In the 1960s a dam was built on the river Nile at Aswan in Egypt the resulting lake has flooded some 5,250 sq kilometres of the Nile valley creating one of the biggest manmade lakes in the world. Lake Nasser is situated in the middle of one of the largest and driest deserts on our planet; its life-giving water contrasting dramatically with the stark desert environment creating an atmosphere of tranquillity, vastness and adventure.
It is hard to comprehend just how big Lake Nasser really is. An illustration comes to mind; sitting in an aircraft at Luxor airport whilst waiting to take off for London Heathrow the information on the TV monitor showed the distance to London as 4,000km with a flying time 5.5 hours – the shoreline of Lake Nasser is some 7,800km almost twice that distance!
The lake is blessed with vast areas of natural beauty and a shoreline with a diversity of desert landscapes, from hilly and rugged to sandy with dunes cascading into the lake forming beautiful freshwater beaches. On the lake itself there are a multitude of rocky islands and flooded desert valleys called Khors. The weather is nearly always sunny; most areas will not see any rain for five, ten or more years.
Lake Nasser supports an impressive variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles. Over 100 species of birds have been recorded within the lake’s dominion which is also an important staging point for migrant and over-wintering birds. In many areas, crocodiles and monitor lizards make their home; other types of wildlife include Dorcas gazelle, jackals, desert fox, and various smaller desert mammals also inhabit the shoreline and islands.
A small population of transient peasant fishermen commercially fish the lake using old fishing methods, simple wooded rowing boats some of which have small outboard engines and they live in ramshackle temporary camps. The residents are Bedouin camel and sheep herdsmen, who are occasionally seen grazing
their flocks on the sparse vegetation growing on the edge of the Lake.
There are also several important Nubian archaeological sites which were dismantled block by block and moved to higher ground when the lake was first flooded. The most notable are the t
emples of Abu Simbel, which was built by the Pharaoh Ramses II in 1200 BC. During the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s these temples were moved as were other important monuments.
The best way to see the lake is to come on an African Angler Eco or Fishing safari which is as close to the real meaning of the word safari as you are likely to find.
".... The overall visual impression is almost of an Alpine landscape in negative, with brown mountains and hills filled with drifts of ochre sand which, were they white could be ski slopes and glaciers. Instead of biting alpine cold, there is summer sunshine and heat. "
Pat Mackreth
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