Lake Boundouni

Lake Boundouni sits near Mohéli's southeastern coast, a brackish crater lake connected to the sea through the rock and designated a Ramsar wetland in 1995, the first of three in the Comoros. Herons, egrets and waders use it, and the vegetation around the edge is dense. Bats roost in the trees nearby. The lake is small and the walk in from the road takes a short while through scrub. The lake is around two kilometres long and sits close enough to the sea that its water is salt rather than fresh.

What you actually see

• The crater lake - brackish water in an old vent near the coast.
• The waterbirds - herons, egrets and waders on the margins.
• The Ramsar status - the country's first listed wetland.
• The vegetation - dense growth closing around the lake edge.

When to go

May to October is the drier and cooler season. Water levels vary with the rains. Early morning is best for birds.

Honest expectations

The lake is small and the visit is short. There is no infrastructure and the path in is unmarked. Mosquitoes around the water are severe.

Nearby

Itsamia is east, and Fomboni is northwest.