Dead lake in Africa. Blood lake of Africa with dried salt skeletons of animals
small lake less than three meters deep, located in northern Tanzania near the border with Kenya, takes its name from the mineral natron. Depending on the season, the surface of Natron may be covered with a crust of mineral salts brought along with volcanic ash from East Africa rift valley, also known as the Great Rift Valley.
1. Looking at this photo, it’s hard to believe that at times this lake looks quite normal.
2. But when the evaporation of water leads to a significant increase in the alkalinity of Natron, certain types of bacteria are activated, the activity of which turns the lake blood red.
4. The waters of the lake reliably protect flamingos from predators during the mating season, so millions of these birds fly here to nest, but this is still quite a dangerous event - flamingos build their nests on islands of salt that surround the deadly waters of the lake.
5. The alkalinity of the lake ranges from 9–10.5 pH, and the water temperature reaches 60 °C, so animals (mainly birds) entering the lake immediately die, and their remains become covered with minerals and harden, turning into stone sculptures .
6. For the first time, Natron’s unique “ability” to kill animals and turn them into statues was discovered by photographer Nick Brandt during his next trip to Africa. He reported by positioning the remains as if the birds and bats were alive, making his footage look like something out of a horror movie.
7. “I couldn’t help but take a photo of them,” he says.
Lake Natron in Tanzania is one of the most serene yet frightening and incredible lakes in Africa.
It is located at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level in the northern part of Tanzania, almost on the border with Kenya.
general information
Natron is salt Lake with a high alkali content. It is fed by the waters of the South Ewaso N'giro River, which flows in from the north. This river originates in the center of Kenya, in areas rich in mineral springs. Along the periphery of the lake there are hot mineral springs. Precipitation also plays an important role, falling here mainly from December to May and amounting to about 80 cm per year.
Lake Natron has an unusual red-pink color. This is explained by the fact that the water, which brings abundant amounts of minerals into the water area, gradually evaporates, and the minerals remain in the lake basin. In particular, the waters are rich in sodium (also called natron - sodium carbonate decahydrate) and its compounds. Deposits of salts and carbonates are an excellent habitat for some bacteria and microorganisms, which in turn paint the lake in such amazing colors.
By the way, the name of the lake comes from the chemical compound “natron”.
The lake was first discovered by Europeans in 1954.
The depth of Lake Natron is no more than 3 meters. Its size directly depends on the season and, naturally, the volume of water. The maximum dimensions are approximately 57 by 22 kilometers. The ratio of the surface area of the lake to its depth makes this body of water more like a salt marsh.
It is noteworthy that the temperature of Lake Natron is more than 40 o C. In some places even more than 50 o C. The alkalinity of the water (or pH) reaches values of 9 - 10.5. It would seem that nothing and no one could survive in such a chemical reservoir, but there is life here.
Flora and fauna of Lake Natron
Water evaporating during the dry season increases salinity to such an extent that the environment becomes favorable for salt-loving microorganisms. They begin to actively flourish. Cyanobacteria, using the process of photosynthesis in nutrition, are the main producers of the color of Lake Natron. The color of the water can have yellow, orange, pink and red shades, and depends on the season and the number of such microorganisms. The marshy salt and freshwater areas along the edges of the lake are habitat for many plants.
Lake Natron is the only permanent nesting site for lesser flamingos in East Africa. There are about 2.5 million individuals of this graceful bird species. It has been proven that about 75% of all birds of the “lesser flamingo” species appear on the shores of this lake.
In addition to flamingos, you can find about 100,000 other waterfowl here, many of which are migratory. As a rule, birds are common on the shallow shores of the lake. The large number of birds can be explained by the almost complete absence of predators in the lake area.
The only fish found in abundance in the lake is the whitefin or alkaline tilapia of the species Oreochromis alcalicus, which is endemic to the lake. This small fish lives along the edges of hot springs, where the water temperature is between 36 - 40 o C.
white areas on the lake are hot mineral springs Threats to the lake
Although Lake Natron is a controversial sight, it is a valuable piece of nature and needs to be protected (like our entire planet).
In the early 2000s, significant threats to the lake and its existence emerged. On its banks it was planned to build a powerful chemical plant for the production of soda ash. A project for the construction of a hydroelectric power station in the area was also considered, which involved the construction of a dam in the northern part of the lake.
Both one and the second projects could cause serious damage to the ecosystem of the lake and its abodes. Fortunately, with the active intervention of environmentalists, both projects were abandoned.
Dead photo shoot on Lake Natron
Lake Natron is the source of some of the most fantastic and frightening photographs ever taken on the planet. They look as if the birds instantly froze and turned to stone. The author of these scary but amazing photographs is Nick Brandt.
On the shore of the lake, Brandt discovered the remains of flamingos and other animals with deposits of sodium carbonate, which sharply outlined their bodies. Moreover, there were quite a lot of such mummies. Nick selected some particularly impressive and well-preserved specimens and gave them the shape and attitude of a “living” person. The result was the famously frightening photographs. Here, for example, are these.
Bird mummies found on the shores of the lake Some newspapers claimed that birds died almost instantly from contact with water, but this is completely untrue. No one can say for sure how these animals died, but most likely it was due to natural causes, and the water is absolutely not to blame. Thanks to its chemical composition, it only became an ideal preservative.
Lake Natron is not the only body of water on the planet with such an unnatural color of water. It wouldn't hurt to read about
Salt Lake Natron is one of the amazing lakes on our planet that can turn into stone statue almost everything is alive. This reservoir is located in eastern Africa, in Tanzania, on the border with Kenya.
As the lake's water evaporates during the dry season, salinity levels will increase to the point that salt-loving microorganisms will thrive, causing the lake to temporarily turn blood red.
In general, the water level in Lake Natron depends on the time of year - and at the deepest time its depth does not exceed three meters. At this time it looks quite normal.
The water temperature in the reservoir reaches 60 degrees Celsius, and the pH alkalinity level ranges from 9 to 11. High water temperature and high level pH is not dangerous for only one species of living creatures inhabiting these waters - alkaline tilapia (Alcolapia alcalica) - a species of fish that has adapted to such difficult living conditions.
The only birds that have adapted to the unusual conditions of the lake are small flamingos. Natron is considered the only regular nesting site for these birds in East Africa; their number here reaches 2.5 million individuals.
The salty waters of the reservoir created excellent conditions for the growth of blue-green algae spirulina - the favorite food of small flamingos. In addition, the “unfriendly” waters of the lake reliably protect them from predators, which is why millions of these birds have “registered” here. Some of them build their nests directly on the formed salt islands, surrounded by water.
Well, if other birds end up in such “unfriendly” waters, they usually don’t die, as the authors of many blogs on the Internet write, having seen enough photographs of fossilized birds by photographer Nick Brandt, nothing terrible happens to them at all, they just can’t live here, so how they are not adapted.
And about these petrified birds, indeed, due to the high salinity and alkalinity level, the bodies of dead birds in such a salt solution do not decompose, but are covered with a layer of calcium and turn over time into the likes of statues.
Personally, it was funny for me to read posts on the Internet where it was written something like “a bird flew to Lake Natron and turned into a statue”...
I would like to continue the topic about unusual bodies of water on the planet. Today I want to tell you about Lake Natron, which is located in northern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya.
I have already told you that on Earth there are waters in which have a pink and even blood-red hue. All these natural wonders are located in different parts of the world. The color of water is determined by various factors: in some bodies of water special bacteria or algae live, in others the unusual color is caused by minerals dissolved in the water.
Lake Natron is unique in its own way. Firstly, it is one of the most alkaline bodies of water on Earth, the pH of the water reaches 10.5.
Also, the uniqueness of this lake is that the water in it, in addition to being very salty, its temperature reaches 50-60 degrees Celsius. In such conditions there are very few organisms that could survive here. But they exist! You might think that I'm about to start talking about some algae and incredible bacteria? But no, there are two species of alkaline telapia in Lake Natron! These two species are endemic and can only be found here. Of course, where else can you find such living conditions!
Also on the lake they breed and hatch chicks very rare view small flamingo. This lake is practically the only place for their breeding. They build their nests on islands of salt, which are formed by strong evaporation of water.
The lake has one more property. Due to the fact that the water in the lake is hot, animals or birds that accidentally fall into the water die, and the salt turns them into stone statues. Terrifying view!
By the way, I haven’t yet told you why the water in the lake is red. It contains halophilic cyanobacteria, which are capable of photosynthesis like plants. But as a result of photosynthesis, they produce a red pigment. This is what causes the red color of the water. By the way, Lake Natron is not always red, but only when the salinity reaches very high levels (due to the evaporation of water during the dry season), then these bacteria begin to actively multiply.
Blood Lake of Africa March 19th, 2013
An airplane casts a shadow on the bright red surface of Lake Natron in Tanzania. The unusual color is the result of the activity of microorganisms. Photo by: George Steinmetz.
Lake Natron is translated as “red” because of its special color, which is given to it by certain microorganisms that appear when the level of salinity and alkalinity increases excessively. The main such organism is cyanobacteria, a tiny bacterium that, like plants, absorbs light through photosynthesis. As a result, the accumulated photons cause a change in the pigmentation of this amazing bacterium towards a red color and millions of bacteria of the cyano species formed in the alkali of Lake Natron give a deep red color to all surfaces of the water. Only in shallow water, where there are slightly fewer of these bacteria, the water is no longer bright red, but orange. This is truly a miracle canvas of nature painted by a local God named Lengai, the progenitor of all things on Earth among the Maasai tribes.
But just for contrast, here is another wetland in Africa.
The lake is located in one of the most active volcanic zones in the world, constantly in motion - this is the Great Rift Rift region north of the Ngorongoro and Empakai craters. Along with Lake Eyasi, located southeast of the Ngorongoro conservation area, and Lake Rukwa in western Tanzania, Lake Natron is one of the world's unique alkaline lakes, predominantly consisting of salt and soda. A similar chemical interaction of underground flows, water and air determines the specific microclimate around these reservoirs. The landscape itself is subject to change. First of all, because of the evaporation, which turns the shores of the lake into a petrified, salty white desert.
The total area of the reserve is 700 square meters. km.
Such discomfort is most often justified by what is seen. Right here, not far from this " dead sea» Tanzania has one of the sacred places Ancient Africa - Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, which translated from the Maasai language means “Mountain of the Gods” or “Mountain of Spirits”. This volcano today is one of the “LIVING WONDERS OF TANZANIA”, more about which you can read in the fascinating article “Why don’t the volcanoes of Tanzania sleep?”
According to some reports, Ol Doinyo Lengai woke up for the last time in October 2008, but never fell asleep. According to the most recent data, a volcanic eruption was observed in 2010, which was apparently caused by the growing discontent of the “gods living in the crater of the volcano.”
One of the main reasons for their dissatisfaction could be the active discussion of the construction of a soda processing plant on the shores of Lake Natron - right at the foot of Ol Doinyo Lengai. The second reason could be plans to build a hydroelectric power station at the northern end of the lake, which would provoke a change in the alkaline balance in the lake.
Be that as it may, the Lake Natron Nature Reserve, which includes sacred mountain is increasingly exposed to the external influence of large companies, which disturbs the zone of peace and can provoke, in the words of shamans from the Maasai tribe, the “wrath of the gods” Ol Donyo Lengai.
And the lake is the only breeding area for the 2.5 million endangered Lesser Flamingos that live in the valley.
These flamingos flock along salt lakes in the area where they feed on Spirulina (blue-green algae with red pigments). Lake Natron is the only breeding site for the Lesser Flamingo because its caustic environment is a kind of barrier against predators trying to get to the nests of these birds. Temperatures in wetlands can reach 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit), and depending on rainfall, alkalinity can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5 (almost as alkaline as ammonia).
In 1962, due to heavy rains, there was a flood. According to experts, more than a million eggs were destroyed.
Threats to the salinity balance from increased freshwater inflows come from the engineered loading watersheds of Lake Natron and the planned operation of a hydroelectric dam. Although development plans include building a dam at the northern end of the lake to contain fresh water, the threat of dissolution is still serious.
A new threat to Lake Natron is the development of a soda processing plant on the shores of the lake. The plant pumps water from the lake and then uses chemical processes to extract sodium carbonate to convert it into laundry detergent for export. Housing was also built near the plant for more than 1,000 workers, and coal was brought in for the power plant to provide energy for the entire plant complex.
Because of its unique biological diversity, Tanzania named the Lake Natron Basin to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance on 4 July 2001.
Hunting grounds on the territory of the Lake Natron Nature Reserve are located in its northern and southern borders and are called, respectively, the South and North Controlled (Protected) Hunting Zones of Lake Natron (Lake Natron South Game Control Area and Lake Natron North Game Control Area).
The southern hunting grounds of the reserve are located north of Arusha in the famous Masai Steppe Maasai Steppe), stretching over 1500 sq. km. To the west they border with the Ngorongoro Conservation Zone, and to the north and east with Kenya and Lake Natron, respectively. These areas are home to two permanent luxury campsites and two adventure fly camps. The Kiserian adventure camp offers accommodation in a valley with stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro and excellent hunting opportunities for Grant's and Thompson's gazelle and, in the very north of the protected area, for gerenuk and lesser kudu.
An equally wonderful place to observe the life of the Maasai lands is the luxury camping “Kitumbeine luxury base camp”, located near Mount Kitumbeine of the same name (2800 meters), where savannah acacias grow. The camp is located at the foot of this mountain and offers indescribably beautiful panoramas overlooking the mountain ranges of the Great Rift Rift and the white smoking cap that still active volcano Olduvai. Here are some of the most best places for hunting oryx, mountain buffalo and large leopard.
The northern hunting grounds (Lake Natron North Game Control Area) 0 are much more extensive. They run along the Tanzania-Kenya border, east of Lake Natron itself, where the Great Rift Rift mountain ranges rise, covered in dense tracts of mixed tropical forest, where large quantities Mountain buffalos are a special trophy of Masailand. You can stay in one of two mobile hunting camps, which will be delivered along with provisions by plane from Arusha or Kilimanjaro.
Here the terrain is wilder and untrodden by humans than in the south. That is why the villages of the original African Maasai tribe here seem to fit particularly organically into the landscape of the Lake Natron reserve. These are some of the best places for photo safari. Just imagine the red surface of water with the same red haze in which thousands of small flamingos are drowning on the horizon, as if involuntarily coloring their wings in orange and pink shades.
Here it is allowed to hunt typical representatives of Masailand fauna: mountain buffalo (buffalo), bushpig or warlock, leopard, lion, hyena, jackal, white antelope, savannah zebra, small cats (caracal, genetta, kivet, serval and wild cat), small antelopes (dik-dik, duiker and Steinbeck antelope), medium-sized antelopes (gerenuk, lesser kudu, East African bushbuck, impala) and gazelles of Thompson, Grant, Robert and mountain readbook.
Large antelopes such as oryx, patterson and greater kudu are also available as permitted game species. It is also possible to hunt for the feathered inhabitants of the northern forests of the Lake Natron Nature Reserve. Among the local Maasai population, the meat of hazel grouse, pigeon and quail is especially expensive.
