Saanane Island National Park; Saanane Island National Park lies on an island in Lake Victoria and can be accessed by boat from the TANAPA offices along Capri point in Mwanza town. More so ,the park is located in Tanzania to the nearby city Mwanza on an area covering about 2.18 square Kilometer.
Historically, Saa Nane Island was named after its previous own Mzee Saanane Chawandi, who was a fisherman before and later turned into a farmer and he then had shifted to another Island in matter of paving the way for conservation efforts in the early 1960’s. For that matter, Tanzania government officially owned this island in 1964 and as the first ever government. Furthermore, the park was once named ‘’Saa Nane Island Game Sanctuary’’ but unfortunately was accidentally damaged during the air campaign of the Uganda Tanzanian War of 1978 – 1979 and the war came to end. However, there came five anti-personnel rockets instead hit the game sanctuary, which eventually injured one worker and killing several animals as well as many birds were killed. According to analysts Kenneth M Pollack stated that huge population of antelopes were killed during the war that had happened in the country. Recently, it is said that the number of mammals are increasing.
Although, it’s an Island area it boosts as a home to various mammal species such as velvet monkey, zebra, wild cat and rock hyrax many more and its only place in Tanzania to see De-brazza’s monkeys among others. The place is also home to numerous bird species which include; Pied kingfisher, egrets, cormorants, fish eagles, hornbills Lemon dove Red-eyed dove, pure-winged Goose, Red-billed Teal, Jacobin Cuckoo, African Black Coucal, Little Swift, African Palm swift, Tambourine dove, Blue-spotted wood dove, Rufous-bellied Heron ,Squacco Heron , Hamerkop ,African Open bill ,Marabou ,Eastern Grey plantain-eater ,African fish Eagle ,Verreaux’s Eagle , Gull-billed Tern among others
On visit at Saanane Island which is a remarkable place to visit on game viewing, bird watching, rock hiking, boat cruise, walking, bush lunch, photography, sport fishing. There also special occasion carried out here including; Wedding, team building, family day out, family day and birth day many.
Bush lunch experience
Nothing worthy to enjoy your lunch in the midst of the jungle and guess what enjoying delicious nature food you will definitely like it.
Sport fishing
The park is surround with water bodies where you can carry out sport fishing from and be able to experience aquatic nature species and as you fishing with good equipment in order to come out with experience of coughing some type of fish such as tilapia and the Nile perch. You can choose to visit the Island purposely to enjoy aquatic life species.
Walking safari
Doing your walking safaris along the Island expect to have gainful sight-seeing of mammal species such as impala, velvet monkeys, wild cats, rock hyrax, de-brazza’s monkeys and some of reptiles can be seen as you take you walk around the Island, such as lizards, crocodile, pancake, monitor lizards, leopards, tortoise among others.
How to get there;
Saa nane Island can be reached out by a regular short boat ride which takes about 5 hours from park offices, to the mainland. Saanane Island offices are easily reached about 15-minute short walk from the city.
Best time to visit Saanane Island National Park.
Saanane Island National Park can be visited throughout the year, though the best time to enjoy birding and gainful scenery of green and hiking experience, starts from June to September and December to February. Perfect time for students and travelers to visit.
