Oguta Lake is a gem that we don’t talk much about. This natural body of water with a confluence point is a beautiful sight to behold. There is more to this lake than meets the eye; its history is one that we never get tired of hearing, as superstitious as it sounds.
The lake is located in Oguta town, an LGA in Imo State. Finding our way from Owerri was way easier than I had thought. I visited the lake sometime in 2021 with a group, but I did not feel it the way I did this second time around.
Visiting Oguta Lake From Owerri
From our place in Owerri, we booked a cab to Control where we boarded a taxi to Oguta. The journey lasted for about 45 minutes as we made a stop at Oguta Junction along the same major road. We crossed to the other lane and hopped on a bike down to the lake. As close to home as Oguta Junction sounded, it actually took a long ride to get to the lake itself.
Note: In case you are visiting from far away, the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri could be more than an hour’s drive to Oguta.
I did not have high expectations for this trip. I tried to keep an open mind and enjoy myself no matter what met me there.
On arrival, there were troops of people who were waiting to be ferried across. These were locals whose daily businesses required them to journey across the lake. There were boatmen waiting for their turn to load their boats, bike men waiting eagerly for passengers, and local fishermen paddling their miniature canoes in slow motions.
Related: My Opinion on Heroes’ Square Owerri
One of my highlights was this large ferryboat that carried people, animals, and vehicles to the other side of the lake. We were told that some of the buses were traveling to Port Harcourt and the others were just residents who lived across the lake or had businesses that took them there.
There isn’t much to do at the lake other than taking a boat ride to the confluence and maybe to the Ojukwu’s bunker if you are feeling adventurous.
The confluence point was our only interest so we started negotiating with the boat riders. At first, they charged N10,000, but after exhaustive negotiations, they reluctantly agreed on N3000. Later that day, the things they said in their thick Igbo dialect made sense to me. They had seen my friend’s iPhone 11 Pro and had probably thought we were a big catch.
Pro Tip: Hide your phones when negotiating with the locals.
Oguta Lake and its Confluence
The people of Oguta believe that the two rivers that make up the lake were husband and wife before they quarreled and flowed separately. The green water, Ogbuide, is believed to be female. While the brown water, Urashi, is male.
The two are now deities; man and wife turned into god and goddess. And the people of Oguta have built shrines where they invoke and offer supplications to the two rivers, one on each side of the river. The quarrel does not affect the places of worship, and worshipers can call on either deity from any of the two shrines.
Honestly, I was scared when we got to the confluence. I had heard stories of how the lake drowned people who failed to reverence it. The confluence was clear cut. There was no searching for where the rivers met as they were obviously unmixable. Fascinating, right? I also heard researchers had collected samples of the two rivers and were still unable to mix them.
We sailed at the confluence point, and I watched closely, trying to see if the two rivers would mix for once and maybe separate as the tides settled. They did not.
As our ride dragged to a stop, I relished the fulfillment I felt to have finally seen the confluence up close.
Below is everything you need to know about Oguta lake.
Interesting Facts about the Oguta Lake
- Oguta Lake is the largest natural lake in South-Eastern Nigeria at 8.05km long, 2.41km wide, and 8 m (26 ft) deep
- It is surrounded by the rainforest of the Niger-Delta
- The sources of the lake are Njaba, Utu, Awbana, and Urashi rivers
- There is the nonfunctional Oguta Lake Resort on the other side of the lake
- There is a newer resort called the Crystal Lake Resort, situated on one of the shores of the lake. It has a sand-filled beach, a hotel, and a myriad of fun activities.
I also visited the Crystal Lake Resort. I will write about my experience in another post.
Oguta Lake – Total Cost + Budget
- Bolt from my place to Control – N800
- Bus/taxi from Control to Oguta – N500 per person
- Bike from Oguta Junction to the Lake – N600 for two-person sharing. N400 if you choose to ride alone.
- Boat ride to the confluence point – N3000 for two persons
- Taxi from the lake back to Oguta Junction – N200 per person.
- Bus from Oguta Junction back to Owerri – N500
- Miscellaneous to my place – N400
I won’t calculate the total cost since most of the bills were shared between me and my friend. However, this is what the budget should look like for you if you are visiting from Owerri.
Have you visited Oguta Lake before? Were you impressed or disappointed? If you haven’t visited, do you look forward to it?
Ahhh! I loveeeeee! More of this!
Thank you, my babe?❤.
Great to learn some interesting fact about the lake and glad you enjoyed your second visit. That ferry looks scary though. By the way, love the dress! Where is it from?
Thank you, Amarachi?. The ferryboat was actually the one we entered the time I visited with a group. I sat with the captain at the side of the boat, where my two feet were in water. It was a very scary place to be, to be honest, as I had to hold onto things so I wouldn’t fall off when we’d make a turn. But I enjoyed the ride, nonetheless. ? The dress, thank you so much! I snagged it from a friend, she was wasting the cloth. But she said it was thrifted.