Salt lake natron africa. Lake Natron, Tanzania. Natron is one of the few breeding sites of the lesser flamingo
Lake Natron – salt Lake, located in the vast African Great Rift Valley - in northern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya and just northeast of the Ngorongoro crater. Hidden between volcanic hills and deep craters, Lake Natron lies at the lowest point of the rift valley - 600 meters above sea level - and is perhaps 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, often very dry air and dust, which is not conducive to tourist travel. But those who brave the journey to Lake Natron are rewarded with stunning views in Tanzania.
1. Home distinctive feature The lake is characterized by its extremely unusual bright red color of water. But it doesn't always look like this.
2. Lake Natron in Tanzania quite shallow (its depth is no more than 3 meters) and changes the coastline depending on the water level, which changes due to strong evaporation, leaving concentrations of salts and other minerals, especially sodium carbonate (or, in fact, natron).
3. Lake Natron in Tanzania It is fed by the Iwaso Nyiro River (“River of Brown Water” in the Samburu language) and mineral-rich hot springs.
4. With strong evaporation, a crust of alkaline salt forms on the surface of the lake, which is also often colored red or pink colors as a result of the vital activity of microorganisms living in the lake.
5 As water evaporates during the dry season, the salinity of the lake increases to the point where the salt-loving microorganisms living in it begin to multiply wildly.
6. These organisms living in conditions high salinity– halophilic cyanobacteria – have the ability to photosynthesize, just like plants. During the process of photosynthesis, a red pigment is released, which gives the bright red color to deep water and orange to shallower water. 
7. Heat water (up to 41°C) and the high and very varied salt content in the lake do not contribute to the development of wildlife in it. However, the lake is home to millions of flamingos, as well as home to algae, invertebrates, and at the edges, where the water is less salty, even fish - alkaline telapia.
8. Natron is the only breeding site of the endangered lesser flamingo in eastern Africa. The lake is a safe breeding ground, as its toxic alkaline environment is a barrier to predators trying to get close to the nests located on the islands that form seasonally as a result of evaporation.
9. Flamingos gather in the region's salt lakes, where they feed on spirulina (blue-green algae with red pigments).
There are other things in Africa unusual lake — .
Lake Natron is one of Tanzania's most famous natural attractions. It is famous for the fact that the water in the lake is bright red, and the birds that once flew over this place turn into salty stones. The existence of an unusual body of water became known to the general public relatively recently: several years ago, photographs of Lake Natron in Tanzania were published in a British magazine.
General information
Natron is the most saline and alkaline body of water not only in East Africa, but also in the world, and the characteristic muddy red color is just a dense crust of salt that covers the lake. Due to global environmental changes that are currently occurring in the world, in the near future there is a great threat that the salt balance in Natron, unique in composition, may be upset. And this can lead to the extinction of unique microorganisms living in the reservoir.
The lake is located near the Tanzania-Kenya border and covers an area of just under 1040 sq.m. It reaches no more than 57 km in length and about 21 km in width. In the most warm months the water temperature in the reservoir can exceed 50-60 °C. Average depth Natrona - 1.5 meters, and at the most deep places- 3 meters. A tributary of the lake is the Ewaso Ngiro River, which originates in northern Kenya.
Flora and fauna
Lake Natron is home to only 3 species of microorganisms, and is also the birthplace of 75% of the flamingos living on Earth. This is an ideal place for “children of the sunset” - due to the increased salt balance, predators and other birds try to stay away from the lake. By the way, in order to see flamingos in Tanzania, it is better to fly to Natron in the summer - this is the breeding season for birds.
Only one species of fish can live in the lake - alkaline telapia. Over many millennia they have adapted to the harsh and hazardous conditions, and today Natron is the only place in the world where this species lives.
Due to its unique biodiversity, the lake was included in the list of unique places following the Ramsar Convention and is included in the East African World Fund wildlife.
Today, scientists around the world are opposed to the construction of a plant for the production and extraction of potash (later used to make washing powder) near the lake - such an unfavorable neighborhood could have a bad effect on the balance of salt in the reservoir and on the inevitable extinction of small flamingos in Africa. However, the indigenous people of Tanzania have a different truth: the factory could provide housing and work for more than 1,000 people.
By the way, the only people The people who live in these places are representatives of the ancient Salei tribe. They consider the lake a manifestation of divine power, and all their lives they wander along the shores of the salty reservoir.
Thus, even though the construction of the plant was suspended, there is still a threat of disappearance of the salty part of the lake. This could happen due to increased inflows and the possible construction of a new hydroelectric power station on Lake Ewaso Ng'iro.
Lake phenomenon
For many scientists, Natron in Tanzania is still a mystery. And if everything is clear with color (due to the high amount of salts, a red-pink crust is formed), then not everyone can explain another phenomenon (Lake Natron turns animals into stones).
The bird cemetery became known thanks to nature photographer Nick Brandt, who first published photographs of frozen birds in his magazine “Across the Ruined Land.” At first he was accused of being a staged photo shoot, but after some time, researchers nevertheless confirmed the veracity of these photos. After this, photos of Lake Natron began to spread quickly, and Tanzania became quite a popular tourist destination.
Many scientists explain the phenomenon stone birds near Lake Natron in Tanzania as follows: due to the fact that the water temperature in some places reaches more than 60 ° C, and the water is very salty and alkaline, birds entering the lake do not decompose, but freeze forever.
The only thing that biologists have not yet found an explanation for is why birds fly into the water. The most popular version: due to increased light reflectivity, birds lose orientation and, mistaking the water for the sky, fly downwards at full speed. Although there are other opinions: for example, some researchers believe that all the birds died a natural death, and were covered with salt afterward. However, photographer Nick Brandt, who has visited these places more than once, refutes this assumption.
But be that as it may, killer Lake Natron is also dangerous for people: you should not only swim here, but even touch the water, because you can simply get burned. In addition, it is not completely known what effect hot alkaline water can have on the human body - scientists are not yet in a hurry with experiments and conclusions.
Depending on the season, Lake Natron can look different: in the summer it dries up, and the ground where there used to be water is covered with huge cracks with salt. Seasonal rainfall in this part of Tanzania begins in August–September and lasts until December. The color of the water changes depending on the bacteria that are active in certain months of the year.
How to get to the lake from Arusha
Arusha The nearest city in Tanzania is Arusha, 240 km from the lake. You can get from here to this unique attraction by local bus, which will take four and a half hours. There are no trains in these parts at all, just as there are no separate excursions to the lake. However, you can purchase a tour to the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, which also includes a visit to Natron. There are many campsites at the base of the volcano.
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You can get to Arusha from: Nairobi in Kenya (4 hours), Dodoma (6 hours) in Tanzania and Dar es Salaam (9 hours on the way). The nearest airport is 50 km from Arusha.
Getting to Arusha and beyond is quite difficult and expensive, and this must be taken into account when planning your trip. But, as many tourists say, Lake Natron is so unique and unusual that it is definitely worth the money and effort spent.
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Natron is a saline and alkaline lake located in the Arusha region in northern Tanzania, on the border with Kenya. The lake is located in the Gregory Rift, which is eastern part East African Rift. The Lake Natron basin is protected by the international Ramsar Convention.
Natron is primarily fed by the Ewaso Ngiro River, which originates in a mineral-rich area in Northern Kenya. The lake is no more than three meters deep and changes its shoreline depending on the time of year and water level. The lake reaches a maximum of 57 km in length and 22 km in width. A seasonal rainfall occurs over the lake in the months of May-December and brings 800 mm of precipitation. Water temperatures in wetlands can reach 50 degrees Celsius, and depending on the water level, alkalinity can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5.
Lake Natron in Tanzania: characteristics
The depth of Lake Natron is very small, because in some places it does not even reach 3 meters. The area, on the contrary, is rather large - 1344 km2. Since the air temperature in this area often crosses 50°C, the water in Natrona also warms up to similar levels.
Natron is an integral part of the most active volcanic system today - the Great African Rift. The nearby Oldonyo Lengai volcano showed clear manifestations of seismic activity relatively recently. So, it erupted in October 2008, and a couple of years later it woke up again.
The water in the lake is red, this feature is caused by the activity of microorganisms. Near the shore the water becomes orange tint, because in this place the number of organisms is less. There are areas where the water is clean and clear, but there are not very many such places.
Scientists have tried to explain the phenomenon of the Tanzanian reservoir. They found that the hydrogen index in the local waters (having an average of 10.5) and excess alkaline impurities lead to the formation large quantity soda, minerals and salts, which lead to petrification of animal remains.
Scientists cannot yet say with complete certainty why birds often fall into or within the lake, but there is a theory that the reservoir has strong reflective properties that prevent birds from orienting themselves normally in space.
Flora and fauna
It would seem that neither flora nor fauna could live in such a harsh environment. However, such an aggressive environment turned out to be comfortable for several species of algae, fish and small flamingos. This is their only breeding site in the region, as there are virtually no predators in the area. The toxic environment of the lake has become a kind of invisible barrier for predators, so they avoid the lake. During the evaporation season, islands form on the lake - flamingos build their nests on them and breed their offspring.
The number of flamingos on the lake reaches several million. Among other things, they feed on blue-green algae containing beta-carotene, which gives their feathers a bright pink color.
As beautiful as Lake Natron is, it is also harsh - if an animal falls into the lake, it dies immediately, and its remains harden in natural positions, turning into “mummies”.
Ecology
Threats to the salinity balance may be posed by increased siltation of tributaries of the Lake Natron watershed and the planned hydroelectric power station on Lake Ewaso Ngiro. Although development plans include building a dam at the northern end of the lake to contain fresh water, the threat of dissolution of the salty part of the lake still remains serious. So far there is no formal protection for the salty part of the lake.
A new threat to Lake Natron is the proposed development of a potash plant on its shores. The plant would pump water from the lake and extract the potassium carbonate to convert it into laundry detergent. Construction of the plant would provide housing for more than 1,000 workers at the plant and a coal-fired power plant, providing energy to the plant complex. Additionally, developers can use hybrid brine shrimp to increase extraction efficiency.
According to Chris Magin, RSPB Africa officer, “The chances of lesser flamingos continuing to breed in the face of such a devastation are slim to none. This development could lead to the extinction of the lesser flamingo in East Africa." Currently, a group of fifty East African environmentalists is leading an international campaign to stop the planned construction of a potash plant by Tata Chemicals Ltd (India) and the National Construction Corporation of Tanzania.
In June 2008, Tata Chemicals refused to resume construction of the plant due to the Ramsar Convention.
Due to its unique biodiversity, the Lake Natron Basin area has been included in the list of wetlands international importance Ramsar Convention on July 4, 2001. The lake is also included in the World Wildlife Fund East Africa region.
Pastures of the Salei tribe
The owners of Lake Natron can be called the Salei tribe, belonging to the Masai clan. These people spend their entire lives searching for the best pasture around the shores of the lake. The Maasai are a warlike people, because they have been accustomed to defending their territory since ancient times. Fortunately for tourists, now the inhabitants of Northern Tanzania are much more liberal towards visitors.
Amazing pictures
The mysterious lake in Tanzania attracted the photographer’s attention for a reason: Nick Brandt specializes in black and white photography of wild African animals.
Having visited Natron, the photographer was amazed by the abundance of bird skeletons that can be found in the coastal strip, so there was a need to find an explanation for this phenomenon.
Nick Brandt managed to find several surviving bird “statues”. He installed them in natural poses against the background of water, so in the photographs they look as if they were alive. In the photographs you can see a small flamingo, a dove and an eagle. By the way, Lake Natron is unique precisely because here is the only place where small flamingos breed (although, as we can see, some birds die immediately).
Swimming in Lake Natron is not recommended. Any contact with alkaline water can lead to burns and blistering of the skin - it’s better not to risk it. However, from one glance at the skeletons of animals and birds and their limestone mummies scattered around the lake, it will become clear that it is better not to get close to Natron.
It’s worth planning a few days for a trip to Lake Natron. You can spend the night in campsites located near the natural attraction. It is not necessary to book accommodation in advance.
A trip to Lake Natron can be combined with an ascent to the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano, one of the most active in East Africa. It is located nearby.
How to get there?
The closest city to Lake Natron is Arusha, located 240 kilometers to the southeast. A bus service connects Arusha with the cities of Tanzania - Dodoma (420 kilometers; travel time - 6 hours), Dar es Salaam (640 kilometers; travel time - 9 hours) and others. You can also get to Arusha by bus from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya; the journey takes 4 hours. There are no railway connections in this part of Africa.
Kilimanjaro International Airport is located 50 kilometers east of Arusha. Air service connects the airport with Amsterdam, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, the island of Zanzibar, Kigali - the capital of Rwanda, as well as Addis Ababa - the capital of Ethiopia.
There are no organized excursions from Arusha to Lake Natron. Typically, a visit to this natural attraction is included in tours to the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano. Because The best way to get there directly - rent an SUV and hire a guide from one of the travel agencies in Arusha. An individual program will cost more than a standard tour - on average by a third. You should not go to Natron without a local guide.
Sources
- https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natron
Our planet is filled with amazing and sometimes completely inexplicable phenomena and places. There is a list that includes the seven oldest wonders of the world. In fact, there are many more of them. Some have become real attractions and attract masses of tourists. all year round. Others are located in inaccessible areas, and few are lucky enough to observe them. Most of them are beautiful, but there are also those that are simply shocking with their strange beauty. The latter includes 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 received its name not by chance, but from the mineral of the same name, which this area is rich in. There is another version. It’s as if the lake got its name because of its color, which means “red.” 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 is at this time that the concentration of salt and sodium carbonate in the water increases, and the surface of the reservoir becomes covered with a thin crust. Mineral salts fall here along with the ashes of a volcano located in the East African Rift Valley.
Uniqueness of the area
The lake 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 thanks to volcanic eruptions. Even now, this volcanic zone is considered one of the most active in the world. The volcano closest to the lake is called Lengai. Locals they 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. IN last time An eruption was observed in 2010.
The surrounding area of the lake is also rich in archaeological surprises. Excavations were once carried out here, during which the remains were found Homo sapiens, which have lain in the ground for more than thirty thousand years. Researchers claim that previously hominids lived along the shores of the lake, which, according to some versions, were the ancestors of modern people. Nowadays, 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 become covered with minerals, turning into these creepy statues, like pictures from horror films.
The phenomenon of Lake Natron 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 fauna that end up here. Despite the deadly phenomenon of Lake Natron in Tanzania, several species of inhabitants have somehow managed to take root in it. Among them are unique fish for which an alkaline environment is completely harmless. It’s not for nothing that 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. The frozen birds seem alive from a distance, but in fact, having touched the deadly water, they have long since turned to stone. Many who saw these creepy sculptures compared the lake with the mythical River Styx, which leads to the kingdom of the dead.
Flamingo Abode
But the Lake Natron phenomenon is not limited to dead sculptures. A lot of small flamingos live here. This is enough rare view, but Lake Natron is one of the places of their mass accumulation and reproduction. The most beautiful birds are under reliable protection waters of the lake, since they build their nests on hillocks of salts located in the middle of the water. It is dangerous for the chicks, who may accidentally fall out of the nest, and it is no less dangerous for predators to get to them.
In 1962, there was a major flood, as a result of which the flamingo population suffered significantly. According to researchers, more than a million eggs were destroyed then. However, visiting these regions now, you can observe about two million flamingos at the same time.
Bloody water
The alkalinity in the lake tends to increase due to evaporation. Due to this, some bacteria are activated. Due to their vital activity, the water in the lake turns red from time to time. TO this species bacteria includes cyanobacteria. It is able to absorb light during photosynthesis and produce a bright red pigment. This ability gives the water an appropriate tint.
“Bloody water” is another phenomenon of Lake Natron. Indeed, the lake is stunning 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. The fumes simply coated their remains with salt and mineral deposits, causing them to fossilize. And the photographer, who became famous himself and made Lake Natron famous, simply found them on the shore, planted them on branches as if they were alive, in order to give the effect of instant death from touching the water surface. Lake Natron in Tanzania - incredible beautiful area with magnificent landscapes, which has no analogues in the world.
People usually go to Tanzania, which is located in eastern Africa, to look at unusual animals and snowy peak Kilimanjaro, visit a safari and get acquainted with the life of local tribes. But Lake Natron, located in the northern part of Tanzania, on the border with neighboring Kenya, often becomes an obligatory point on such a trip.
The lake amazes at first sight. The water here is very salty, and during evaporation it becomes completely covered with a crust of salt, which periodically turns into all shades of red and pink. This happens due to the vital activity of microorganisms living in the lake. Only in the smallest places the water is orange; the rest of the area surprises with a variety of shades of red.
You won’t be able to swim in Lake Natron, whose name simply translates as “red.” The water temperature here can reach plus 50 degrees Celsius, and the alkalinity level varies from 9 to 10.5 pH (almost like ammonia), so birds, the bats and the lizards, having gotten here through negligence, immediately die. By the way, their bodies, thanks to the unique microclimate and salt, are perfectly preserved and look very scary. Photographer Nick Brandt took advantage of this by creating a series of photographs that look like something out of a horror movie.
Visit Lake Natron, which is part of protected area covering an area of 700 square kilometers, it is worth seeing the million-strong colony of lesser flamingos that breed only here, nesting dangerously close to the hot salty water of the lake, right on the piles of salt that surround its shores.
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Graceful pink birds against the backdrop of red water and salty shores - an incredibly beautiful sight, believe me! There are also two species found in the lake unique fish- alkaline telapia, which are not afraid of either the temperature of the water or its high level pH. The lake is very shallow - no more than three meters, but coastline varies significantly depending on the season.
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Lake Natron - PHOTO
