The beauty of the crimson waters of Natron Lake is astounding. But the picture turns out to be an uncanny one with the sight of dead animals apparently turned to stone.
Natron Lake, in Arusha region in Tanzania, is a salt lake. It means that water only flows in and not out, so the only way it can escape is by evaporation. Lake Natron was named after a mineral known as ‘Natron’ which is a mixture of chemicals comprising Sodium Carbonate and Sodium Bicarbonate. It is one of the most unfavourable areas on Earth. Unlike other lakes, Lake Natron is extremely alkaline and so corrosive with a pH of almost 10.5 such that it can burn the skin and eyes of those organisms that aren’t adapted to the environment.
Nick Brandt, a photographer, found a bunch of dead animals including birds and bats that had washed up along the shorelines of the lake. He also noticed that the dead animals had powdery sodium carbonate on their surfaces. Nick Brandt wrote in the book titled ‘Across the Ravaged Land’ that he took these pictures by grabbing those dead animals and placing it in a certain lively position. An active volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai, located in the Gregory Rift, south of Lake Natron, pour out Natrocarbonatite lava. These lava releases natron, earlier used in Egyptian mummification, flows into the Lake. As the water in the lake evaporates, a large amount of salt and other minerals are left behind. Animals that become immersed in this extremely alkaline water die but instead of decomposing they are petrified.
(Image: © © Nick Brandt 2013 Courtesy of Hasted Kraeutler Gallery, NY)
The reddish appearance of the lake is from salt-loving microorganisms known as Halophiles. The temperature of lake Natron can go up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Not all the creatures but a few call this lake their home. Some of the animals that can thrive in the harsh waters are flocks of lesser Flamingoes, some algae and certain species of Tilapia fishes. Lake Natron, because of its exceptional biodiversity, has been listed on the Ramsar List of Wetlands Of International Importance. It is also acknowledged as a significant eco-region by the World Wildlife Fund.
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