The lake’s cyanobacteria are responsible for the lake’s red color.

The lake essentially sends a message with its bright red color, warning those who cannot tolerate the hostile conditions to stay away.ĭespite its apparent inhospitable conditions, salt-loving organisms that can withstand the lake’s high temperatures thrive in Lake Natron, including endemic algae, invertebrates, and birds. The salt causes the lake to be highly alkaline, sometimes reaching a pH of 12 out of 14! Lake Natron’s temperature can reach up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), which, combined with the extreme salinity, makes it an inhospitable place for most animals. This 35-mile long and 15-mile wide lake is a salt lake water flows in, but not out, and as the water evaporates, it leaves behind high concentrations of salt and minerals. Lake Natron, one of the most serene lakes in all of Africa, is located in northern Tanzania and nestled in the East African Rift System. Nick Brandt’s exquisite photographs of some of the calcified animals in a lifelike position were considered to be phantasmagorical and iconic photos.If you were thinking of taking a dip in Lake Natron – think again.Any animal that comes in contact with the water of this lake does not turn into stone immediately as many reports have claimed.Evaporite islands which are formed seasonally are the most preferred places of these birds. The reason flamingos choose this lake as their breeding place is because the harsh climate would keep away predators.The bedrock surrounding this lake was formed in the Pleistocene period and is composed of trachyte lava.For this reason, the animals in the lake look as if they have been dropped in a bucket of cement, which is because of the ashy runoff along with the rainwater accumulating in the lake. This is because other volcanoes in this planet spew silicates unlike this volcano which give out natrocarbonatite. Just south of Lake Natron, a volcano million years old, Ol Doinyo Lengai, is located which is known for its unique existence.These pour out in lava flows and blast into the air 10 miles high to become ash clouds. The salt in this lake is not the widely extracted salt from the seawater but magmatic limestone, that has been forged deep in the Earth.

Bright red lake natron