Marelli Islands

The Marelli Islands group, consist of three islands: Maleri, the largest, is 168ha, Nankoma, 65ha and Nakantenga, 18ha. They are located opposite Senga Bay, 16km away from Salima Town and lie 3km from the shore in the remarkably clear waters of Lake Malawi.

The Marelli Islands are 3 of the 13 islands that fall under the protection of Lake Malawi National Park, the first fresh water National Park in the world. Due to the large array of habitat types present on the archipelago, varying from rocky shorelines to small wild sandy beaches and from wooden hill sides to reedy lagoons, the Marelli Islands are home to a wide range of animals species. Several kinds of unique cichlid fish occur exclusively around these islands and cannot be found anywhere else in Lake Malawi or anywhere else in the world. This fish are sheltered in the rocky formations and protected by a 100m no-fishing area. Mammals include duikers, bush babies, otters and hippo on the mainland shores. Reptiles include mainly monitor lizards and snakes.