In the northern part of Tanzania there is a unique Lake Natron. The water in this reservoir is always warm and quite s alty. Gelai volcano is located in the southeast of the lake. Natron is located near the Kenyan border. The water resource is the Nyiro River and thermal springs rich in minerals.
General characteristics
The depth of the lake is constantly changing and very dependent on the season. The average depth of the reservoir is small - about 3 meters. In summer, strong evaporation is observed, the concentration of s alts and other minerals (especially sodium carbonate) rises sharply. The water temperature can reach +50 oC, and the alkalinity ranges from 9 to 10.5.
Mysterious red
The frightening red color can only be seen in those parts of the lake where there is the most evaporation. Lake Natron is so s alty that a large number of cyanobacteria form here. As a result of photosynthesis, these bacteria turn red, and in their placesthe most extensive concentration stains even water. In shallow water, the water has a pinkish tint.
Climate of the region
The climate in the lake area is very harsh. It is very hot here, and the air is too dry and dusty - such conditions are not at all conducive to tourist trips. The area around the reservoir remains uninhabited, but recently a lot of tourist bases have appeared around it.
Nathron - the cradle of civilization?
Thousands of years ago, in the area where Lake Natron is located, hominids lived, who are considered the distant ancestors of modern man. Now, a few Salei tribes from the Massai clan live near Natron. This community lives at the expense of cattle breeding, driving animals along the lake in search of pastures. To feed themselves, local natives sell milk, meat and animal blood.
Flamingo Safe Haven
Lake Natron in Tanzania is home to the rare lesser flamingo. This species of birds lives only in the area of this reservoir. The reservoir has become a favorite place for flamingos for a reason: its soda-rich waters repel predators with their pungent smell, which makes the birds feel safe. At the height of the season, about two million pink flamingos flock here to create offspring. In 1962, a flood occurred here as a result of heavy rains, as a result, about a million flamingo eggs were destroyed.
Lake Natron statues
A couple of years ago, popular photographer Nick Brand visited the lake. He was horrified when he saw throughout the territorybody of water creepy statues of petrified animals. Brand later learned that they were indeed real animals, petrified as a result of the extreme alkaline concentration in Natron.
Nick Brand suggested that the mirror image in the water confuses the birds, and they rush into it and die. True, scientists do not share the views of the photographer and put forward a more realistic theory. They believe that the birds actually die a natural death, and the water in the lake washes their remains. Since Natron is very rich in mineral s alts, animal carcasses harden and stay that way forever.
In fact, Brand has already found them dead in the water and planted them himself as if they were frozen on a branch or "floating" on the water. These macabre photos went around the world and made Lake Natron even more famous.
These shocking images of calcified animals and many other photographs taken in Tanzania and elsewhere in Africa are included by Nick Brand in his book, which is dedicated to the tormented planet Earth.
Recreational opportunities and environmental problems in the region
There are two full-time luxury campsites and several mobile adventure camps in the areas adjacent to the lake. One of the camps is located in a valley with a picturesque view of Mount Kilimanjaro. Here you can hunt mountain buffalo, gerenuk, oryx, lion, hyena, white antelope, zebra, leopard, caracal and other animals. If killing animals is not for you, then you can go on a photo safari.
Until recent decades, Lake Natron (the photo of the reservoir is really shocking) remained a zone with a unique ecosystem. However, now the Tanzanian government intends to build a soda ash plant on the shore, and a hydroelectric power station is planned to be built on the Nyiro River. If the plans of the authorities are implemented, this will lead to an imbalance in the flora and fauna in the lake. Many public organizations have already expressed their protest against the government's intentions to build industrial facilities in the region. At present, it is not yet very clear whether construction will still be carried out or not. Still, it is to be hoped that natural we alth will become a higher priority for the Tanzanian government than economic benefits.
