We followed the visit to the hippos with a cruise on the boat. The lake in the Africa section gives a view of the central savannah, which includes the giraffes, zebras, etc.
The lake itself, we learned, used to be used for speedboat racing, and was eventually deepened, with the island in the “middle” being made from the dirt dredged from the bottom. It also used to have sandy beaches that people would come and spend the day at.
The water is dyed to help suppress the growth of algae that would otherwise overtake it.
The cruise goes from one side of the lake, underneath a bridge whose span is very narrow to the boat — our pilot did a perfect job and the boat didn’t hit — to bring us to the other side where the main dock and the central African plaza is.
So here are a few photos, including some panoramic shots I attempted. In the panoramas the sides of the boat seem to curve in the wrong direction, giving an unusual arc to the pictures.
At The Rainbow 