Lake Ndutu, and its smaller sister lake, Masek, sit at the head of the world renowned Olduvai Gorge. This area of East Africa's savannah plains has attracted ancient man for millenia. In more recent times the same attractions have lured adventurer and tourist alike. In the late forties George Dove, a flamboyant hunter and safari guide, located his seasonal professional hunting camp on the edge of Lake Ndutu, well within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area but right on the door step of the vast Serengeti National Park. The whole area is now colloquially known as the short grass plains and the preferred habitat of hundreds of thousands (if not over a million) of wildebeest . In most years it is here that they give birth to their young and feel safest. The "Migration" of these charismatic animals arguably starts here as there is simply not enough grass to feed the growing herds all year round. The best and most likely time to see huge numbers of wildebeest is from December through March when they give birth in the surrounding short grass plains.
Both Ndutu and Masek are so called soda lakes with highly alkaline concentrations attracting flamingoes at certain times of the year. During the rainy season of April and May the lakes are likely to be at there deepest and the surrounding plains lush green with new grasses. The short rains occur at any time from November to December but, by February all signs of moisture may well have vanished leaving flat dusty lake beds.
