Kazinga Channel is a 40km long natural channel that connects the wetland fringed Lake George and Lake Edward in the biosphere park of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The shallow and slow moving channel boasts the highest concentration of wildlife including the densest population of hippos and an excellent birdlife.
Kazinga channel bisects Queen Elizabeth NP into two unique and contrasting habitats. On the channel’s eastern banks, extensive woodlands and grasslands hide the riverine forest valley of apes of Kyambura gorge known for its incredible chimpanzee trekking experiences. The western channel banks are flanked by the game-rich grasslands of Kasenyi that offer rewarding game drive experiences where you get close to a wide range of iconic African game. South of Kasenyi grasslands is a scenic landscape poked by a dozen explosion crater lakes.
A Boat Safari Experience on the Kazinga Channel
A boat cruise safari on Kazinga Channel is undoubtedly a major highlight on all tailored Uganda wildlife safari experience through Queen Elizabeth National Park. A scheduled boat cruise sets off from Mweya jetty to follow along the channel’s shoreline towards the mouth of Lake Edward, offering close-up views of hippo pods, Nile monitor and Nile crocodile.
The channel banks also attract large herbivores that come to refresh here in the heat of the day. These include large herds of savanna elephants, cape buffalo while the shy giant forest hog and leopard are becoming a popular sighting while on a boat cruise safari.
The Kazinga Channel is a prime birding hotspot where a checklist of over 110 species comprises of waterfowl and water associated species occur. This impressive checklist includes, African Skimmer, African Spoonbill, Grey Heron, Yellow-billed Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Egyptian Geese, Great Cormorant, Pink-backed Pelicans, Great White Pelicans and more. The channel also hosts millions of Palearctic migrants that winter here between September and April.
Specialized birding cruises will need to explore further north of the channel and near Lake George to seek the elusive Lake Victoria biome species local in the papyrus stands. These include among others the Papyrus Gonolek, Carruthers’s cisticola, White-winged Swamp Warbler and even the Shoebill, which is a mega tick.
The woodland stands host the African Fish Eagle, Gabar Goshawk, African Darter, Palm-nut Vulture, Malachite, Pied and Giant Kingfisher.