A small lake less than three meters deep, located in northern Tanzania near the border with Kenya, got its name from the mineral natron. Depending on the season, Natron's surface can be crusted with mineral salts brought along with volcanic ash from the East African 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 ordinary.

2. But when the evaporation of water leads to a significant increase in the alkalinity of Natron, some types of bacteria are activated, the vital activity of which paints the lake in a blood-red color.

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 fluctuates between 9–10.5 pH, and the water temperature reaches 60 ° C, so animals (mainly birds), falling into the lake, immediately die, and their remains are covered with minerals and harden, turning into stone sculptures .

6. For the first time, the unique "ability" of Natron to kill animals and turn them into statues was discovered by photographer Nick Brandt during his next trip to Africa. He made a report, arranging the remains as if these birds and bats were alive, which made his footage look like scenes from a horror movie.

7. "I couldn't help but take pictures of them," he says.

Lake Natron, located in the north of Tanzania, is one of mysterious places on our planet. Interest in him arose in connection with the publication of the illustrated edition "Across the Ravaged Land" ("Across the ravaged land"). Its author is the famous photographer Nick Brandt, who is well acquainted with African nature. He claims that the ominous lake has the ability to turn bats and birds that fly here into stone.

The mysterious lake in Tanzania attracted the attention of the photographer not by chance: Nick Brandt specializes in black and white photography of wild African animals. Visiting Natron, the photographer was struck by the abundance of bird skeletons that can be found in the coastal strip, so it became necessary to find an explanation for this phenomenon.

The main feature of the lake is the high temperature of the water, in the swampy part it can reach 60 C. In addition, a high level of salt content is recorded in the water, the alkalinity can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5. These factors contribute to the "mummification" of animals that fall into this aggressive environment. In fact, the birds gradually turn into limestone.
Nick Brandt was able to find several surviving "statues" of birds. He set them in natural poses against the background of the water, because in the pictures they look like they are alive. In the photographs you can see a small flamingo, a dove and an eagle. By the way, Lake Natron is unique in that it is the only place where small flamingos breed (although, as we can see, some birds die right there).

There is no exact explanation for the cause of the death of birds. Scientists believe that they can be disoriented due to the powerful reflectivity of the lake's surface. Like birds breaking on transparent glass, African flyers crash into the surface of the lake.

Lake Natron – salt Lake, located in the vast African Great Rift Valley - in the north of Tanzania, not far from the border with Kenya and just northeast of the Ngorongoro Crater. Tucked between volcanic hills and deep craters, Lake Natron sits at the lowest point of the Rift Valley - 600 meters above sea level - and is arguably the most alkaline body of water in the world.

Dangerous Lake Natron in Tanzania

The climate in the area where the lake is located is harsh - it is hot here, often very dry air and dust, which is not conducive to tourist trips. But those who dare to make a trip to Lake Natron are rewarded with stunning views in Tanzania.

1. Home distinguishing feature lakes - this is its extremely unusual bright red color of the water. But it doesn't always look like that.

2. Lake Natron in Tanzania quite shallow (its depth is not more than 3 meters) and changes coastline depending on the water level, which varies due to strong evaporation, leaving concentrations of salts and other minerals, especially sodium carbonate (or, actually, natron).

3. Lake Natron in Tanzania It is fed by the river Iwaso Nyiro (“River of Brown Water” translated from the language of the Samburu tribe) and mineral-rich hot springs.

4. With strong evaporation, a crust of alkaline salt forms on the surface of the lake, which also often turns red or pink as a result of the vital activity of microorganisms living in the lake.

5 As the water evaporates during the dry season, the salinity of the lake increases to the point where the micro-organisms living in it - salt lovers - begin to multiply violently.

6. These organisms that live in high salinity conditions - halophilic cyanobacteria - have the ability to photosynthesize, just like plants. In the process of photosynthesis, a red pigment is released, which gives a bright red color to deep water and orange to shallower water.

7. The high temperature of the water (up to 41°C) and the high and very diverse salt content in the lake does not contribute to the development of wildlife in it. However, the lake is a habitat for millions of flamingos, as well as a home for algae, invertebrates, and at the edges, where the water is less salty - even fish - alkaline telapia.

8. Natron- the only one in East Africa a breeding ground for the endangered lesser flamingo. Lake - safe place breeding, as its poisonous alkaline environment is an obstacle for predators trying to get close to nests located on seasonally formed islands as a result of evaporation.

9. Flamingos gather on the salt lakes of the region, where they feed on spirulina (blue-green algae with red pigments).

There is another unusual lake in Africa -.

And in places. There is a list of seven ancient wonders Sveta. In fact, there are many more. Some have become real attractions and attract masses of tourists all year round. Others are located in remote areas, and few were lucky to observe them. Most of them are beautiful, but there are those that simply shock with their strange beauty. The latter include the phenomenon of Lake Natron.

Features of Lake Natron

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

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 shallower due to strong evaporation. It was at this time that the concentration of salt in the water also increased, and the surface of the reservoir was covered with a thin crust. Mineral salts come here along with the ash of a volcano located in the East African Rift Valley.

The uniqueness of the area

The lake itself is a very mysterious and unique phenomenon. Natron is a part of this same which has been for over a million years. She appeared here thanks to Even now, this volcanic zone is considered one of the most active in the world. The volcano next to the lake is called Lengai. locals claim that he woke up in 2008. This is not known for sure, but the fact that he still does not sleep is a fact. The last time an eruption was observed was in 2010.

The surroundings of the lake are also rich in archaeological surprises. Excavations were once carried out here, during which the remains of Homo Sapiens were found, which had lain in the ground for more than thirty thousand years. Researchers claim that earlier hominids lived along the shores of the lake, which, according to some versions, are the ancestors of modern people. Today, the Salei tribe lives here. These are representatives of the Maasai clan, they are engaged in cattle breeding, thanks to which they exist.

Killer beauty

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

The Lake Natron phenomenon has a scientific explanation. The thing is that the alkalinity of its water is approximately 9-10.5 pH at water temperatures up to 60 ° C. This is what causes the death of the inhabitants of the fauna that get here. Despite the deadly phenomenon of Lake Natron in Tanzania, several species of inhabitants somehow managed to take root in it. Among them are unique fish for which the alkaline environment is completely harmless. No wonder they are called alkaline telapia.

The ability to kill and turn birds into mineral statues is the most unique and shocking phenomenon of Lake Natron. Photos of these natural statues were first taken by photographer Nick Brandt. He accidentally discovered them during his trip to Africa. His photographs became part of the report. Frozen birds from a distance seem to be alive, but in fact, having touched the deadly water, they have long turned into stone. Many who saw these terrible statues compared the lake with a mythical one that leads to the kingdom of the dead.

flamingo abode

But the phenomenon of Lake Natron is not limited to dead sculptures. A lot of small flamingos live here. This is a rather rare species, but Lake Natron is one of the places of their mass accumulation and reproduction. The most beautiful birds are under the reliable protection of the waters of the lake, as they build their nests on the hillocks of salts in the middle of the water. It is dangerous for chicks, which can accidentally fall out of the nest, while it is no less dangerous for predators to get to them.

In 1962, there was a big flood, as a result of which the number of flamingos suffered significantly. According to researchers, then more than a million eggs were destroyed. However, visiting these parts now, you can observe about two million flamingos at the same time.

bloody water

Alkalinity in a lake tends to rise due to evaporation. Due to this, some bacteria are activated. Due to their vital activity, the water in the lake from time to time acquires a red color. Cyanobacteria belongs to this type of bacteria. It is able to absorb light during photosynthesis and produce a bright red pigment. This ability gives the water the appropriate shade.

"Bloody water" is another Lake Natron phenomenon. Indeed, the lake is amazing not only with stone sculptures of birds. True, there is an assumption that in fact the water does not kill the birds, they died a natural death. It's just that the fumes covered their remains with salt and mineral deposits, which is why they turned to stone. And the photographer, who became famous himself and glorified Lake Natron, simply found them on the shore, planted them on branches, as if they were alive, to give the effect of instant death from touching the water surface. Lake Natron in Tanzania is an incredibly beautiful area with magnificent landscapes, which has no analogues in the world.

On the territory of Tanzania there is a reservoir containing substances that contribute to the petrification of creatures that died next to it. The lake is located in one of the most active volcanic zones on the planet, constantly in motion - in the Great Rift Fault north of the Empakai crater.

The rich blood-red hue of the lake, formed by the microorganisms living in it, is an elusive warning to all living things that have invaded its possessions. Closer to the coast, the water becomes bright orange, as the concentration of bacteria there is much lower. There are also rare places where the water is still of its natural color.

The evaporation of the lake scares off large predators, so it serves as a refuge for many small animals and a huge number of birds. Here they live, breed and die, but after death their bodies do not decompose, but are mummified.

Photographer and writer Nick Brandt captured the aftermath of a rare chemical phenomenon in Lake Natron in his book Through the Tortured Land. In order to clearly demonstrate his vision of what is happening, the author decided to take photographs of the victims of the anomalous reservoir found on its banks. All the creatures were located in natural positions for their past life, which made his work even more terrifying, and the gray tones of the photographs seemed to emphasize the transience of being.

According to Nick, the pH of water, which ranges from 9 to 10.5, and the increased level of alkalinity contribute to excessive excretion of soda, salt and lime. This is what causes the effect of petrification.

African shamans from the Masai tribe call Lake Natron a canvas that was created by the gods who live in the sacred volcano Ol Donyo Lengai, at the foot of which there is a reservoir. The name of the volcano in translation from their language sounds like "Mountain of Spirits". When the local tribes heard that people were thinking of building a salt processing plant here, they said that outsiders should not provoke the gods, so as not to incur their wrath.

You can see more photos of this place in ours.

Video - Deadly Lake Natron