof fish species of any lake in the world.Along with its namesake country, the lakeborders western Mozambique andsouthern Tanzania. At the southern end, theShire River flows outwards towards theZambezi River in Mozambique. The lake isabout 350 kilometres southeast of LakeTanganyika, another Rift Valley giant that isAfrica’s largest.

Incredibly, all but a few of Lake Malawi’sfish species are endemic. The vast majorityare cichlids, the most colourful of which arelocally known as "mbuna”. Like an

undersea Galapagos, an initial colonizerhas evolved into upwards of a thousandknown species, with more undoubtedlyawaiting discovery. In comparison, LakeTanganyika possesses a fraction of thespecies count despite being substantiallylarger. The remarkable endemism is due toa number of factors, with isolation fromother major bodies of water having asignificant impact. In addition, cichlids arehighly territorial, generally residing in onecompact area for their entire lives.My first night would be spent in CapeMaclear at Mgoza Lodge. Situated right onthe beach, the lodge was basic butcomfortable. The morning after I metPatrick, who would be my divemaster forthe next two days. With luggage and divegear aboard, our destination was TumbeIsland a 30-min boat ride away. Gearingup proved especially interesting. In theocean, I normally require 7-8kg of weightwith my 3mm suit but here, with a steel tankcombined with less buoyant fresh water, Ionly needed 3kg. With a watertemperature of 23 degrees, I was hopingmy 3mm would be warm enough. (Patrickhad on 5mm). Plunging in, I noticed aninitial chill, but that quickly subsided. Themorning’s first dive site was The Wreck. A15m steel-hulled vessel sunk specifically fordiving, it rests upright at a depth of 30m.Heading down the slopes to the wreck,visibility was limited to less than 10m, so I

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African Elephant Loxodonta africanaElephants are commonly encountered along the lake’s shores.

ensured that Patrick always remained inclose proximity. Cichlids were everywherein a staggering array of shapes andcolours. It was hard to believe they haddescended from a solitary species. Thedominating feature of the terrain wasgranite boulders, some which were the sizeof houses. A large blue crab peered outfrom under a rock, scuttling to the safety ofa deep recess as I approached. Despite thelake’s immense size, the crabs are thepremier scavengers. Vegetation wassurprisingly absent however, but everysurface was shrouded with algae, theprimary food for many cichlid species. Afew however, eat, other cichlids. Arriving atthe wreck, it proved to be a magnet forcichlids. Descending to the stern, weencountered a pair of kampango catfish.Dwarfing the cichlids, they are the biggestfish in the lake, with some attaining lengthsof 2 m. Unfazed by our presence, theyallowed a close approach for wide-anglephotography. Our bottom time maxed out,we then ascended the gradual slope,marveling at the huge boulders andabundant cichlids. After, the challengingconditions I had just encountered in SouthAfrica, diving Lake Malawi seemed likebeing in a pool! Completing our surfaceinterval, we motored around to the otherside of the island to our next site called TheAquarium. I quickly realized the namecouldn’t be more apt, being instantlyenveloped by cichlids of even greaternumbers and varieties.

The next morning, Patrick arrived right at9:00 and we set out for Mumbo Island.While much smaller and flatter thanDomwe, it proved no less dramatic. Theisland’s rugged circumference was ajumble of massive boulders spilling downto the water’s edge, with baobab andcandelabra trees jostling each other forspace. Underwater, the scenery wasequally dramatic. Tooth Rock featured aseries of pinnacles descending down to50m. Descending to 18m, visibility wasonly 5m at the start. While photographywas limited by the conditions, there wereplenty of overhangs and swim throughs toexplore. Ascending for our safety stop, thewater became crystal clear, with immenseboulders dwarfing the never-endingcichlids. Mpipi Bay proved similar, withrocky slopes descending gradually to100m. Here, we encountered some fishspecies I hadn’t encountered further south.Silvery chambo are a favoured foodspecies in the lake as are the non-cichlidusipa, the latter swarming in greatnumbers near the surface. Having finisheddiving by mid afternoon, we headed backto the resort on Mumbo.

Bidding Cape Maclear farewell, it wastime to embark on the final leg of myMalawian adventure to Likoma Island.Ahead lay a four-hour road trip toLilongwe airport where I would catch myUlendo Airlink flight to Likoma Island.After an airport layover of several hours,

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Hippo Hippopotamus amphibiusHippos are among some of Africa’s most dangerous animals, being prone to sudden, fast, unannounced charges and being responsible for anumber of fatalities every year.

the hour-long flight delivered me the islandand Kaya Mawa Resort by late afternoon.Situated on the northern portion of the lake,just off the Mozambique coast, Likoma issomething of an anomaly. The island, alongwith neighbouring Chizumulu, is part ofMalawi due to the British. In 1880,established their headquarters on the islandand in the early 20th century, erected alarge Anglican cathedral. As a result, theisland was ceded to Malawi rather thanMozambique when national borders wereestablished after World War II.

The first day, we did a pair of dives in themorning with a third in the afternoon afterlunch. Situated off the northwest side ofLikoma, Masimbwe Island quickly becamea favourite. Featuring shallows on the eastside with deep drop-offs on the west, thefish life was abundant and the sceneryspectacular. Like colossal steps, hugeboulders tumbled to a depth of 26m. I evenobserved a freshwater sponge, something Ididn’t even know existed. Visibility at thesafety stop was outstanding and I was ableto get numerous cichlid portraits. However,one subject remained maddeningly elusive.

Many Malawi cichlids are mouth brooders,with the juvenile fish protected within theirmother’s mouth. Keeping a mindful eye onher free-swimming offspring, she will gulpthe babies back in at the first sign ofdanger. Having missed them at CapeMaclear, I really wanted to see thisphenomenon in action. Happily, our seconddive at Christian’s Point proved more

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Tropheops “Red cheek” The cichlids of lake Malawi are much sought after for the aquarium trade.

Tropheops membeMany Lake Malawi cichlids feature a varying amount of barring on their sides.

successful. The key was to look for aschool of juveniles, which indicated themother must be close by. Before long, wewitnessed the mouth brooding behaviourin action. Back at the dive shop, speciesclassification proved equally demandingas many species not only looked similarbut also had no common names. It didn’thelp that the id book had the girth of adictionary!

After getting a lot of macro shots the firstday, I switched to wide angle for a returnvisit to Masimbwe Island. Visibility wasat least 15m, the best I had seen on thetrip. I managed to get another kampangoimage. Switching back to macro for myfinal dive, I f inal ly managed tophotograph juvenile cichlids inside their

mother’s mouth. Regrettably, some cichlidmothers won’t be winning any parentingawards. On several occasions we sawpredatory cichlids decimating the juvenileswith the mother nowhere in sight.

Before I knew it, my adventure had come toa close. While lacking the megafauna andcolourful reefs of a tropical ocean, Malawi’ssubtropical waters were truly unique,offering dramatic scenery and remarkablebiodiversity unlike anywhere else on earth.However, one of the week’s biggest surpriseswas the ease of the diving. With no currents,calm conditions and good visibility, LakeMalawi is an ideal destination for divers ofall skill levels. I’m sure that when I return, thewarm heart of Africa will continue to dazzlewith more surprises. .

Pseudotropheus saulosiSeveral cichlid species from lake Malawi are a very bright yellow.

Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticusNile crocodiles are large, fast, cunning and extremely dangerous predators - a constant threat to human or animal getting close to the water’s edge.

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Kampango catfish A huge bottom-dwelling freshwater species which can get 2 meters long.

Melanochromis parallelusThis is a somberly colored juvenile of the species.

African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vociferA large and beautiful bird of prey and a common sight along water bodies in

Africa. Its shrill cry is unmistakable.

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Underwater photography The freshwater environment of Lake Malawi offers unique opportunities to thediscerning, experienced underwater photographer.

Mumbo Island Scores of mbunas - colorful cichlids - are to be found among the

boulders of the dive site locally known as “Tooth Rock”.

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Mumbo Island The local resort features thatched bungalows perched on the massive boulders overlooking the lake’s edge.

Western Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascensA large-headed, short-tailed day raptor, often observed alongrivers from Senegal to Zimbabwe.

Reed Cormorant Microcarbo africanusAlso known as the long-tailed cormorant, a common water bird

with a wide distribution range in Africa and Madagascar.

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Protomela taeniolatusNot all cichlids from lakes Malawi and Tanganyika are brightly colored.

Maylandia zebraOne of the most colorful and brightly patterned species from lake Malawi.

Dimidiochromis kiwingeThis specimens shows the oral care of its progeny typical of many cichlids.

Melanochromis parallelusAnother brightly patterned cichlid species from lake Malawi.

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Shire River Sunrise along the palm-lined shores of the slow-moving Shire River of Malawi.