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Lake Turkana

 As the largest and most northern of the Rift Valley lakes, Lake Turkana covers an area of 7,500 sq km. The lake itself is surrounded by barren volcanic lava beds with little to no vegetation. Until 2 million years ago this great body of water was a freshwater lake fed from the north by the Oma River in Ethiopia. Today, Turkana has no outlet and the water is highly alkaline and barely drinkable. Despite the harsh climate, several tribal groups have adjusted the desert heat including the Turkana, Rendille, Gabra, and El Molo.
Loyangalani is a remote settlement on the shores of the lake populated by Turkana tribespeople. The whole area is part of Mount Kulal Biosphere Reserve set up by UNESCO to study arid lands. In 1967, Richard Leakey discovered the Koobi Fora fossil site on Lake Turkana. This area is protected now as an important prehistoric research site as it lies within the Sibiloi National Park.

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