Editing Lake Malawi

{{other uses}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2020}}
{{Short description|Lake in Africa}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name               = Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa)
| image              = Lake Malawi seen from orbit.jpg
| alt                = Satellite image of lake with clouds in forground.
| caption            = View from orbit. North is in upper right corner
| image_bathymetry   = 
| caption_bathymetry = 
| pushpin_map        = Malawi#Africa
| pushpin_map_alt    = Located in souther portion of East Africa's Great Lakes on borders of Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique.
| coords             = {{Coord|12|00|S|34|30|E|type:waterbody_scale:2500000|display=inline,title}}
| lake_type          = [[Ancient lake]], [[Rift Valley lakes|Rift lake]]
| inflow             = [[Ruhuhu River]]<ref name=ac/>
| outflow            = [[Shire River]]<ref name=ac/>
| catchment          = 
| basin_countries    = [[Malawi]], [[Mozambique]], and [[Tanzania]]
| length             = {{convert|560|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=ac/> to 580<ref name=ceonline/>
| width              = {{convert|75|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=ac/>
| area               = {{convert|29,600|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}<ref name=ac/>
| depth              = {{convert|292|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=ilec/>
| max-depth          = {{convert|706|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=ilec/>
| volume             = {{convert|8640|km3|cumi|abbr=on}}<ref name=ilec/>
| residence_time     = 
| shore              = 
| elevation          = {{convert|468|m|ft}} above sea level<ref name="readersnatural">{{Cite book|title=Natural Wonders of the World|publisher=Reader's Digest Association, Inc|year=1980|isbn=0-89577-087-3|editor-last=Scheffel|editor-first=Richard L.|location=United States of America|pages=222|editor-last2=Wernet|editor-first2=Susan J.}}</ref>
| islands            = [[Likoma Island|Likoma]] and [[Chizumulu Island|Chizumulu]] islets, [[Mumbo Island]]
| cities             = 
| reference          = <ref name=ac>{{Cite web|url= http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/cichlid/malawi.php |title=Malawi Cichlids|access-date=2007-04-02 |work= AC Tropical Fish |publisher=Aquaticcommunity.com}}</ref><ref name=ilec>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/afr/afr-13.html |title=Lake Malawi |access-date=2007-04-02 |work=World Lakes Database |publisher=International Lake Environment Committee Foundation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210044454/http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/afr/afr-13.html |archive-date=February 10, 2007 }}</ref>
| embedded           = {{Designation list
 | embed = yes
 | designation1 = Ramsar
 | designation1_offname = Lake Niassa and its Coastal Zone
 | designation1_date = 26 April 2011
 | designation1_number = 1964<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lake Niassa and its Coastal Zone|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1964|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
}}

'''Lake Malawi''', also known as '''Lake Nyasa''' in [[Tanzania]] and '''Lago Niassa''' in [[Mozambique]], ({{langx|sw|Ziwa Nyasa}}) is an [[African Great Lakes|African Great Lake]] and the southernmost lake in the [[East African Rift]] system, located between [[Malawi]], Mozambique and Tanzania.

It is the [[List of lakes by volume|fourth largest]] freshwater lake in the world by volume, the [[List of lakes by area|ninth largest]] lake in the world by area and the third largest and [[List of lakes by depth|second deepest]] lake in Africa. Lake Malawi is home to more species of fish than any other lake in the world,<ref name=unep/> including at least 700 species of [[cichlid]]s.<ref name=Turner2001>Turner, Seehausen, Knight, Allender, and Robinson (2001). "How many species of cichlid fishes are there in African lakes?" ''Molecular Ecology'' 10: 793–806.</ref> The Mozambique portion of the lake was officially declared a reserve by the Government of Mozambique on June 10, 2011,<ref name=panda>WWF (10 June 2011). [http://wwf.panda.org/?uNewsID=200583 "Mozambique’s Lake Niassa declared reserve and Ramsar site"] Retrieved 17 July 2014.</ref> while in Malawi a portion of the lake is included in [[Lake Malawi National Park]].<ref name=unep>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/data/wh/lakemal.html |title=Protected Areas Programme |access-date=2008-06-26 |date=October 1995 |publisher=United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, UNESCO |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511101010/http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/data/wh/lakemal.html |archive-date=2008-05-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Lake Malawi is a [[meromictic lake]], meaning that its water layers do not mix. The permanent stratification of Lake Malawi's water and the oxic-[[Anoxic waters|anoxic]] boundary are maintained by moderately small chemical and [[thermal gradient]]s.<ref>Pilskaln, C. H. (2004). "Seasonal and Interannual Particle Export in an African Rift Valley Lake: A 5-Yr Record from Lake Malawi, Southern East Africa". ''Limnology and Oceanography'', 49(4), 964–977. {{doi:10.2307/3597647}}.</ref>

==Geography==
Lake Malawi is between {{convert|560|km|mi}}<ref name=ac/> and {{convert|580|km|mi}} long,<ref name=ceonline/> and about {{convert|75|km|mi}} wide at its widest point. The lake has a total [[List of lakes by area|surface area]] of about {{convert|29,600|km2|sqmi}}.<ref name=ac/> The lake is {{convert|706|m|abbr=on}} at its [[List of lakes by depth|deepest point]], located in a major [[Depression (geology)|depression]] in the north-central part.<ref name=Konings/> Another smaller depression in the far north reaches a depth of {{convert|528|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Konings/> The southern half of the lake is shallower; less than {{convert|400|m|ft|abbr=on}} in the south-central part and less than {{convert|200|m|ft|abbr=on}} in the far south.<ref name=Konings/> 

The lake has shorelines on western [[Mozambique]], eastern [[Malawi]], and southern [[Tanzania]]. The largest river flowing into it is the [[Ruhuhu River]], and there is an outlet at its southern end, the [[Shire River]], a tributary that flows into the [[Zambezi River]] in Mozambique.<ref name=ceonline>{{Cite encyclopedia|url= http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Lake_Nyasa.aspx#1-1E1:Nyasa-La-full |title=Lake Nyasa |access-date=2011-08-02 |encyclopedia= [[Columbia Encyclopedia|Columbia Encyclopedia Online]]|publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]}}</ref> Evaporation accounts for more than 80% of the water loss from the lake, considerably more than the outflowing Shire River.<ref name=Park2011>Park, L.E.; and A.S. Cohen (2011). Paleoecological response of ostracods to early Late Pleistocene lake-level changes in Lake Malawi, East Africa. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 303: 71–80. {{doi|10.1016/j.palaeo.2010.02.038}}</ref> The outflows from Lake Malawi into the Shire River are vital for the economy as the water resources support hydropower, irrigation and downstream biodiversity.<ref>Bhave, A., Vincent, K. and Mkwambisi, D. (2019) Projecting future water availability in Lake Malawi and the Shire River basin, Future Climate for Africa Brief, Cape Town: CDKN. https://futureclimateafrica.org/resource/brief-projecting-future-water-availability-inlake-malawi-and-the-shire-river-basin/{{Dead link|date=January 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 

Concerns have been raised over the future climate change impacts of Lake Malawi due to the recent decline in lake levels and the overall drying trend.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bhave|first1=Ajay G.|last2=Bulcock|first2=Lauren|last3=Dessai|first3=Suraje|last4=Conway|first4=Declan|last5=Jewitt|first5=Graham|last6=Dougill|first6=Andrew J.|last7=Kolusu|first7=Seshagiri Rao|last8=Mkwambisi|first8=David|date=2020-05-01|title=Lake Malawi's threshold behaviour: A stakeholder-informed model to simulate sensitivity to climate change|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169420301311|journal=Journal of Hydrology|language=en|volume=584|pages=124671|doi=10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.124671|bibcode=2020JHyd..58424671B|s2cid=213751778|issn=0022-1694}}</ref> The climate in the lake region is already experiencing changes, with the temperatures predicted to increase throughout the country.<ref>Future Climate for Africa, "How can we improve the use of information for a climate-resilient Malawi?", February 2020,https://futureclimateafrica.org/resource/how-can-we-improve-the-use-of-information-for-a-climate-resilient-malawi/</ref>

The lake is about {{convert|350|km|mi}} southeast of [[Lake Tanganyika]], another of the great lakes of the East African Rift. <ref>{{Cite book |last=Aghaindum |first=Ajeagah Gideon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8F0nDwAAQBAJ |title=Water as a weapon of international confrontations |date=2017-06-15 |publisher=Editions L'Harmattan |isbn=978-2-14-003961-4 |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Lake Malawi National Park]] is located at the southern end of the lake.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/289/|title=Lake Malawi National Park|work=World Heritage List|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|access-date=24 October 2015}}</ref>

<gallery widths="180px">
File:Lake Malawi00.jpg|Lake Malawi (1967)
File:Mwaya Beach, Malawi.jpg|Mwaya Beach
File:Monoxylon beach Lake Malawi 1557.jpg|Beach at Cape Maclear near Monkey Bay
</gallery>

==Geological history==
[[File:FlankMalawi.png|thumb|left|upright=1.75|[[Topographic profile]] of Lake Malawi's [[rift shoulder]]]]
[[File:Map of Great Rift Valley.svg|thumb|The [[East African Rift]] (red) with the [[Rift Valley lakes]], Malawi being in the south]]
Malawi is one of the major [[Rift Valley lakes]] and an [[ancient lake]]. The lake lies in a valley formed by the opening of the [[East African Rift]], where the [[African Plate|African tectonic plate]] is being split into two pieces. This is called a divergent plate tectonics boundary. Malawi has typically been estimated to be 1–2 million years old (mya),<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0001979 | date=Apr 2008 |last1=Wilson |first1=Ab.|last2=Teugels |first2=Gg. |last3=Meyer |first3=A. | title = Marine Incursion: The Freshwater Herring of Lake Tanganyika Are the Product of a Marine Invasion into West Africa| volume = 3| issue = 4| pages = e1979| pmid = 18431469| pmc = 2292254| journal = PLOS ONE| bibcode=2008PLoSO...3.1979W| editor1-last = Moritz| editor1-first = Craig| doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=Givnish1997>Givnish, T.J.; and K.J. Sytsma, editors (1997). Molecular Evolution and Adaptive Radiation, p. 598. {{ISBN|0-521-57329-7}}.</ref> but more recent evidence points to a considerably older lake with a basin that started to form about 8.6 mya and deep-water condition first appeared 4.5 mya.<ref name=Delvaux1995>Delvaux, D. (1995). Age of Lake Malawi (Nyasa) and water level fluctuations. Mus. roy. Afr. centr., Tervuren (Belg.), Dept. Geol. Min., Rapp. ann. 1993 & 1994: 99–108.</ref><ref name=Sturmbauer2001>Sturmbauer; Baric; Salzburger; Rüber; and Verheyen (2001). Lake Level Fluctuations Synchronize Genetic Divergences of Cichlid Fishes in African Lakes. Mol Biol Evol 18(2): 144–154. {{doi|10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a003788}}</ref>

The water levels have varied dramatically over time, ranging from almost {{convert|600|m|ft|abbr=on}} below current level<ref name=Cohen2007>Cohen; Stone; Beuning; Park; Reinthal; Dettman; Scholz; Johnson; King; Talbot; Brown; and Ivory (2007). Ecological consequences of early Late Pleistocene megadroughts in tropical Africas. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104(42): 16422-16427. {{doi|10.1073/pnas.0703873104}}</ref> to {{convert|10-20|m|ft|abbr=on}} above.<ref name=Delvaux1995/> During periods the lake dried out almost completely, leaving only one or two relatively small, highly [[Hard water|alkaline]] and [[Salt lake|saline]] lakes in what currently are Malawi's deepest parts.<ref name=Delvaux1995/><ref name=Cohen2007/> A water chemistry resembling the current conditions only appeared about 60,000 years ago.<ref name=Cohen2007/> Major low-water periods are estimated to have occurred about 1.6 to 1.0–0.57 million years ago (where it might have dried out completely), 420,000 to 250,000–110,000 years ago,<ref name=Delvaux1995/> about 25,000 years ago and 18,000–10,700 years ago.<ref name=Sturmbauer2001/> During the peak of the low-water period between 1390 and 1860 [[AD]], it may have been {{convert|120-150|m|ft|abbr=on}} below current water levels.<ref name=Givnish1997/>

==Water characteristics==
The lake's water is alkaline ([[pH]] 7.7–8.6) and warm with a typical surface temperature between {{convert|24|and(-)|29|C|F|abbr=on}}, while deep sections typically are about {{convert|22|C|F|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Staffer2012>Stauffer, J.R.; and H. Madsen (2012). Schistosomiasis in Lake Malawi and the Potential Use of Indigenous Fish for Biological Control. Pp. 119–140 in: Rokni, M.B., editor. Schistosomiasis. {{ISBN|978-953-307-852-6}}.</ref> The [[thermocline]] is located at a depth of {{convert|40-100|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Park2011/> The [[oxygen]] limit is at a depth of approximately {{convert|250|m|ft|abbr=on}}, effectively restricting fish and other [[Obligate aerobe|aerobic organisms]] to the upper part.<ref name=Lowe2003>Lowe-McConnell, R.H. (2003). Recent research in the African Great Lakes: Fisheries, biodiversity and cichlid evolution. Freshwater Forum 20(1): 4–64.</ref> The water is very clear for a lake and the visibility can be up to {{convert|20|m|ft|abbr=on}}, but slightly less than half this figure is more common and it is below {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} in muddy bays.<ref name=Konings>[[Ad Konings|Konings, Ad]] (1990). ''Ad Konings' Book of Cichlids and all the other Fishes of Lake Malawi.'' {{ISBN|978-0866225274}}.</ref> However, during the rainy season months of January to March, the waters are more muddy due to muddy river inflows.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-primary-inflows-and-outflows-of-lake-malawi.html|title=What Are The Primary Inflows And Outflows Of Lake Malawi?|website=WorldAtlas|language=en|access-date=2019-10-24}}</ref>

==European colonisation==
The [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] trader Candido José da Costa Cardoso was the first [[Europe]]an to visit the lake in 1846.<ref name=Jeal1973>{{cite book|last=Jeal|first =Tim|title=Livingstone|publisher = G. P. Putnam’s Sons|year=1973|location=New York|isbn =9780399112157|url=https://archive.org/details/livingstone00jeal|url-access=registration}}</ref> [[David Livingstone]] reached the lake in 1859, and named it Lake Nyasa.<ref name=ceonline/> He also referred to it by a pair of nicknames: Lake of Stars and Lake of Storms.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t_wsAwAAQBAJ&q=%22lake+of+stars%22+livingstone&pg=PP170|title=David Livingstone, Africa's Greatest Explorer: The Man, the Missionary and the Myth|last=Bayly|first=Paul|date=2014-03-27|publisher=Fonthill Media|language=en}}</ref> The Lake of Stars nickname came after Livingstone observed lights from the lanterns of the fishermen in Malawi on their boats, that resemble, from a distance, stars in the sky.<ref name="EWG">{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of World Geography|publisher=Infobase Publishing|year=2005|volume=1|page=576|author=R. W. McColl}}</ref> Later, after experiencing the unpredictable and extremely violent gales that sweep through the area, he also referred to it as the Lake of Storms.<ref name="EWG" />

On 16 August 1914, Lake Malawi was the scene of a brief naval battle during [[World War I]]. The British [[gunboat]] {{SS|Gwendolen}}, commanded by a Captain Rhoades, received orders from the British Empire's high command to "sink, burn, or destroy" the German Empire's only gunboat on the lake, the {{ship||Hermann von Wissmann|steamship|2}}, commanded by Captain Berndt. Rhoades's crew found the ''Hermann von Wissmann'' in a bay near [[Liuli|Sphinxhaven]], in [[German East Africa]]n territorial waters. ''Gwendolen'' disabled the German boat with a single [[cannon]] shot from a range of about {{convert|1800|m|yd}}. This brief conflict was hailed by ''[[The Times]]'' in [[England]] as the British Empire's first naval victory of World War I.<ref>{{cite book |first=Edward |last=Paice |title=Tip and Run: The Untold Tragedy of the Great War in Africa |year=2007 |isbn= 978-0-297-84709-0 |page=not cited|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.clash-of-steel.co.uk/pages/battle_details.php?battle=GUENDOLENV01 |title=The Guendolen v Hermann Von Wissmann |work=Clash of Steel }}</ref>

==Borders==
[[File:Malawi-Tanzania border dispute.png|thumb|Dashed line: current [[Malawi]] border <br>Dotted line: [[Tanzania]]n claim]]

===Tanzania–Malawi dispute===
The partition of the lake's surface area between Malawi and Tanzania is under dispute. Tanzania claims that the international border runs through the middle of the lake.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Govt clarifies on Tanzania-Malawi border | url=http://www.kforumonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=712&sid=6ff7f94b3f06010d9542913ba89b2ac2 | date=1 August 2007 | newspaper=Daily News (via KForum) | location=Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713145107/http://www.kforumonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=712&sid=6ff7f94b3f06010d9542913ba89b2ac2 | archive-date=13 July 2011 | url-status=dead | access-date=26 January 2009 }}</ref> On the other hand, Malawi claims the whole of the surface of this lake that is not in Mozambique, including the waters that are next to the shoreline of Tanzania.<ref>{{Cite news | author=Kamlomo, Gabriel | date=27 August 2012 | title=Malawi optimistic on Tanzania border dispute | newspaper=The Daily Times | location=Malawi | url=http://www.bnltimes.com/index.php/daily-times/headlines/national/11397-malawi-optimistic-on-tanzania-border-dispute | access-date=5 September 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905020520/http://www.bnltimes.com/index.php/daily-times/headlines/national/11397-malawi-optimistic-on-tanzania-border-dispute | archive-date=5 September 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Both sides cite the [[Heligoland Treaty|Heligoland Treaty of 1890]] between the United Kingdom and Germany concerning the border. The wrangle in this dispute occurred when the British colonial government, just after they had captured Tanganyika from Germany, placed all of the waters of the lake under a single jurisdiction, that of the territory of [[Nyasaland]], without a separate administration for the [[Tanganyika (territory)|Tanganyika]]n portion of the surface. Later in colonial times, two jurisdictions were established.<ref name="Mayall">{{Cite journal|author=Mayall, James|year=1973|title=The Malawi-Tanzania Boundary Dispute|journal=The Journal of Modern African Studies|volume=11|number=4|pages=611–628|jstor=161618|doi=10.1017/s0022278x00008776|s2cid=154785268}}</ref>

The dispute came to a head in 1967 when Tanzania officially protested to Malawi; however nothing was settled.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Chitsulo, Kondwani |date=3 September 2012 |title=JB Meets Opposition Leaders On Tanzania Again |newspaper=Malawi Voice |url=http://www.malawivoice.com/2012/09/03/jb-meets-opposition-leaders-on-tanzania-again-journalists-bared-from-asking-questions-after-waiting-for-5-hours-no-food-no-allowance-77011/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128062051/http://www.malawivoice.com/2012/09/03/jb-meets-opposition-leaders-on-tanzania-again-journalists-bared-from-asking-questions-after-waiting-for-5-hours-no-food-no-allowance-77011/ |archive-date=28 January 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=5 September 2012 }}</ref> Occasional flare-ups of conflict occurred during the 1990s and in the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Joel, Lawi|date=15 August 2012|title=Tanzania: Life Continues on Lake Nyasa Despite Border Dispute|newspaper=Daily News|location=Dar es Salaam, Tanzania|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201208150072.html}}</ref> In 2012, Malawi's oil exploration initiative brought the issue to the fore, with Tanzania demanding that exploration cease until the dispute was settled.<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 August 2012|title=Malawi: Old Border Dispute With Tanzania Over Lake Malawi Flares Up Again|publisher=Institute for Security Studies|location=Pretoria, South Africa|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201208130878.html}}</ref>

===Malawi–Mozambique border===
In 1954, an agreement was signed between the [[British Empire|British]] and the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] making the middle of the lake their boundary with the exception of [[Chizumulu Island]] and [[Likoma Island]], which were kept by the British and are now part of Malawi.<ref name="Mayall" />

==Transport==
[[File:Nkhata Bay, Malawi.jpg|thumb|A jetty juts into the lake at [[Nkhata Bay]]]]

{{MV|Chauncy Maples}} began service on the lake in 1901 as the SS ''Chauncy Maples'': a floating clinic and church for the [[Universities' Mission to Central Africa]]. She later served as a ferry and is currently being renovated into a mobile clinic at [[Monkey Bay]]. The renovation was expected to be complete during the first half of 2014, but was halted in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chauncymaples.org/index.html|title=Chauncy Maples : Lake Malawi's Clinic|website=Chauncymaples.org|access-date=12 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912204513/https://chauncymaples.org/index.html|archive-date=12 September 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{MV|Mpasa}} entered service in 1935.<ref name=Shipstamps>{{cite web |url=http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10733 |title=Mtendere |last=Sefton |first=John |date=2010-11-09 |work=Community Forum |publisher=ShipStamps.co.uk }}</ref> The ferry {{MV|Ilala}} entered service in 1951. In recent years she has often been out of service, but when operational she runs between Monkey Bay at the southern end of the lake to [[Karonga]] on the northern end, and occasionally to the [[Iringa Region]] of Tanzania. The ferry {{MV|Mtendere}} entered service in 1980.<ref name=Shipstamps/> By 1982 she was carrying 100,000 passengers each year.,<ref name=Shipstamps/> but as of 2014 she was out of service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faceofmalawi.com/2014/03/malawi-shipping-company-set-to-launch-new-passenger-vessel-on-lake-malawi/|title=Malawi Shipping Company set to launch new passenger vessel on Lake Malawi – Face Of Malawi|first=Face of|last=Malawi|date=31 March 2014 }}</ref> She normally serves the southern part of the lake but if ''Ilala'' was out of service she operated the route to Karonga. The Tanzanian ferry {{MV|Songea}} was built in 1988.<ref name=MSC>{{cite web |url=http://mscltz.com/preview_019.htm |title=MV. Songea |work=Vessels |publisher=Marine Services Company Limited |access-date=26 June 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Her operator was the [[Tanzania Railway Corporation]] Marine Division until 1997, when it became the [[Marine Services Company Limited]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mscltz.com/ |title=Home |work=Vessels |publisher=Marine Services Company Limited |access-date=26 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910031156/http://www.mscltz.com/ |archive-date=10 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Songea'' plies weekly between Liuli and [[Nkhata Bay]] via Itungi and [[Mbamba Bay]].<ref name=MSC/> The worst Lake disaster was the sinking of the {{MV|Vipya}} in 1946, which resulted in 145 deaths. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p034s5kt|title = BBC World Service - African Perspective, MV Vipya Lake Malawi Disaster}}</ref>

==Wildlife==
[[File:Haliaeetus vocifer -Cape Maclear, Malawi -fishing-8b.jpg|thumb|An [[African fish eagle]] catching a fish in Lake Malawi]]
Wildlife found in and around Lake Malawi or Nyasa includes [[Nile crocodile]]s, [[hippopotamus]], [[monkey]]s,<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/289|title = Lake Malawi National Park|website = UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}</ref> and a significant population of [[African fish eagle]]s that feed off fish from the lake.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Geography & Wildlife Malawi|url = http://www.our-africa.org/malawi/geography-wildlife|access-date = 2015-09-14|website = Our Africa|publisher = SOS Children's Villages}}</ref>

===Fish===
====Fishing====
[[File:Pesce ad essiccare sulla riva del lago malawi.JPG|thumb|left|[[Lake Malawi sardine]]s (''Engraulicypris sardella'') spread out to dry on the shore of the lake]]
Lake Malawi has for millennia provided a major food source to the residents of its shores since its waters are rich in fish. Among the most popular are the four species of chambo, consisting of any one of four species in the subgenus ''Nyasalapia'' (''[[Oreochromis karongae]]'', ''[[Oreochromis lidole|O. lidole]]'', ''[[Oreochromis saka|O. saka]]''  and ''[[Oreochromis squamipinnis|O. squamipinnis]]''), as well as the closely related ''[[Oreochromis shiranus|O. shiranus]]''.<ref name=Turner1992>Turner, G.F.; and N.C. Mwanyama (July 1992).[http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/ad202e/AD202E00.htm Distribution and Biology of Chambo (Oreochromis spp.) in Lakes Malawi and Malombe.] [[Food and Agriculture Organization]], Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FI:DP/MLW/86/013, Field Document 21. Retrieved 13 April 2017.</ref> Other species that support important fisheries include the [[Lake Malawi sardine]] (''Engraulicypris sardella'') and the large [[kampango]] catfish (''Bagrus meridionalis'').<ref name=Konings/> Most fishing provides food for the [[Population growth|increasing human population]] near the lake, but some are exported from Malawi. The wild population of fish is increasingly threatened by [[overfishing]] and [[water pollution]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Preserving the Future for Lake Malawi|url = http://web.mit.edu/africantech/www/articles/Lake_Malawi.html|website = web.mit.edu|access-date = 2015-09-14}}</ref><ref name=Banda2013>{{cite news|author=Banda, M. | title = Rapid drop in Lake Malawi's water levels drives down fish stocks | url = https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/may/22/lake-malawi-water-levels-fish-stocks|newspaper=The Guardian | date = 22 May 2013 | access-date = 11 April 2017}}</ref> A drop in the lake's water level represents another threat, and is believed to be driven by water extraction by the increasing human population, [[climate change]] and [[deforestation]].<ref name=Banda2013/> The chambo and kampango have been particularly overfished (the kampango declined by about 90% from 2006 to 2016,<ref>{{Cite iucn | author1 = Phiri, T.B. | author2 = Gobo, E. | author3 = Tweddle, D. | author4 = Kanyerere, G.Z. | title = ''Bagrus meridionalis'' | amends= 2018 | page = e.T60856A155041757 | year= 2019 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T60856A155041757.en}}</ref> ''O. karongae'' and ''O. squamipinnis'' by about 94%, and ''O. lidole'' might already be extinct<ref>{{Cite iucn | author1 = Kanyerere, G.Z. | author2 = Phiri, T.B. | author3 = Shechonge, A. | title = ''Oreochromis karongae'' | errata= 2019 | page = e.T61293A148647939 | year= 2018 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T61293A148647939.en }}</ref><ref>{{Cite iucn | author1 = Phiri, T.B.  | author2 = Kanyerere, G.Z. | title = ''Oreochromis squamipinnis'' | errata= 2019 | page = e.T60760A148648312 | year= 2018 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T60760A148648312.en}}</ref>) and they are now seriously [[Threatened species|threatened]].<ref>{{Cite news|author1=McKenzie, D. |author2=B. Swails | title = Rangers struggle to save endangered fish in Lake Malawi | url = http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/10/27/malawi.overfishing/|publisher=CNN | date = 22 May 2013 | access-date = 11 April 2017}}</ref> The [[IUCN]] recognises 117 species of Malawi cichlids as threatened; some of these have tiny ranges and may be restricted to rocky coastlines only a few hundred metres long.<ref name=IUCNef>{{cite web|url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/freshwater/eastafrica/geographicpatternsea |title=Geographic Patterns|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002175558/http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/freshwater/eastafrica/geographicpatternsea|archive-date=2 October 2018 |access-date=9 January 2024}}</ref>

{{multiple image
 | direction = vertical
 | header = Malawi cichlids
 | image1 = Diplotaxodon.jpg
 | image2 = Adult male livingstonii.png
 | image3 = Copadichromis azureus.jpg
 | image4 = Frankfurt Zoo - Aulonocara stuartgranti Usisya.jpg
 | image5 = Fossorochromis rostratus - mâle en aquarium 01.jpg
 | image6 = Pseudotropheus saulosi.jpg
 | image7 = Oreochromis squamipinnis.jpg
 | caption7 = Top to bottom:<br>
1. ''[[Diplotaxodon]]'', one of the very few cichlid genera that occurs offshore in relatively deep water.<ref name=Lowe2003/><br>
2. ''[[Nimbochromis livingstonii]]'' is a [[piscivorous]] hap that is famous for [[Apparent death|playing dead]] to lure prey close.<ref name=Konings/><ref name=Schliewen1992>Schliewen, U. (1992). Aquarium Fish. Barron's Educational Series. {{ISBN|978-0812013504}}.</ref><ref name=Elieson/><br>
3. As typical of [[utaka]], ''[[Copadichromis azureus]]'' has bright blue males (shown) and duller females that are silvery with dark spots.<ref>Elieson, M: [http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c_azureus.php Copadichromis azureus.] CichlidForum. Retrieved 16 April 2017.</ref><br>
4. ''[[Aulonocara stuartgranti]]'' is part of a group of relatively peaceful species popularly known as [[peacock cichlid]]s.<ref>Elieson, M: [http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/peacocks.php The Peacocks of Lake Malawi.] CichlidForum. Retrieved 16 April 2017.</ref><br>
5. ''[[Fossorochromis rostratus]]'' is an "aberrant" hap that often sifts mouthfuls of sand to extract small food organisms.<ref name=Konings/><ref>O'Brien, R: [http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/f_rostratus.php Fossorochromis rostratus.] CichlidForum. Retrieved 16 April 2017.</ref><br>
6. Like many [[mbuna]], ''[[Pseudotropheus saulosi]]'' is a small cichlid where both male (blue and black) and female (yellow) are colorful.<ref>Barber, P: [http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_saulosi.php Pseudotropheus saulosi.] CichlidForum. Retrieved 16 April 2017.</ref><br>
7. ''[[Oreochromis squamipinnis]]'' is one of only six native [[tilapia]] species in the lake, but these are important to fisheries. Notice the white genital tassels, longer when fully extended and unique to male chambo.<ref name=Konings/><ref name=Turner1992/>
 }}
====Cichlids====

Lake Malawi is noted for being the site of [[evolutionary radiation]]s among several groups of animals, most notably [[cichlid]] fish.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Svardal | first=Hannes | last2=Quah | first2=Fu Xiang | last3=Malinsky | first3=Milan | last4=Ngatunga | first4=Benjamin P | last5=Miska | first5=Eric A | last6=Salzburger | first6=Walter | last7=Genner | first7=Martin J | last8=Turner | first8=George F | last9=Durbin | first9=Richard | title=Ancestral Hybridization Facilitated Species Diversification in the Lake Malawi Cichlid Fish Adaptive Radiation | journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution | volume=37 | issue=4 | date=2020-04-01 | issn=0737-4038 | pmid=31821500 | pmc=7086168 | doi=10.1093/molbev/msz294 | pages=1100–1113|biorxiv=10.1101/738633|s2cid=202010546|hdl=1983/40d3dafd-f1d5-4ea4-a447-126df76a0651|hdl-access=free}}</ref> There are at least 700 cichlid species in Lake Malawi,<ref name=Turner2001/> with some estimating that the actual figure is as high as 1,000 species.<ref name=panda/><ref>Kornfield, I.; & P.F. Smith (2000). African Cichlid Fishes: Model Systems for Evolutionary Biology. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 31: 163–196. [[doi: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.31.1.163]].</ref> The actual number is labelled with some uncertainty because of the many [[undescribed species]] and the extreme variation among some species, making the task of delimiting them very complex.<ref name=Turner2001/><ref name=Konings/> Except for four species (''[[Astatotilapia calliptera]]'', ''[[Coptodon rendalli]]'', ''Oreochromis shiranus'' and ''[[Serranochromis]] robustus''), all cichlids in the lake are [[Endemism|endemic]] to the Malawi system, which also includes nearby smaller [[Lake Malombe]] and the upper Shire River.<ref name=Konings/><ref name=OliverTilapia>Oliver, M.K. (12 April 2015). [http://malawicichlids.com/mw10100.htm The Tilapias of Lake Malawi.] MalawiCichlids. Retrieved 13 April 2017.</ref><ref>Oliver, M.K. (12 April 2015). [http://malawicichlids.com/mw10000.htm The Nonendemic Haplochromine Cichlids of Lake Malawi.] MalawiCichlids. Retrieved 13 April 2017.</ref> Many of these have become popular among [[aquarium]] owners due to their bright colors. Recreating a Lake Malawi biotope to host cichlids became quite popular in the aquarium hobby.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Pardee|first1=Keith|title=African Cichlids, Lake Malawi|url=http://www.aquariumlife.net/profiles/african-cichlids-lake-malawi|website=www.aquariumlife.net|access-date=30 September 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012113129/http://www.aquariumlife.net/profiles/african-cichlids-lake-malawi|archive-date=12 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Most Malawi cichlids are found in relatively shallow coastal waters,<ref name=Konings/> but ''[[Diplotaxodon]]'' has been recorded down to depths of {{convert|200-220|m|ft|abbr=on}} and several (especially ''Diplotaxodon'', ''[[Rhamphochromis]]'' and ''[[Copadichromis quadrimaculatus]]'') are known from [[pelagic]] waters.<ref name=Lowe2003/>

The cichlids of the lake are divided into two groups and the vast majority of the species are [[haplochromines]]. The [[sister species]] to the Malawi haplochromines is ''Astatotilapia'' sp. Ruaha (a currently undescribed species from [[Great Ruaha River]]), and these two separated between 2.13 and 6.76 million years ago (mya).<ref name=Genner2015>Genner; Ngatunga; Mzighani; Smith; and Turner (2015). Geographical ancestry of Lake Malawi’s cichlid fish diversity. Biol. Lett. 11: 2015023. {{doi|10.1098/rsbl.2015.0232}}</ref> The earliest divergence within the Malawi haplochromines occurred between 1.20 and 4.06 mya,<ref name=Genner2015/> but most radiations in this group are far younger; in extreme cases species may have diverged only a few hundred years ago.<ref name=Givnish1997/> The Malawi haplochromines are [[mouthbrooder]]s, but otherwise vary extensively in general behaviour and ecology.<ref name=Konings/> Within the Malawi haplochromines there are two main groups, the haps and the [[mbuna]]. The haps (they were formerly included in ''[[Haplochromis]]'') can be further subdivided into three subgroups: The relatively large, often more than {{convert|20|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} long, and aggressive [[piscivore]]s that roam various habitats in pursuit of prey, the open-water (although often not far from sand or rocks) [[utaka]] that feed in [[Shoaling and schooling|schools]] on [[zooplankton]] and typically are of medium size, and finally a subgroup of "aberrant" species that essentially are defined by them not fitting clearly into the other subgroups.<ref name=Konings/><ref name=Elieson>Elieson, M: [http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/haps_vs_mbuna.php Haps Vs. Mbuna.] Retrieved 11 April 2017.</ref><ref name=aquaticcom>Aquaticcommunity (2004–08).[http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/cichlid/haplochromis.php Haplochromis.] Retrieved 13 April 2017.</ref> Adult male haps generally display bright colors, while juveniles of both sexes and adult females typically show a silvery or grey coloration with sometimes irregular black bars or other markings.<ref name=Konings/><ref name=Elieson/> The second main haplochromine group are the mbuna, a name used both locally and popularly, which means "rockfish" in [[Tonga (Nyasa) language|Tonga]].<ref>Loiselle, P.V. (1988). A Fishkeepers Guide to African Cichlids, p. 97. Salamander Books, London & New York. {{ISBN|0-86101-407-3}}.</ref> They are found at rocky outcrops, [[Territory (animal)|territorially]] aggressive (although commonly found in high densities) and often specialised [[aufwuchs]] feeders.<ref name=Konings/><ref name=Elieson/> The mbuna species tend to be relatively small, mostly less than {{convert|13|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} long, and often both sexes are brightly colored with males having egg-shaped yellow spots on their [[anal fin]] (a feature particularly prevalent in the mbuna, but not exclusive to this group).<ref name=Konings/><ref name=Elieson/>

The second group, the [[tilapia]], comprises only six species in two genera in Lake Malawi: The [[redbreast tilapia]] (''Coptodon rendalli''), a widespread African species, is the only substrate-spawning cichlid in the lake.<ref name=Konings/><ref>Oliver, M.K. (12 April 2015). [http://malawicichlids.com/mw10003.htm Coptodon rendalli.] Malawicichlids. Retrieved 13 April 2017.</ref> This large cichlid mainly feeds on [[macrophyte]]s.<ref name=Konings/><ref>{{FishBase species | genus = Coptodon | species = rendalli | month = April| year = 2017}}</ref> The remaining are five mouthbrooding species of ''[[Oreochromis]]''; four chambo in the subgenus ''Nyasalapia'' (''O. karongae'', ''O. lidole'', ''O. saka'' and ''O. squamipinnis'') that are endemic to the Lake Malawi system, as well as the closely related ''O. shiranus'', which also is found in [[Lake Chilwa]].<ref name=Konings/><ref name=Turner1992/><ref name=OliverTilapia/> The Malawi ''Oreochromis'' mainly feed on [[phytoplankton]], reach lengths up to {{convert|26-42|cm|in|abbr=on}} depending on the exact species, and are mostly black or silvery-gray with relatively indistinct dark bars.<ref name=Konings/><ref name=OliverTilapia/><ref>{{FishBase genus | genus = Oreochromis | month = April| year = 2017}}</ref> Male chambo have unique genital tassels when breeding, which aid in egg fertilisation in a manner comparable to the egg-spots on the anal fin of haplochromines.<ref name=Konings/><ref name=Turner1992/>

====Non-cichlids====
[[File:Catfish in Lake Malawi.jpg|thumb|left|The [[kampango]] (''Bagrus meridionalis''), one of the largest catfish, reaching up to {{convert|1.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length<ref>{{FishBase species | genus = Bagrus | species = meridionalis | month = April| year = 2017}}</ref>]]

The vast majority of the fish species in the lake are cichlids. Among the non-cichlid native fish are several species of [[cyprinids]] (in genera ''[[Barbus]]'', ''[[Labeo]]'' and ''[[Opsaridium]]'', and the Lake Malawi sardine ''Engraulicypris sardella''), [[airbreathing catfish]] (''[[Bathyclarias]]'' and ''[[Clarias]]'', and the kampango ''Bagrus meridionalis''), [[Mochokidae|mochokid catfish]] (''[[Chiloglanis]]'' and [[Malawi squeaker]] ''Synodontis njassae''), ''[[Mastacembelus]]'' spiny eel, [[mormyrids]] (''[[Marcusenius]]'', ''[[Mormyrops]]'' and ''[[Petrocephalus]]''), the [[African tetra]] ''[[Brycinus imberi]]'', the [[poeciliid]] ''[[Aplocheilichthys johnstoni]]'', the [[spotted killifish]] (''Nothobranchius orthonotus''), and the [[mottled eel]] (''Anguilla nebulosa'').<ref name=Konings/>

At a genus level, most of these are widespread in Africa, but ''Bathyclarias'' is entirely restricted to the lake.<ref>Anseaume, L.; and G.G. Teugels (1999). On the rehabilitation of the clariid catfish genus Bathyclarias endemic to the East African Rift Lake Malawi. Fish Biology 55(2): 405–419. [[doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1999.tb00687.x]]</ref>

===Invertebrates===

====Molluscs====
Lake Malawi is home to 28 species of [[freshwater snail]]s (including 16 endemics) and 9 [[bivalve]]s (2 endemics, ''[[Aspatharia subreniformis]]'' and the [[Unionidae|unionid]] ''[[Nyassunio nyassaensis]]'').<ref>Segers, H.; and Martens, K; editors (2005). ''The Diversity of Aquatic Ecosystems.'' p. 46. Developments in Hydrobiology. Aquatic Biodiversity. {{ISBN|1-4020-3745-7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite iucn  |author=Van Damme, D. |year=2018 |title= ''Aspatharia subreniformis'' |page= e.T44266A120109809 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T44266A120109809.en}}</ref> The endemic freshwater snails are all members of the genera ''[[Bellamya (gastropod)|Bellamya]]'', ''[[Bulinus]]'', ''[[Gabbiella]]'', ''[[Lanistes]]'' and ''[[Melanoides]]''.<ref>Brown, D. (1994). ''Freshwater Snails Of Africa And Their Medical Importance.'' p. 571. 2nd edition. {{ISBN|0-7484-0026-5}}</ref>

Lake Malawi is home to a total of four snail species in the genus ''Bulinus'', which is a known [[intermediate host]] of [[bilharzia]]. A survey in Monkey Bay in 1964 found two endemic species of snails of the genus (''[[Bulinus nyassanus|B. nyassanus]]'' and ''[[Bulinus succinoides|B. succinoides]]'') in the lake, and two non-endemic species (''[[Bulinus globosus|B. globosus]]'' and ''[[Bulinus forskalii|B. forskalli]]'') in lagoons separated from it. The latter species are known intermediate hosts of bilharzia, and larvae of the parasite were detected in water containing these, but in experiments C. Wright of the [[British Museum of Natural History]] was unable to infect the two species endemic to the lake with the parasites. The field workers, who spent many hours on and in the lake, did not find either ''B. globosus'' or ''B. forskalli'' in the lake itself.<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Wright | first = C. A. | author2 = Klein, J. | author3 = Eccles, D. H. | title = Endemic species of ''Bulinus'' (Mollusca: Planorbidae) in Lake Malawi (= Lake Nyasa) | journal = Journal of Zoology | volume = 151 | issue = 1 | pages = 199–209 | year = 1967 | url = http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122569088/abstract | archive-url = https://archive.today/20121020201249/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122569088/abstract | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-10-20 | doi = 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1967.tb02873.x | access-date = 2010-05-22 }}</ref> More recently, the disease has become a problem in the lake itself as the endemic ''B. nyassanus'' has become an intermediate host. This change, first noticed in the mid-1980s, is possibly related to a decline in snail-eating cichlids (for example, ''[[Trematocranus placodon]]'') due to overfishing and/or a new [[Strain (biology)|strain]] of the bilharzia parasite.<ref name=Staffer2012/>

====Crustaceans====
Unlike Lake Tanganyika with its many endemic [[freshwater crab]]s and shrimp, there are few such species in Lake Malawi. The Malawi blue crab, ''[[Potamonautes lirrangensis]]'' ([[syn.]] ''P. orbitospinus''), is the only crab in the lake and it is not endemic.<ref name=Kivu>Cumberlidge, N., and Meyer, K. S. (2011). ''[http://commons.nmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=facwork_journalarticles A revision of the freshwater crabs of Lake Kivu, East Africa.]'' Journal Articles. Paper 30.</ref><ref name=Dobson>Dobson, M. (2004). ''[https://www.fba.org.uk/journals/index.php/FF/article/viewFile/175/75 Freshwater Crabs of Africa.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623192302/https://www.fba.org.uk/journals/index.php/FF/article/viewFile/175/75 |date=2016-06-23 }}'' Freshwater Forum 21: 3–26.</ref> The [[Atyidae|atyid]] shrimp ''[[Caridina malawensis]]'' is endemic to the lake, but it is poorly known and has historically been confused with ''[[Caridina nilotica|C. nilotica]]'', which is not found in the lake.<ref>Richard, J.; and Clark, P.F. (2009). ''African Caridina (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae): redescriptions of C. africana Kingsley, 1882, C. togoensis Hilgendorf, 1893, C. natalensis Bouvier, 1925 and C. roubaudi Bouvier, 1925 with descriptions of 14 new species.'' Zootaxa 1995: 1–75</ref> Pelagic [[zooplankton]]ic species include two [[cladocera]]ns (''[[Diaphanosoma]] excisum'' and ''[[Bosmina longirostris]]''), three [[copepod]]s (''[[Tropodiaptomus]] cunningtoni'', ''[[Thermocyclops]] neglectus'' and ''[[Mesocyclops]] aequatorialis''),<ref name=Darwall2010>Darwall; Allison; Turner; and Irvine (2010). Lake of flies, or lake of fish? A trophic model of Lake Malawi. Ecological Modelling 221: 713–727. {{doi|10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2009.11.001}}</ref> and several [[ostracod]]s (including both described and [[undescribed species]]).<ref>Martens, K. (2003). On the evolution of Gomphocythere (Crustacea, Ostracoda) in Lake Nyassa/ Malawi (East Africa), with the description of 5 new species. Hydrobiologia 497(1–2): 121–144. {{doi|10.1023/A:1025417822555}}</ref>

====Lake flies====
[[File:Lake flies, Lake Malawi (2499202894).jpg|thumb|left|Huge swarms of lake flies (''[[Chaoborus]] edulis''), resembling distant plumes of smoke over the water]]
Lake Malawi is famous for the huge swarms of tiny, harmless lake flies, ''[[Chaoborus]] edulis''.<ref name=Mortis2004>Morris, B. (2004). Insects and Human Life, pp. 73–76. {{ISBN|1-84520-075-6}}</ref> These swarms, typically appearing far out over water, can be mistaken for plumes of smoke and were also noticed by [[David Livingstone]] when he visited the lake.<ref name=Mortis2004/><ref name=Huis2012>van Huis, A.; H. van Gurp; and M. Dicke (2012). The Insect Cookbook: Food for a Sustainable Planet, p. 31. {{ISBN|978-0-231-16684-3}}</ref><ref name=MalawiTo>Malawi Tourism:
 [http://www.malawitourism.com/assets_cm/files/pdf/malawi%2520seasonal%2520highlights.pdf Interesting seasonal highlights of Malawi.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812101012/http://www.malawitourism.com/assets_cm/files/pdf/malawi%20seasonal%20highlights.pdf |date=2014-08-12 }} Retrieved 8 April 2017.</ref> The aquatic larvae feed on zooplankton, spending the day at the bottom and the night in the upper water levels.<ref name=Mortis2004/> When they [[pupate]] they float to the surface and transform into adult flies.<ref name=MalawiTo/> The adults are very short-lived and the swarms, which can be several hundred metres tall and often have a spiraling shape, are part of their mating behaviour.<ref name=Mortis2004/><ref name=Andrew2015>Andrew, D. (30 June 2015). [http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/whats-causing-these-strange-looking-clouds/ What Are These Strange Looking "Clouds"?] IFLScience. Retrieved 8 April 2017.</ref> They lay their eggs at the water's surface and the adults die.<ref name=Andrew2015/> The larvae are an important food source for fish,<ref name=Darwall2010/><ref name=Mortis2004/><ref>Allison; Irvine; Thompson; and Ngatunga (1996). Diets and food consumption rates of pelagic fish in Lake Malawi, Africa. Freshwater Biology 35(3): 489–515. {{doi|10.1111/j.1365-2427.1996.tb01764.x}}</ref> and the adult flies are important both to birds and local people, who collect them to make ''[[kunga cake|kungu]]'' cakes/burgers, a local delicacy with a very high [[protein]] content.<ref name=Huis2012/><ref name=MalawiTo/>

==2015 mine leak==
In January 2015, a sediment control tank collapsed at the [[Paladin Energy]]-owned uranium mine in Northern Malawi after a high intensity rain storm hit the area. It was revealed that approximately 50 litres of non radioactive material leaked into a local creek. Despite reports in local media of [[radioactive contamination]] the government conducted independent scientific tests on the local river system and found that there was no effect on the environment.<ref>{{Cite web|title = No harm caused by Paladin mine Kayerekera – Malawi govt|url = http://www.nyasatimes.com/2015/03/29/no-harm-caused-by-paladin-mine-kayerekera-malawi-govt/|website = Malawi Nyasa Times – Malawi breaking news in Malawi|access-date = 2016-01-02|archive-date = 2015-04-01|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150401160954/http://www.nyasatimes.com/2015/03/29/no-harm-caused-by-paladin-mine-kayerekera-malawi-govt/|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>[http://nuclear-news.net/2015/01/02/radioactive-pollution-of-lake-malawi-by-australian-uranium-company-paladin/  Radioactive pollution of Lake Malawi by Australian uranium company Paladin?].</ref>

==Swimming==
The 25&nbsp;km solo swim across Lake Malawi between Cape Ngomba and Senga Bay has been accomplished on 5 occasions by 16 swimmers

1992: [[Lewis Pugh]] 9hrs 52 minutes (UK/South Africa)<ref>{{Cite web |title = Expeditions, Internal Waters |url = http://lewispugh.com/internal-waters/ |access-date = 2018-12-11 |archive-date = 2020-04-08 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200408015517/http://lewispugh.com/internal-waters/ |url-status = dead }}</ref> and Otto Thanning (South Africa) 10hrs 5 minutes

2010: Abigail Brown (UK) 9hrs 45 minutes<ref>{{Cite web |title = Lake Malawi Crossing |url = http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/02/lake-malawi-crossing-by-kaitlin.html/ |access-date = 2018-12-11 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150906164522/http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/02/lake-malawi-crossing-by-kaitlin.html |archive-date = 2015-09-06 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

2013: Milko van Gool (Netherlands) 8hrs 46 minutes<ref>{{Cite news|title = Milko Van Gool thought to be fastest male solo swimmer across North Channel |url = https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-23510169/|work = BBC News|date = 2013-07-30}}</ref> and Kaitlin Harthoorn (US) 9hrs 17 minutes

2016: (current record) Jean Craven (South Africa), Robert Dunford (Kenya), Michiel Le Roux (South Africa), Samantha Whelpton (South Africa), Greig Bannatyne (South Africa), Haydn Von Maltitz (South Africa), Douglas Livingstone-Blevins (South Africa) 7hrs 53 mins <ref>{{Cite web|title = CROSSING LAKE MALAWI |url = https://madswimmer.com/swim/crossing-lake-malawi/}}</ref>

2019: Chris Stapley ([[Eswatini]]) and Jay Azran (South Africa) 8hrs 40 minutes, Andrew Stevens ([[Australia]]) 10hrs 50 minutes, and Ruth Azran (South Africa) 11hrs 8 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Swimming Cows conquer Lake Malawi in brutal conditions – The Cows|url=https://thecows.co.za/2019/05/09/swimming-cows-conquer-lake-malawi-in-brutal-conditions/|last=TheCows|language=en-ZA|access-date=2020-05-21|archive-date=2020-08-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804192419/http://thecows.co.za/2019/05/09/swimming-cows-conquer-lake-malawi-in-brutal-conditions/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=10 May 2019|title=Cows members conquer Lake Malawi in tough conditions for CHOC|work=The Witness|url=https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-witness/20190510/281569472167265|access-date=21 May 2020}}</ref> That same year, Martin Hobbs (South Africa), became the first person to swim the full length of Lake Malawi (54 days), as well as setting the world record for longest solo swim in a lake<ref>{{cite web|last=Thom|first=Liezl|title=Man braves crocodiles, hippos to set world record in 54-day swim across lake|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/man-braves-crocodiles-hippos-set-world-record-54/story?id=62626659|date=26 April 2019|website=ABC News|language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Lakes}}
*[[1989 Malawi earthquake]]
*[[2009 Karonga earthquakes]]
*[[Mtenje]] village
*[[Southeast Africa]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons}}
*{{Cite journal|last= Mayall|first= James |date=December 1973 |title=The Malawi-Tanzania Boundary Dispute |journal=[[The Journal of Modern African Studies]] |volume=11 |issue=4 |pages=611–628 |doi= 10.1017/S0022278X00008776 |s2cid= 154785268 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080727011039/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article2617296.ece Recent study on Lake Malawi water levels reveals drought 100,000 years ago]
*{{cite web |title=Freshwater Fish Species in Lake Malawi (Nyasa) [Southeast Africa] |url=http://fish.mongabay.com/data/ecosystems/Lake%20Malawi.htm |website=[[Mongabay]] |access-date=9 December 2016}}
*''Growing up in a Border District and Resolving the Tanzania-Malawi Lake Dispute: Compromise and concessions'', by [[Godfrey Mwakikagile]], African Renaissance Press, 2022 

{{African Great Lakes}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malawi}}
[[Category:Lake Malawi| ]]
[[Category:Ancient lakes]]
[[Category:African Great Lakes]]
[[Category:Lakes of the Great Rift Valley]]
[[Category:Lakes of Malawi]]
[[Category:Lakes of Tanzania]]
[[Category:Malawi–Mozambique border]]
[[Category:Malawi–Tanzania border crossings]]
[[Category:International lakes of Africa]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in Mozambique]]
[[Category:Lakes of Mozambique]]
[[Category:Territorial disputes of Malawi]]
[[Category:Territorial disputes of Tanzania]]