Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi (also known as Lake Nyasa in most countries, or Lake Nyassa, Lake Niassa, or Lago Niassa in Mozambique), is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system. The lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. It is the second deepest lake in Africa, although its placid northern shore gives no hint of its depth. This great lake's tropical waters are reportedly the habitat of more species of fish than those of any other body of freshwater on Earth, including more than 1000 species of cichlids.

Lake Malawi was officially declared a reserve by the Government of Mozambique on June 10, 2011 in an effort to protect one of the largest and bio-diverse freshwater lakes in the world.

Lake Malawi or Lake Nyaza is between 560 and 580 kilometers long, and about 75 kilometers wide at its widest point. The total surface area of this lake is about 29,600 square kilometers (11,400 sq mi). This lake has shorelines on western Mozambique, eastern Malawi, and southern Tanzania. The largest river flowing into this lake is the Ruhuhu River. This large freshwater lake has an outlet at its southern end, which is the Shire River, a tributary that flows into the very large Zambezi River in Mozambique.

Open Water Swimming

• Lake Malawi has been crossed by several solo swimmers in a 23.5 km width-wise course:
  • Lewis Pugh, 9 hours 52 minutes in 1992
  • Dr. Otto Thaning, 10 hours 5 minutes in 1992
  • Abigail Thomson, 9 hours 45 minutes in 2010
  • Milko van Gool, 8 hours 46 minutes in 2013
  • Kaitlin Harthoorn, 9 hours 17 minutes in 2013
  • Jean Craven, 7 hours 53 minutes in 2016
  • Robert Dunford, 7 hours 53 minutes in 2016
  • Michiel le Roux, 7 hours 53 minutes in 2016
  • Samantha Whelpton, 7 hours 53 minutes in 2016
  • Greig Bannatyne, 7 hours 53 minutes in 2016
  • Haydn Von Maltitz, 7 hours 53 minutes in 2016
  • Douglas Livingstone-Blevins, 7 hours 53 minutes in 2016
  • Other members of the 2016 tandem relay included Duncan Kukard, Craig Massey-Hicks, Brent Massey-Hicks, Robert Logan, Karen Graaff, Melanie Bedford-shaw, Nick Comana, Shirley Milne, Nena Logan, Alison Hartley, Cara Gough, Deon van Niekerk, Jessica Comana, Candice Wadey, Jacqueline Marshall, Charlie Luckock, Darren Madgewick, Michelle Walford, Keiman O'Flaherty, Kobie Odendaal, Travis Johnson, and Werner Whelpton in October 2016
  • Martin Hobbs, 54-day stage swim from 20 February to 24 April 2019

Lake Malawi Madswimmer Crossing

28 Madswimmers 25 km crossing of Lake Malawi in October 2016 in a big group swim.

Martin Hobbs' Lake Malawi Stage Swim

Martin Hobbs completed a 64-day, 596.6 km stage swim together with Boat Captain & Sponsor Oresti Yiannakis, Jetski escort pilot Steven Hobbs, planners and sponsors Chris Yiannakis, and paramedic and tech guy Russell Malherbey

Stillwater 8

Lake Malawi is part of the Stillwater 8, a solo marathon swimming challenge created by Michelle Macy:

• Loch Ness, Scotland
• Lake Zürich, Switzerland
• Lake Tahoe, USA
• Lake Taupo, New Zealand
• Lake Ontario, Canada
• Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
• Lake Malawi, Malawi, Africa
• Sea of Galilee, northwest Israel

External links

• Michelle Macy Talks About Her Open Water Journey On WOWSA Live
• The New Stillwater 8
• Martin Hobbs Giving Smiles After 63 Days
• Hardest Open Water Swims In The World
• Dodging Crocs And Hippos
• The Incredible Dr. Otto Thaning
• Lake Malawi Crossing By Kaitlin Harthoorn And Milko Van Gool
• A Winning Formula For Milko Van Gool
• Irish Long Distance Swimming Association
• Standing Up To The Tests Of Time
• Channel Swimmer Milko Van Gool Is Land-locked
• Most Difficult Swims In The World - Southern Hemisphere
• Most Difficult Swims In The World - Northern Hemisphere
• Madswimmer Knysna Swim
• Swimming Together In Pan-American Colibrí Swim
• Which Was My Toughest Swim?
• The Unprecedented Lake Malawi Swim By Martin Hobbs
• Martin Marathoning Malawi
• 82 km Done, 499 km To Go
• 480 km Done, 101 km To Go Across Lake Malawi
• Martin Hobbs Fighting Waves Across Lake Malawi
• Solo Swimmer Facebook page
• Open Water Swimming
• Marathon Swimming
• Daily News of Open Water Swimming
• Martin Hobbs, Solo Swimming Success And Smiles
• CNN: He swam for 54 days across Lake Malawi to break two world records