Our planet is filled with amazing, and sometimes even inexplicable phenomena and places. There is a list including the seven most ancient 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 remote places, and few were lucky to watch them. Most of them are beautiful, but there are those who are simply shocking 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 northern 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 received a name because of its color, which means “red” in translation. The pond 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 smaller due to strong evaporation. It was at this time that the concentration of salt and sodium carbonate in water increased, and the surface of the reservoir was covered with a thin crust. Mineral salts come here 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 part of the same rift valley, which is already more than a million years old. She appeared here due 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 claim that he woke up in 2008. Surely this is not known, but the fact that he still does not sleep is a fact. The last time an eruption was observed in 2010.
The surroundings of the lake are rich in archaeological surprises. Excavations were once carried out here, during which the remains of Homo Sapiens, lying in the ground for more than thirty thousand years, were found. Researchers claim that earlier, hominids lived, along some shores of the lake, which, according to some versions, are the ancestors of modern people. Nowadays, the Salei tribe lives here. These are representatives of the Masai clan, they are engaged in cattle breeding, thanks to which they exist.
Killer 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, trapped in a death trap. Once in the lake, they die almost instantly, and their bodies are covered with minerals, turning into these terrible 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 a water temperature of up to 60 ° C. This is what causes the death of the inhabitants of the fauna that fall 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 telapias.
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 pictures became part of the report. Frozen birds seem alive from afar, but in fact, having touched deadly water, they turned into stone a long time ago. Many who saw these terrible statues compared the lake with the mythical river Styx, which leads to the kingdom of the dead.
Flamingo cloister
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 reliable protection of the waters of the lake, because they build their nests on the tubercles of salts located in the middle of the water. It is dangerous for chicks that can accidentally fall out of the nest, while predators get to them no less dangerous.
In 1962, a great flood occurred, as a result of which the number of flamingos was significantly affected. According to researchers, then more than a million eggs were destroyed. Nevertheless, having visited these parts now, one can observe about two million flamingos simultaneously.
Bloody water
Alkalinity in the lake tends to increase due to evaporation. Due to this, some bacteria are activated. Due to their life activity, the water in the lake acquires a red color from time to time. This type of bacteria includes cyanobacteria. It is able to absorb light during photosynthesis and produce a bright red pigment. This ability gives the water an appropriate shade.
“Bloody water” is another phenomenon of Lake Natron. Indeed, the lake is not only stunning with stone sculptures of birds. True, there is an assumption that in fact water does not kill birds, they died a natural death. It was just that the fumes covered their remains with salt and mineral deposits, which is why they were petrified. And the photographer, 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 a water surface. Lake Natron in Tanzania is an incredibly beautiful area with magnificent landscapes, which has no analogues in the world.