To the west of Lake Langano lie the twin lakes of Abijatta and Shalla, which form part of the Abijatta Shalla National Park. Identical twins, these lakes are not – Shala’s 410 sq km surface sits within a collapsed volcanic caldera, and depths exceed 260 m in some areas, making it the deepest lake in Ethiopia, while Abiata’s highly alkaline waters rest in a shallow pan no more than 14 m in depth.
A typical visit to this park allows visitors to observe gazelle, warthogs and other herbivores; however, it is the birdlife that makes this park an exceptional place, as it is a very important breeding location for the Great White Pelican plus there are semi-tame ostriches, lesser flamingos, and 144 water-bird species, which represents an enormous 70.6% of the total wetland bird species for the country.