Deepest Lakes in Africa
As the second-largest continent on the planet, Africa is home to some very impressive lakes. Most of the major lakes are situated in the southern portion’s East African Rift Valley which also boasts the continent’s most magnificent mountains including Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain.
The Great Lakes of Africa, a system of deep lakes are also found in the Rift Valley. These lakes aren’t as huge as the ones in North America, but they’re nonetheless dramatic and diverse. Since Africa is made up of about 54 different countries, many of the lakes share borders with one or more countries.
Although average and maximum depths vary, these are the six deepest lakes in Africa.
Lake Tanganyika
At 673 kilometers Lake Tanganyika (418 mi), holds the title of the longest lake on the planet. It’s Africa’s deepest lake and the second-deepest in the world at 1,479 meters ( 4,823 ft). Only Russia’s Lake Baikal is deeper. Dating back to 13 million years, it’s one of the world’s oldest lakes as well. This enormous African lake straddles the border of Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, and Congo DR.
With its warm, azure waters, Lake Tanganyika is popular for scuba diving and snorkeling. The lake is a biologically unique habitat supporting about 300 species of fish, some of which aren’t found anywhere else in the world.
Visitors also enjoy a variety of watersports from swimming to boating and sailing. Bird and wildlife watching at Tanganyika are excellent. Expect to spot Nile crocodiles and Zambian-hinged terrapins.