Situated at the southern end of Lake Malawi, the park includes the terrestrial miombo woodlands and the aquatic ecosystem with a total of 13 islands. Very few places in the world can equal the beauty and significance of Lake Malawi National Park, one of the only two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Malawi, recognized for such outstanding universal values as its unique natural beauty and the beautiful cichlid fish, all but five of 350 species are endemic to the park.
The Lake contains 30 percent of all known cichlid fish in the world. On mainland, mammal and reptile life is also present and these include klipspringer, hyrax, otter, blue monkey. Birdlife is also a significant feature for the park, especially on Boadzulu (also known as Bird Island). The park is known to harbour diverse species of birds like African Fish Eagle, Kingfisher and Cormorants.