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Lake Malawi -- Oct 7, 2002 -- The team arrived in Malawi somewhat shell shocked from the rigors of Aliwal Shoal. The Lake Malawi National Park with the islands of Domwe and Mumbo offered a place to relax shattered nerves and a large contrast to the previous diving experiences. In the hands of Kayak Africa, the team were shipped out to the delightful base camps on the islands. Lake Malawi has a remarkable family of cichlid fish that have evolved, adapted and overcome competitors galore to dominate virtually every biological niche in the lake. The lake is the eleventh largest in the world, 600 km¡¦s long and 2100 feet deep. Although this is a substantial body of water, it is still remarkable that this relatively small area of the planet¡¦s surface (about 31000km2 for the numerically minded amongst you) contains more freshwater fish species than Europe and North America combined. There are approximately 600 species of cichlid in the lake that are known to science, although new ones are discovered every year, and the real number is thought to be closer to 1000. These various species are in constant flux, an arms race that mostly takes place in the first 300 feet of the lakes considerable depth. Cichlids are grazers and predators, scavengers and ambushers. The only characteristic they all seem to share is a propensity for mouth brooding (only one species doesn¡¦t), and a strong leaning towards being gloriously technicoloured. The latter makes diving in the lake uncannily similar to diving in an aquarium, with rounded boulders, waving tendrils of aquatic plants, white sands, and the attendant swarms of riotously colored fish. The lake is also home to several other fish species, including seven types of catfish. The largest of these is the bombe catfish, 30 kg¡¦s of bewhiskered blackness lurking in the lakes depths and occasionally glimpsed in the caves beneath massive boulders, half fish, half shadow. Overhead wheel fish eagles, and in the lake¡¦s margins are two species of otters. Throw in the promise of hippo¡¦s and crocodile¡¦s (although they are rarely, if ever, seen around the islands in the National Park) and you have a truly different diving experience. Our dives were guided by Morne of Kayak Africa who took us to a number of fascinating locations within the lake offering swim-throughs, reefs, and mountainous rocky areas full of catfish and cichlids in spectacular visibility in wonderfully warm fresh water. And so our Africa phase draws to a close as we rumble in the Kayak Africa truck on a 6 hour trip back to Lilongwe airport to head back to Johanesburg fully refreshed and ready for the next phase of the trip. - ends - For futher information please contact Jenny Naylor Press Contact 07867 800024