Lake
Kashiba is situated south-west of Luanshya in Zambia, close to Mpongwe and St
Anthony's Mission. It is the best known of the several small, very deep pools
in the Ndola district called "the sunken lakes." They are found in
limestone and were caused by the action of water on the rock, dissolving it and
forming caves which eventually collapsed, leaving deep holes filled with water.
Kashiba is the most impressive and means "small lake." It is about
3.5 hectares (8.6 acres) in area and about 100 metres deep. The water level is
about 10 metres below the surrounding forest, and through the clear blue water,
fish are easy to see, mostly bream, with some carp.
Lake
Kashiba is a ‘gigantic sink hole’ and a scuba diving challenge. Many mystical
stories and legends surround its existence. The lake is unique, natural and
serene. It is located in an unspoiled wilderness. This beautiful and
awe-inspiring lake provides a natural pleasure resort to the visiting public
and the local population on the Copperbelt of Zambia.
Lake
Kashiba is situated southwest of Ndola town in the Copperbelt Province. It is
accessible by an asphalt road more than three quarters of the way and by an
all-weather laterite road the rest of the way.
The
lake is populated by a variety of fish species while the surrounding mushitu
forest is home to many birds. The beauty of the lake is further accentuated by
the bluish hue of the water giving it the visual impression of a gigantic
natural swimming pool, with no visible river entering or leaving it.
The
physical layout of the lake is unique. It is rectangular in shape and bordered
by high vertical cliffs. The water line is lower than the surrounding land
surface. The sunken lake is the result of the karsts topography formed from the
weathering of limestone.
The
lake was formed millions years ago. It is a result of the seepage dissolving
the underground limestone bedrock through a chemical process involving
Carbonation of Calcium Carbonate in limestone by dilute Carbonic acid. The lake
is very deep and the water does not fluctuate much, only a minor rise during
the height of the rainy season.
With
its dimension of 800 metres in length it has a depth of 100 metres on the
sides. However, the depth at the center of the lake is unknown. For this reason
Lake Kashiba is the scuba diving ultimate challenge. A proper scuba diving
“nightmare?” The lake is popular for scuba divers who attempt to establish the
depth of the lake.
Lake Kashiba©
Local legends
Local
legends warn that you not eat fish from Kashiba because even if you leave the
fish on the fire all day and all night, it will not be cooked. They also say that
fish captured from the lake can't be eaten. They say that a knife will pass
through the flesh and the wound will close behind it, or that if you put the
fish in a boiling pot, it will continue to swim around. Kashiba is also said to
contain a monster called “Ichitapa” or “lsoka lkulu.” When a man stands on the
rocks at the lake’s edge, with his shadow over the water, the monster comes up
from the depths and catches the shadow, so that the victim becomes paralysed
and falls in the water.
But
the best known of the legends of Kashiba goes back to the earliest history of
the Lamba people, to Kabunda, son of Chipimpi, the chief who came from the west
with seeds to plant the first gardens for the people. One day, when Chipimpi's
people had finished plastering a grain store, he gave them all porridge to eat,
but to Kabunda and his nephew he gave a goat so that they might wash off the
mud with the goat's blood. But Kabunda demanded the blood of a man, and Kapimpi
gave him a slave to kill. Kabunda killed the slave with his hoe, saying:
"Now we are the people of the Hair Clan, for we have killed a man with
hair on his head. But you, my father and my cousin, are people of the Goat
Clan:' and Kabunda slew Chipimpi and became chief.
In
time, Kabunda began to ill-treat the younger relatives of Chipimpi, members of
the Goat Clan, and they became angry, saying they were of the chief's clan and
should not be treated thus. "Let us now kill ourselves! Let us see what
will remain! Kabunda can remain, and the kingdom can be his!" So they all
went to Kashiba, where they took all their goods and chattels, goats and
chickens and dogs, and tied themselves together with a long rope and threw
themselves into the lake. But a member of the Leopard Clan was at the end of
the rope, and at the last moment, he cut it in front of his wife and carried
her back to the village, where she became the mother of all the Goat Clan. This
is one of the many stories surrounding the lake. Others
would say that the lake is said to be cursed by the local Lamba people.
According to legend, hostile tribes were capturing people to be sold as slaves.
An entire village came to the lake to avoid this fate. After neatly arranging
their chitenges on the banks, they bound themselves together and threw
themselves into the lake, all drowning rather than be taken into slavery.
According to local traditions and legends, it
is believed that if a canoe were sent drifting across, it would be sucked
under. It is also believed that all the leaves, which fall on the water by the
day, are sucked under at night by some unknown force. It is believed that this
explains the clean and very clear water of Lake Kashiba, a scuba diving
nightmare?
Plunge
in, take on the challenge and be the first to reach the bottom of this small
inland lake. If this is not what you are in to try and find out if the stories
of Lake Kashiba are true. Visit the lake and catch some fish, enjoy the
scenery, have a picnic, so much to explore.
Share with us your experiences, comments and
recommendations. Send emails to wildlifemgtsociety@gmail.com
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