Supporting Otter Conservation Around Lake Bunyonyi

If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of one — a smooth shape cutting through the still waters, a pair of eyes watching curiously from the reeds. Otters are among Lake Bunyonyi’s most enchanting — and most endangered — residents.

They’re playful, intelligent, and endlessly curious. But life is becoming harder for them here.

A Fragile Life Beneath the Surface

Over the years, the otters of Lake Bunyonyi have faced growing challenges. Much of it is caused — unintentionally — by us. Their homes are being cleared for farmland or development. Fishing nets trap them by mistake. Pollution clouds the waters where they hunt and play.

And in some cases, otters are seen as pests, blamed for taking fish or interfering with livelihoods. Some are even caught and sold illegally.

They’re small. But they carry the weight of a fragile ecosystem on their backs.

How Your Journey Helps

When you travel with us, you help protect the very waters you’ve come to explore. We support local conservation programs that:

• Track and study otter populations to better understand their needs

• Work with fishermen to create otter-friendly practices

• Clean and restore vital shoreline habitat

• Teach children in local schools about the importance of living alongside wildlife

• Support alternative incomes so that communities can protect, not compete with, the lake’s wildlife

Why Otters Matter

Otters are more than just adorable. They’re nature’s indicators — a healthy otter population means a healthy lake. And that matters not just for animals, but for the communities who depend on the lake for food, water, and life.

By protecting otters, we protect the delicate balance of the entire ecosystem.

Travel That Leaves a Gentle Footprint

We believe travel should give more than it takes. From choosing eco-conscious lodges to supporting ethical activities, every decision we make — and you make with us — is part of a bigger picture.

And sometimes, the most meaningful impact comes from the smallest creature you didn’t expect to see.

“It’s easy to overlook an otter. But when you pause long enough to see it — really see it — you realize how much it needs us. And how much we need places wild enough for it to belong.