DR Congo Expedition to underwater garden lake Fwa

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

Hi Members,

so after a long shut of on the forum, i am back !!!
As my title says, i just went in expedition (very short but hard)

let me explain the story,

Back in October 2014, i have received a mail from a friend of my mother, explaining that a friend of her, have a Ichthyologist friend that want to go to Congo (yes i know a friend of friend etc... haha). By reading the attached mail bellow I saw the name of Heiko Bleher and the lac Fwa. Learnt about Heiko (amazing) but not about the lake Fwa. So with excitement started to search about that lake but no info or very few and wrong information about the place. I started to communicate with him and explained me about that incredible lake that I have in my country but never heard about it (even if my mother lived in that region and went several time there...) For Heiko, one of the most beautiful and unique freshwater lake on the planet. Due to its crystal clear water and endemic species as Thoracochromis Brauschi or Schwetzochromis Neodon and others.

So from there we started to plan an expedition to that place for 2015. But unfortunately due to a lack of finance that year we have postpone it for the next year. 2016 in DRC was suppose to be the presidential election year, but no election and a lot of political instability plus real insecurity... trip postpone. 2017 worst year to go in the region where the lake is, due to massive killing there. Finally in 2018 we arrange everything for Heiko to come and to go to lake Fwa. I will pass all the details about canceling the trip due to interdiction to go in that place etc... nut we finally did it.

So on the 10th of June Heiko arrive in kinshasa, and from the airport we went directly on the congo river for a small ride in boat and fishing.

Two days after we went for a hell of a trip in the province of Kwilu (ex Bandundu region). We wanted to reach a beautiful waterfall named Lippens/ Kitona. So the road was 395 km of payment road that we did in more than 5 hours. After that "nice" pavement road we started hell.... 133 km of pure sand road with truck ruts deeps of 50 cm.... I don't even remember how many time we have been completely stuck and the second car needed to pull us out of that deep sandy ruts... When we were able to ride we have to push the car so hard to keep speed up and passes these deep fu*****g ruts... almost like WRC rally race with me doing doing professional copilote indication haha
So After a total of 13 hours of driving we arrived at 6:33 pm on top of the waterfalls. The sound coming from the canyon was incredibly loud, and with sun very low we could barely see the falls.
Next morning after a freezing night (for Africa 16 C) we woke up and went down to see and collect down in the waterfalls. The way down to the river was quite ok but almost vertical and slippery. The rest of the walk was a real Livingstone walk, we walk in the water along the shore of the river for 100m than the shore was no more praticable, so the locals started to open us a way with machetes in the forest going a little bit back up on the hill, and than down again where we reach a point that it was too dangerous to continue to the falls. Too much holes under the carpet of ferns that we just cut, vertical walls etc... We went down in a small bay to collect fishes and plants. The whole place and I can say the whole rivers edge are fuuuullll of anubias and other aquatics plants. But the quantity of Anubia there was really impressive. On the other side of the river there was a huge rock with millions of anubias. I will try to upload a video of the anubia biotope so you can see how it is beautiful.
The only fish we catch was a endemic Garra new sp. Heiko Was really happy to find that "brown, green, yellow Garra.
The way back to the top was even more vertical we had to escalade a portion of 100 m because it was too vertical. The road back to Kinshasa worst than when we came. We lost a car (engine dead) we had to pull the car on 85 km with a rope that was becoming shorter and shorter after multiples breakage etc... We finally abandoned the car at 10 km of the pavement road. it was too stuck to pull it out. After 17 hours and I don't know how many cubic meters of sand I have dig we reach home at 03:30 am exhausted.
Here are some pictures of that small trip.

Two Days after the Friday 15th we left kinshasa for Kananga by plane the whole trip was taken in charge by authorities and a friend of mine that want to build an ecolodge on the lake. At landing we had "VIP" arrival, when we get in the car the director of Kananga emigration tells us that we are note living tonight for lake Mukamba (first stop on the road to lake Fwa). Let me explain, lake Fwa is at 180 km East of Kananga town. The road to lake Fwa consiste in two part, first part Kananga lake Mukamba 122 km at an average of 20 km/h 5h30 minutes and from Mukamba to lake Fwa 52km in 2H30 minutes.... Yes roads are perfect in Congo haha. We had to leave kananga at 6 am but we left at 10h30 am because we had to wait for our military escort (the region is still very dangerous, with killing and kidnapping). The 7 military and their car finally arrived and we left for something we can call a "road".... for 8 hours in that Toyota Hiluxsurf model with back chocks that were out (so direct hitting on our back at each bump on the road).
We arrive on the village on the top of lake Fwa at night and we had to spend an our to talk with villages chef etc... offering them salt, sugar, oil and money so they let us go to the lake. We went down to the lake with 4 military to guard us, unfortunately they drop us on the wrong side and completely wrong place on the lake. At night we had to walked for 12 km carrying my luggage (25kg). We finally reach a place where Heiko wanted to stay, easier and more interesting place to collect. Unfortunately the spot was an artisanal palm oil exploitation, fortunately all the dry fiber of palm nuts have helped us to light fire etc... Exhausted of 8 hours of car and 12 km of walk in the night, we set our tent and sleep without eating.

The next morning we woke up at 7 am had a hot tea to warm us and we started to see all the chief and different important personne coming down to see what the white man were doing in their lake. There was too much people at least 30.... it was not a quiet and calme expedition. Finally after talking a lot of people left us, and we started to work. Heiko went on a canoe 1 km up stream to search for a place to build the ecolodge. And me I was waiting at the camp ... I was watching that crystal clear water from the edge of the lake wondering how it is underwater... I couldn't resist anymore... I took my google and snorkel and jump in the water. The water was warm and it was good for me as I was cold due to the night.
Head in the water eyes opened, I couldn't believed what I was seeing ... the water was crystal clear, I could see as far as my will allow me ( I went to Bonaire Caribbean island where they say it the saltwater with the best visibility, and I can tell you Bonaire Visibility is cat pee compare to Fwa water's). Something else that is incredible in Fwa waters is that as soon as you open your eyes you are surrounded by a nice bleu color of the water around you. What seams to be a flat scape from outside of the water, appear to be more complexe in the water. Huge hole (4 meter deep) with sand banks at the bottom surrounded by huge plants, on the other side huge flat rock formations. The underwater landscape was unbelievable. Something that was very beautiful to my eyes was how the millions of valisneria and Potamogeton were flowing and dancing in the same direction. You have to know that lake Fwa is not a real lake. It's a Karts depression of 22 km of length. The water comes out of the ground (sand rocks, cracks) at multiple place (more than 6 spring) and the volume of water coming out is insane. So the lake flows from West to East and all plants nicely dance in that flow.
After coming out of the water and realizing that I was not dreaming, I did my self a trip on a canoe to see more of the lake. The water is so transparent that sometime it's like the canoe is floating midair, millions of plants under me, thousand of fishes that you can see from the surface even at 8 m deep, the edge of the lake is full of pandanus with their roots set in water, big tress, island of ferns on the lake and on the edge. The scene is beautiful and I was like in a dream. A very nice feature of the lake is that its has some pristine white rock, and the shimmering of the sun through the water that reflect on these white rocks, shows all the colors of the rainbow. The place is hard to describe, but nothing I have seen before was that beautiful !!!
After that we went to snorkel on big bay where a big source of water was coming out of the sand. The water was shallow (max 2 meters), and the place was perfect for enjoying snorkeling and filming.
Fishes every where, shrimps every where, plants everywhere, rocks and wood every where, bleu everywhere, It was like I was swimming in Lisbon Amano tank, I can tell you nature is the best aquascaper I know now haha.
We only had a day on the lake, so we filmed, we collected fishes (new species), plants, rocks, critters etc... And left back to the car. We drive back at night to lake Mukamba, sleep there, next morning back to kananga on that crazy road. When we left Mukamba I have noticed that in the military car there were two more guy sitting at the back with close and cold face. I asked the Captain who were they, he explained me that when we were swimming a part of the team went in a commando mission to capture these guy. They are from the tribe Kamuina Nsapu and a month ago they had decapitated 5 people..... (nice to hear lol). We fly back to kinshasa that monday night full of images and souvenir in our head, but very sad about the short time we had there. We only did 2 km of the 22km of the lake, we have not seen Thoracochromis Brauschi and a Halpochromis, we missed so much things.... we have not collected Schwetzochromis Neodon juveniles (only adults but no oxygen to transport them to kinshasa) and so and so and so. I MUST GO BACK !!!

So hope that long reading was pleasant and not boring for you because that's a very long reading.
For the pictures you have first the Kitona Falls than follows pictures of lake Fwa and underwater pictures. I will try to put the video of lake Fwa on the thread.

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

the rest of the pictures

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

One of my favorite picture I have took in the bay of the spring

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

These are HEIKO BLEHER (credit) Pictures please do not share.
Same for my pictures I have kindly share these with the community so please be fare and do not share or copy !!!

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

These are HEIKO BLEHER (credit) Pictures please do not share. Picture of the waterfalls and the new Garra and a lac Fwa overwater picture

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

unfortunately I can't post the videos on the forum. I will upload the videos on youtube and share the link during the week end
cheers

 

[geoffbark]

Look forward to them

 

[Guest]

Wow, thanks for sharing. What an amazing adventure.
It's hard to image that places like that still exist. Great photos, it looks like I'd imagine the garden of eden to look. And still discovering new species, that is incredible.
And so dangerous as well, I'm guessing that it's still one of the most unstable places on the planet.

 

[X3NiTH]

Thank you for posting, that was gloriously epic to read! Love the photos, especially compelling knowing that it is a dangerous paradise. Being dropped on the wrong side of the lake by your military escort was probably intentional seeing as they used your 'Nature Ramble' as cover for a covert op, that's spadefuls of extra danger to an already dangerous trip! And you plan to do it again, hats off!

If anyone wants any context to what life in the DRC is like there is a 90 minute documentary on BBC4 iPlayer catchup called 'This Is Congo', difficult to watch in places but very poigniant!

Looking forward to seeing the video!

🙂

 

[sparkyweasel]

Thank you for sharing your amazing experience and wonderful photos.
I hope peace comes to your beautiful country soon.

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

Hi
thank you for your words !!!
So yes that place is like paradise on earth for aquatics lovers and seams untouched by humans. But Let's talk about what are in reality are the negatives impact of human activity on the lake. Because yes there are negatives impact on the lake that we can clearly see. Comparison have been done with Heiko's picture of 1996 so a 20 years time to compare.

First it's the wood cutting, the lake is surrounded by a nice small forest, the people living around the lake have already cut 30% of the forest of the lake. They first cut the trees to make charcoal, than after they put fire to clean the area. After that they plant corn on this burned land of the slope of the lake. Unfortunately the area is sand, so the corn is growing in very small form and 80% of the crops are not harvested becauuuuuuse..... no corn on the plants.... So next step is erosion on the edges slope of the lake.

Second is Artisanal palm oil exploitation, along the 2 km only (the lake is 22km long) we have seen more than 4 small exploitation of oil. The problems with these are that the people after making oil dump all the nuts of the palm fruits in the water, results it kills all the plants on the lake sides where there are these exploitation, because they cover the plants and thus they don't have access to space and light. When the plants dies the aftermath is that juveniles fishes that were taking cover in these plants from bigger fishes and other predators can no longer take cover there.... Second thing they do in these place, is to throw the palm oil rest in the lake. When they "cook" the oil, on top of the oil there is a palm oil foam that is not usable, so they dump that, result, this foam of palm lower the ph in the area of the exploitation and the fish can no longer stay in these area, so they go in the middle of the lake. Again juveniles don't have any secured place when going in the middle. The Ph was around 6,5 near the exploitations and was at 7,8 in the middle (normal Ph of the lake)

Third, 22 years ago only 4 to 5 dugout were fishing on the lake, they still use the same method of fishing but today it is more than 35 to 40 dugout, fishing allay long on the lake. Even if the method of fishing are still traditional (with small 2mx1,2m net on the ground of the lake, and the fisherman pushing the fishes with a stock in direction of the net), the fishing have already a negative impact on the number of fishes. An other results of the increasing number of dugout on the lake, is that they use 3 to 4 meters sticks to navigate on the lake. They put the stick on the ground of the lake and push. on many places you can clearly see that they uproot a lot of plants when doing that. When it was 4 or 5 doing that it was ok, "the floating plants" were few and not damaging the lake shore vegetation (upper and underwater). Now you can see millions of floating plants on the shore that kill part of the upper vegetation but also make shady area for the underwater vegetation that are dying. So same problem for the juveniles security.

So with all these negatives impact with Heiko, we have estimated that there 10 time less fishes than 22 years ago. When you compare picture of 22 years ago and todays pictures and video you can clearly see that there is waaaaaayyy less fishes than before.

Unfortunately we had only a day on the lake so we have missed so much survey. For example we went there to find Thoracochromis Brauschi, we have seen 0 of it, in a place of the lake were they were thousands (maybe they have move lower in the lake, no time to confirm this), same for a black and yellow thoracochromis that we have not seen. An other expample we didn't went at the where the lake end goes in Lubi river. Between the lake and the river there is a natural barrier that "no" (only Hydroconus (tigerf-ish) and a knife fish had pass in the history we don't know how, human or problems in the barrier) fishes, we didn't see if human activity had already have an impact on that natural barrier. The barrier consist of 6 km long area where millions of Potagometon are densely flowing in the water. The area is dense in plants that you can walk on these plants. You can jump from the dug out and you will still be on top of these plants. It is almost impossible to navigate on these millions plants without cutting and pushing away the plants to make a path. unfortunately we have not seen the place.
We also need to do an map of the lake because we have noticed that there are two "waterfalls/rapids" on the lake, instead of one that were known by everyone, there are more sources than the 6 already placed on a map, and other things. We have not seen what is the impact the Hydroconus living in the lake

I NEED TO GO BACK TO CHECK ALL THIS.

So unfortunately that incredible place is no more untouched by human and need an urgent protection.
I have now contacted different ministers and protection institutions in DRC to start a project on protection of the lake. Everything will go fast hopefully so we can still enjoy that beauty we have in Congo.

Cheers my friends

 

[Guest]

Thanks for filling us in on progress. It's a shame but a common story wherever you go.
I hope the ministers act quickly to preserve the beauty that still exist. Please keep us up to date.

 

[gltjc]

Thank you for sharing. What a fabulous and inspiring adventure.

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

Hi guys I have finally upload the video to YouTube I was waiting to be in Europe to do it because Congolese connexion is too slow to do it. I have also put the link for the anubias biotope in Kitona waterfalls

Lake Fwa


Anubia biotope


Let me know if it doesn't work

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[zanguli-ya-zamba]

ENJOY THAT BEAUTY

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[Edvet]

Many thx

 

[Guest]

Fantastic, many thanks for sharing.
Love the music track, what is it and who's it by?

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

Fantastic, many thanks for sharing.
Love the music track, what is it and who's it by?

Hi thanks for the kind words
The song is "Lines" from Parra for Cuva.
He gave me his authorisation to use it for the video.

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[Guest]

Thanks 🙂