In a guest blog written for Malawi Tourism by Likoma Island Divers, a recognised Professional Association of Diving Instructors resort, Lake Malawi waters are under the spotlight as offering some of the best diving experiences in the country.

Malawi, known as the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’, is home to Lake Malawi. At an altitude of 500m above sea level and with a maximum depth of over 700m, it is the ninth-largest freshwater lake in the world.

With boulder fields dropping down into clear waters with minimal currents, Malawi waters are home to over 1 000 different species of fish.

Probably the most well-known are the Cichlids, tropical fish whose offspring live in their mother’s mouth until they are old enough to fend for themselves, hence the name ‘mouth-brooders’.

Another species, the African catfish, make their home under rocks in the deeper areas and venture into the shallows at night. The females will make a hole under a rock to bring up their young and if an observant diver is lucky, they may get a glimpse of the babies being protected by their parents, who can grow up to 1.5m long.