The phenomenon of Lake Natron - the beauty and horror of the wild nature of Tanzania

Our planet is filled with amazing, and sometimes completely unexplained phenomena and places. There is a list that includes the seven oldest wonders of the world. In fact, there are many more. Some have become real attractions and attract masses of tourists all year round. Others are in hard-to-reach terrain, and few have been lucky to watch them. Most of them are beautiful, but there are those who simply shock their strange beauty. The latter include the phenomenon of Lake Natron.

Features of Lake Natron

Lake Natron is the most alkaline water body on the planet Earth. It is located in the northern part of Tanzania, near the border with neighboring Kenya. The name of the reservoir was not accidental, but from the mineral of the same name, which is rich in this area. There is another version. As if the lake got a name because of its color, which means "red". The reservoir is fed from hot mineral springs and the Iwaso Nyiro River.

The natron has a relatively shallow depth - less than three meters. It depends on the season and is constantly changing. In summer the lake is much smaller due to strong evaporation. It is at this time that the concentration of salt and sodium carbonate in the water rises, and the surface of the reservoir is covered with a thin crust. Mineral salts come here together with the ashes of a volcano located in the East African rift valley.

Uniqueness of the area

Lake in itself is a very mysterious and unique phenomenon. Natron is part of the same rift valley, which is more than a million years old. It appeared here due to volcanic eruptions. Even now, this volcanic zone is considered to be one of the most active in the world. The nearby volcano is called Lengai. The locals say that he woke up in 2008. For sure it is not known, but the fact that he does not sleep until now is a fact. The last time there was an eruption in 2010.

The surroundings of the lake are rich in archaeological surprises. Here once excavations were carried out, during which the remains of Homo Sapiens, lying in the land for more than thirty thousand years, were found. Researchers claim that earlier along the shores of the lake lived hominids, which are, according to some versions, the ancestors of modern people. In our time there lives a tribe of sleighs. They are representatives of the Masai clan, they are engaged in cattle breeding, thanks to which they exist.

Deadly Beauty

The phenomenon, known as the phenomenon of Lake Natron, is an eerie sight. There you can see petrified statues of birds and even some animals. And these are not man-made statues of sculptors, but real birds that have fallen into a mortal trap. Getting into the lake, they die almost instantly, and their bodies are covered with minerals, turning into these eerie statues, like pictures from horror films.

The phenomenon of Lake Natron has a scientific explanation. The fact is that the alkalinity of its water is approximately 9-10.5 pH at a water temperature of up to 60 ° C. This is what causes the death of fauna inhabitants, who come here. Despite the deadly phenomenon of Lake Natron in Tanzania, several species of inhabitants have somehow managed to take root. Among them - unique fish, for which the alkaline environment is completely harmless. Knowingly they are called alkaline telapias.

The ability to kill and turn into mineral statues of birds is the most unique and shocking phenomenon of Lake Natron. Photo of these natural statues was first made by photographer Nick Brandt. He accidentally discovered them during his trip to Africa. His pictures became part of the reportage. Frozen birds from afar seem to be alive, but in fact, having touched the deadly water, they have long ago turned into stone. Many who saw these terrible images compared the lake to the mythical river Styx, which leads to the realm of the dead.

Abode of flamingos

But the phenomenon of Lake Natron is not limited to dead sculptures. There are a lot of small flamingos. This is a fairly rare species, but Lake Natron is one of the places of their mass accumulation and reproduction. Beautiful birds are under reliable protection of the lake waters, as they build their nests on the tubercles of salts that are found in the water. It is dangerous for chicks, which can accidentally fall out of the nest, while predators get to them no less dangerous.

In 1962, a major flood occurred, as a result of which the number of flamingos suffered significantly. According to the researchers, then more than a million eggs were destroyed. Nevertheless, visiting these regions now, you can observe simultaneously about two million flamingos.

Bloody water

Alkalinity in the lake tends to rise due to evaporation. Thanks to this, some bacteria are activated. Because of their life activity, the water in the lake from time to time turns red. Cyanobacteria belongs to this type of bacteria. It is capable of absorbing light in the process of photosynthesis and producing a bright red pigment. This ability gives the water a corresponding shade.

"Bloody water" is another phenomenon of Lake Natron. Indeed, the lake is amazing not only with stone sculptures of birds. True, there is a suggestion that in fact water does not kill birds, they died a natural death. Just evaporation covered their remains with salt and mineral deposits, which is why they are petrified. A photographer, famous for himself and famous for Lake Natron, just found them on the shore, placed them on branches, as alive, to give the effect of instant death from touching the water surface. Lake Natron in Tanzania is an incredibly beautiful place with magnificent landscapes, which have no analogues in the world.