KAZINGA CHANNEL: Hippos, crocodiles and more.
Cruising up the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth national park is one of all-time favorite wildlife experiences while at the park. If you ever dream of being as close as possible to a group of different wildlife species converging at one spot, the Kazinga Channel has a mixture of amazing wildlife that is worth your dream.
Gliding along this magnificent 40km long and 8 meter deep stretch that join two great lakes of George and Edward past the schools of grunting hippos and various bird species makes you realize how much of wildlife experiences you have been missing. This is a territory of thirsty and hot wildlife creatures that just want to beat the heat meeting with the hungry hippos and crocodiles that are residents.
The channel has two points of North Kazinga and the stretches to part of Kasenyi plains. The Kasenyi plains are not for game viewing and most predators like the lions, leopards. The two section are all notable for game viewing.
Launch trips from the Jetty at the Mweya Peninsular are operated by Uganda Wildlife Authority and Mweya Safari lodge, the new luxury cruise boat by Uganda Lodges on the other side and other motorized canoes are licensed by Uganda Wildlife Authority to operate. These operate usually in the afternoons from 2pm, 3pm and 5pm depending on the operator and your schedule.
The shores of the channel draw a lot of wildlife and it is famous for the largest concentration of hippos in Africa but it has a lot to offer more than the hippos. Wildlife that is aquatic and that that dwells in the savannas converge here to drink. This includes the huge crocodiles, elephant families that come to drink, lone buffaloes that have been fought out of herds, water buck, the water birds that are included in the count that makes the 600 bird species that are hosted in the park. These include the African Fish Eagle, Herons, Cormorants, Spoon bills, Pink backed pelicans, African Darter, egrets, and saddle billed storks among others.
What is amazing, is watching this oasis attract all these numbers and different species but none hurts the other. You could think, the crocodile looks at the waterbuck as an afternoon snack but less is sighted these animals attacking each other.
The dry months of June to August and December to February are the best for these encounters but every day all year, cruises take off for 2 hour return trip on the channel. All these always have experienced and knowledgeable guides to share information to members on board.
Most of the guests that have had safaris to Queen Elizabeth National park have had the famous cruise on this natural channel in their highlights.