However, the American explorer
Arthur Donaldson Smith records that the local inhabitants, who included an eye witness of the event, told him that the Italian explorer
Eugene Ruspoli (died 1891) was killed by an elephant near the lake, which happened before Bottego reached Lake Abaya.
[1]
Lake Abaya is located in the
Main Ethiopian Rift, east of the
Guge Mountains. It is fed on its northern shore by the
Bilate which rises on the southern slopes of
Mount Gurage, and the Gidabo. The town of
Arba Minch lies on its southwestern shore, and the southern shores are part of the
Nechisar National Park. Just to the south is
Lake Chamo. Lake Abaya is 60 kilometers long and 20 wide,
[2] with a surface area of 1162 square kilometers.
[3] It has a maximum depth of 13.1 meters and is at an elevation of 1285 meters.
[3] There are a number of islands in this lake, the largest being
Aruro;
[4]others include
Gidicho, Welege, Galmaka, and Alkali. The lake is red due to a high load of suspended sediments.
[5] Lake Abaya does not always have an outflow, but in some years it overflows into Lake Chamo.
Savanna, known for its
wildlife and
birdlife surrounds the lake, which is also fished by local people. According to the Ethiopian Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, 412
tonnes of fish are landed each year, which the department estimates is 69% of its sustainable amount.
[6]
