With a surface area of 1162 sq. km, Lake Abaya is the seco nd largest lake in Ethiopia and the biggest lake in the Great East African Rift valley. It is 60 km long and 20 km wide with a maximum depth of 13.1 meters. The lake is found at an elevation of 1,285 m above sea level. Approximately 55 km of its shoreline that covers about 52 km2 of its total area is a part of Nechsar National Park. It is reddish due to a high load of suspended sediments with continuous-wave turbid comprise forested island and isthmus rich in amphibians and reptiles.
There are many islands in Abaya Lake named Wolge, Aruro, Todo, Phatha, Golmaka, Tabekor, Sibri, Gidicho and Dorimito islands. Gidicho is the largest island which is the home for Gidicho people, one of the three ethnic groups in Gamo Zone.
