On the border with the Republic of Kenya, in Northern Tanzania lies Lake Natron. This is a unique body of water, because only here travelers can enjoy an indescribable spectacle - 2,000,000 purple small flamingos. But high alkalinity and water temperature are detrimental to many animals. Their remains harden and become covered with minerals.
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. Obvious manifestations seismic activity relatively recently showed the nearby volcano Oldonyo Lengai. So, it erupted in October 2008, and a couple of years later it woke up again.
Flamingo Lake is a unique creation of nature that needs to be passed on to future generations. To do this, its pool was placed under protection, being classified as a place of international importance.
Red Lake
The name of the lake translates as “red”. Most likely, from time immemorial, local tribes called Natron this way because of the large amount of salt, which creates a kind of film on the surface of the water. Under these conditions, cyanobacteria behave actively, the pigments of which change towards a red hue as a result of photosynthesis. In shallow water they are not so active, and therefore an orange color can be seen at shallow depths.
Natron is one of the few breeding sites of the lesser flamingo
Let's return to the inhabitants of the lake - small flamingos, which usually live in places remote from people. If you decide to come here because of them, then it is best to go on a trip in the summer: during this period, birds begin to breed, and therefore, from their number, everything around becomes pink.
Dead Lake Natron
Nevertheless, the high alkalinity and temperature of Lake Natron create such conditions that many animals, mainly birds, accidentally falling into the water die and their remains harden and become covered with minerals. Only a few species of animals can live here. And small flamingos are thus even protected from predators.
Of course, you shouldn’t swim or even rinse your hands in the lake. Any contact with water can result in burns and blistering of the skin.
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.
Interestingly, a group of scientists found the remains of Homo Sapiens, which are more than 30,000 years old.
How to get there
The most convenient way to get to the lake is from the nearest city of Arusha, located 240 kilometers away.
Arusha can be reached by bus from Nairobi (4 hours), Dodoma (6 hours) and Dar es Salaam (9 hours). Also 50 km from Arusha is located international Airport Kilimanjaro.
There are no organized excursions to Lake Natron, but a visit to it is included in tours to the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano. One of the best ways to get to the lake, rent an SUV and hire a guide in Arusha, but an individual program will cost about a third more than a standard tour. But absolutely, you shouldn’t go to Natron without a local escort.
Where to stay
Before you go on your trip, reserve a hotel room. Take a closer look at a 5-star hotel Exploreans Ngorongoro Lodge, which offers Better conditions against the backdrop of the wild nature of Africa.
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And in 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 in the water increases, and the surface of the reservoir becomes covered with a thin crust. Mineral salts get here along with the ash of a volcano located in the East African Rift Valley.
Uniqueness of the area
The lake itself is very mysterious and unique phenomenon. Natron is part of the same which is already more than a million years. She appeared here thanks to Even now given volcanic zone 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 they found the remains of Homo Sapiens, which had 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 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 the 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 discovered them by chance during his trip to Africa. His photographs became part of the report. The frozen birds seem alive from afar, but in fact, having touched the deadly water, they have long turned into stone. Many who saw these creepy sculptures compared the lake with the mythical one that 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 their places mass gathering 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. 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 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 is an incredibly beautiful area with magnificent landscapes, which has no analogues in the world.
March 16th, 2012 , 01:10 pm
We went to Lake Natron at the very beginning of our big East African trip.
We picked up our cars in Arusha and hit the road! True instead of three Toyota Hilux that we were promised, we received two Prado Land Cruisers in good condition, and on the machine, and one old broken-down Land Cruiser on the handle, which fell apart on the move and gave us many unforgettable adventures))
We were simply happy until the pigs squealed when our cars arrived! And it was like this. We chose a rental car company in Moscow (on the Internet) on the principle of “the cheapest” of those that were willing to give us a car in Tanzania and pick it up in Kenya. The evening before leaving for Natron, the cars were supposed to be brought to our hotel by 18:00. But there were no cars at 18, 19, or 20. We started trying to call our company (4x4 Kenya). A problem arose - how to call a Kenyan number from Tanzania.
The girls at the hotel reception even kindly gave us their mobile phones and tried to call us, but in vain. Either the number was wrong, or they didn’t know the Kenya code... “Eureka!” - one of them suddenly says. “A Kenyan businessman is staying in our room 210! He will help us!”
We are leaving with a delegation of 6 people led by a Tanzanian woman from the reception to room 210. Knock Knock. A well-fed Kenyan opens the door, his eyes widen, “Jambo!” The entrepreneur happily agrees to help us. We give him a piece of paper with the details. He takes it, looks at it, shakes his head. Numbers without area code. "This is very suspicious, I'm afraid you have been deceived. There are a lot of lying people in Kenya. They may have a beautiful website, but after they receive the money... How much did you pay them?" We transferred 20% to them. I immediately remember that before the trip they offered to transfer the full payment... But I still can’t believe it. So many letters of correspondence, a story about some incident in Ngorongoro, where our High Luxes broke down and we were promised Land Rovers in return.
Finally, the Kenyan, having correctly substituted the country code, dials one of the phones. We listen carefully to the conversation.
"Is this fo bai fo Kenya? I want to order a 4x4 car from you." Interesting:)
"And that's all you have? My friends, this is not a 4x4 car"
"My friends are waiting for your cars at the hotel in Arusha." Pee-Pee-Pee - they hung up.
Kenya smiles widely, revealing his snow-white teeth: “My friends, you were scammed! This is some kind of crap, not a 4x4 company.”
His smile is so wide and sympathetic to our grief that it’s hard not to believe him. We thank him. He sees us off, sighs heavily after us...
Let's go search the Internet to go to the 4x4 Kenya website. After a long search we find an Internet cafe that is already closing. We persuade the hostess to check her email for 5 minutes. We record phone numbers from the 4x4 Kenya website. The first phone differs from the phone on our printed confirmation. Everything is the same, but one thing is missing the last digit. Exactly, some kind of setup.
As a result, we arrange a meeting in the morning with the local Car Hire and go to bed...
The night was mysterious and enigmatic... Kirill had a dream... There was a knock on the door. On the threshold is the same girl from the reception. “Good night,” she says (in Russian!!!). A 4x4 representative arrived. He went to bed - in the morning at 09:00 he will be waiting for you at the reception. And the Cars? I didn't see any cars.
Then Kirill realizes that he is sitting on the bed and sleeping. And he didn’t even get up anywhere.... Bryaks continues to fall asleep.
In the morning it turns out that the guy from the 4x4 has indeed arrived, is sleeping and will be waiting for us at 09:00. Amazing! Soon our cars arrive. Hakuna Matata!!! Yesterday at 18:00 they just leisurely left Nairobi to visit us.
We fill out the documents, negotiate about the deposit (not in vain - one of them was never returned to our card), pack our things into the cars (this turned out to be difficult - especially because of the huge chairs that were given to us) and hit the road!
We flew 200 km on a good asphalt road quickly. There are 100-150 km left along the dirt road directly to the campsite near the lake. They took a long time to overcome, not so much because of the bad road, but because of the many stops for the first photos of real non-tourist Africa!
At first we were unable to drive past the famous baobab tree.
Then they couldn’t help but arrange a photo shoot for the local women who were collecting firewood.
Interestingly, everyone had a key hanging around their neck :)
We got a little stuck.
We met our first animals on this African trip! And not just somewhere in the park, but just anywhere wildlife! Just along a dirt road!
Donkey first))
Then a giraffe somewhere far, far away
Ahh! Zebras! Let's chase them! Didn't catch up))
Several Thompson Gazelles, which we, out of habit from Namibia, mistook for Springboks.
And finally, the Giraffe is very, very close!))
But it was already getting dark and we had to hurry. We still need to find our campsite, the location of which we had little idea of, and set up the tents for the first time, which were included in the full camping equipment for the cars.
It got dark. Having passed several gates, at each of which they collected money from us (it is not clear why - this place is not a national park), following the signs and advice of locals, we finally found our campsite! They gave us a site for tents and even helped us set them up.
In the morning we immediately went to the lake! Fortunately, it shone as a wide blue spot on our GPS navigators. At first we were driving along the road around the lake, but the road suddenly began to go somewhere to the side. We returned and turned at random at one of the turns. Our column of three jeeps passed (through off-road - there were no roads anymore) a local village and drove along the bed of a dry river. According to the maps we are approaching Natron. Lake? Where is the promised red lye? Empty. Let's move on. Looks like this part has dried out. The surface is smooth. Ideal place to race and set speed records!
The petrol PRADO easily wins the race. He is already at the finish line when the diesel PRADO and the old Kruzak are just accelerating. Something is really bad for Kruzak. 4x4 mode failed. The soil becomes wetter and the wheels get stuck. It's slipping.
The 4x4 mode could only be reproduced in this way:
During the rainy season, everything here is, of course, under water. But now, the water on the horizon seems to be very close!
We throw the cruiser, squeeze into 2 PRADOs and go to the water! We have to get there! Where are the flamingos after all?! Not a season? Let's go, let's go. It’s getting scary that we’ll get stuck even on all-wheel drive PRADOs. We stop. Let's look back...
The abandoned Cruiser stands in the water. Damn it! It's all a mirage! No water, no flamingos, no life!
We turn around and go back. It was not possible to defeat Natron in a rush. Time is short - climb Ol Donio Lengai at night! You need to look for a guide in the village for the ascent. At the same time, maybe he will still have time to find a flamingo for us today!
It becomes very difficult for the Kruzak to drive back. It gets stuck at every step.
Not a soul met
but as soon as they withered, Maasai helpers came out of nowhere!
Time passed and they couldn’t get the car out. It turned out that we did not have a single cable, and the jacks were broken...
We drove one of the cars to the camp in search of the cable. But while we were driving, the guys figured out to remove the branch cutters from the car and use them as a cable! Hurray, we pulled it out!
On the way to the camp we found water! True, without flamingos... But clearly alkaline.
The Maasai immediately appeared! Where do they come from!
They dropped off the mother, child and grandmother to the village. 7 people in the car - Fun and cool on the Prado!))
Finally we returned to the campsite. Left most groups to relax and went to the village to look for a guide for climbing Ol Donyo Lengai. The night promised to not be easy. They found a noble guide. Named BURA. A respectable man, 56 years old. As he told us later, he has been leading tourists to Vulcan Peak for 20 years. Before that, I was herding sheep. Well, basically similar professions, we thought))
There was still time until evening and Bura kindly agreed to find us a flamingo! Yuhhu! It turned out that in the morning we went to a completely different part of the lake.
We took everyone from the camp and within half an hour of driving we were at... the lake. This, of course, is also not Tanganyika or Baikal, but still there was a little more water than we found during the day.
And it certainly wasn’t a mirage!
And Flamingo! There were flamingos too!
We admired flocks of flamingos flying from place to place (which we kindly asked them to do))) against the backdrop of the setting sun. And above us, above all this virgin African nature, towered the majestic volcano Ol Donyo Lengai, which just recently (in 2007) powerfully erupted, throwing powerful streams of lava from its crater.
It hung over us so menacingly and powerfully that we absolutely could not believe that overnight (start at 00:00, elevation difference 1700m, Crater at an altitude of 2900m) we would climb it and meet the dawn on the edge of the crater. At that moment we could not even imagine how difficult it would be. Looking ahead, I will say that we did it! Only 5 people out of 11 who started! But they did it! But more about this in next post. Very soon))
An airplane casts a shadow on the bright red surface of Lake Natron in Tanzania. Photo by: George Steinmetz.
Lake Natron is a 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.
Is it possible to swim in such a lake and is there life there?
Lake Natron is translated as “red” because of its special color, which is given to it by certain microorganisms that appear when the level of salinity and alkalinity increases excessively. The main such organism is cyanobacteria, a tiny bacterium that, like plants, absorbs light through photosynthesis. As a result, the accumulated photons cause a change in the pigmentation of this amazing bacterium towards a red color and millions of bacteria of the cyano species formed in the alkali of Lake Natron give a deep red color to all surfaces of the water. Only in shallow waters, where there are few of these bacteria less water It is no longer bright red, but orange.
This is truly a miracle canvas of nature painted by a local God named Lengai, the progenitor of all things on Earth among the Maasai tribes.
The total area of the reserve is 700 square meters. km.
Swimming in Lake Natron is not recommended. Any contact with alkaline water threatens burns and swelling 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.
Such discomfort is most often justified by what is seen. Right here, not far from this " dead sea» Tanzania is home to one of the sacred places of Ancient Africa - the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, which translated from the Maasai language means “Mountain of the Gods” or “Mountain of Spirits”. This volcano today is one of the “LIVING WONDERS OF TANZANIA”, more about which you can read in the fascinating article “Why don’t the volcanoes of Tanzania sleep?”
According to some reports, Ol Doinyo Lengai woke up for the last time in October 2008, but never fell asleep. According to the most recent data, a volcanic eruption was observed in 2010, which was apparently caused by the growing discontent of the “gods living in the crater of the volcano.”
One of the main reasons for their dissatisfaction could be the active discussion of the construction of a soda processing plant on the shores of Lake Natron - right at the foot of Ol Doinyo Lengai. The second reason could be plans to build a hydroelectric power station at the northern end of the lake, which would provoke a change alkaline balance In the lake.
Be that as it may, the Lake Natron Nature Reserve, which includes the sacred mountain, is increasingly being subjected to external influence large companies, which violates the peace zone and can provoke, in the words of Maasai shamans, the “wrath of the gods” Ol Donyo Lengai.
Lake Natron in Tanzania is fed by the Iwaso Nyiro River ("River of Brown Water" in the Samburu language) and mineral-rich hot springs.
With strong evaporation, a crust of alkaline salt, which is also often colored red or pink colors as a result of the vital activity of microorganisms living in the lake.
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.
These organisms that live in high salinity conditions - 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.
And the lake is the only breeding area for the 2.5 million endangered Lesser Flamingos that live in the valley.
These flamingos flock along salt lakes in the area where they feed on Spirulina (blue-green algae with red pigments). Lake Natron is the only breeding site for the Lesser Flamingo because its caustic environment is a kind of barrier against predators trying to get to the nests of these birds.
Temperatures in wetlands can reach 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit), and depending on rainfall, alkalinity can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5 (almost as alkaline as ammonia).
In 1962, due to heavy rains, there was a flood. According to experts, more than a million eggs were destroyed.
Threats to the salinity balance from increased freshwater inflows come from the engineered loading watersheds of Lake Natron and the planned operation of a hydroelectric dam. Although development plans include building a dam at the northern end of the lake to contain fresh water, the threat of dissolution is still serious.
A new threat to Lake Natron is the development of a soda processing plant on the shores of the lake. The plant pumps water out of the lake and then chemical processes extracts sodium carbonate to convert it into laundry detergent for export. Housing was also built near the plant for more than 1,000 workers, and coal was brought in for the power plant to provide energy for the entire plant complex.
Because of its unique biological diversity, Tanzania named the Lake Natron Basin to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance on 4 July 2001.
The hunting areas within the Lake Natron Wildlife Refuge are located on its northern and southern boundaries and are called, respectively, the Lake Natron South Game Control Area and the Lake Natron North Game Control Area.
The southern hunting grounds of the reserve are located north of Arusha in the famous Masai Steppe Maasai Steppe), stretching over 1500 sq. km. To the west they border with the Ngorongoro Conservation Zone, and to the north and east with Kenya and Lake Natron, respectively. These areas are home to two permanent luxury campsites and two adventure fly camps. The mid-season Kiserian adventure camp offers accommodation in a valley with stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro and excellent hunting opportunities for Grant's and Thompson's gazelle and in the very north protected area- for gerenuk and lesser kudu.
An equally wonderful place to observe the life of the Maasai lands is the luxury camping “Kitumbeine luxury base camp”, located near Mount Kitumbeine of the same name (2800 meters), where savannah acacias grow. The camp is located at the foot of this mountain and offers indescribably beautiful panoramas overlooking the mountain ranges of the Great Rift Rift and the white smoking cap that still active volcano Olduvai. Here are some of the most best places for hunting oryx, mountain buffalo and large leopard.
Northern hunting grounds (Lake Natron North Game Control Area) 0 are much more extensive. They run along the border of Tanzania and Kenya, east of Lake Natron itself, where the Great Rift Rift mountain ranges rise, covered with a dense massif of mixed tropical forest, where they were preserved in large quantities Mountain buffalos are a special trophy of Masailand. You can stay in one of two mobile hunting camps, which will be delivered along with provisions by plane from Arusha or Kilimanjaro.
Here the terrain is wilder and untrodden by humans than in the south. That is why the villages are original African tribe The Maasai here seem to fit particularly seamlessly into the landscape of the Lake Natron Nature Reserve. These are some of the best places for photo safari. Just imagine the red surface of water with the same red haze in which thousands of small flamingos are drowning on the horizon, as if involuntarily coloring their wings in orange and pink shades.
It is allowed to hunt here typical representatives fauna of Masailand: mountain buffalo (buffalo), bushpig or warthog, leopard, lion, hyena, jackal, white antelope, savannah zebra, small cats (caracal, genet, kivet, serval and wild cat), small antelopes (dikdik, duiker and antelope Steinbeck), medium-sized antelopes (gerenuk, lesser kudu, East African bushbuck, impala) and gazelles Thompson, Grant, Robert and mountain readbook.
Large antelopes such as oryx, patterson and greater kudu are also available as permitted game species. It is also possible to hunt for the feathered inhabitants of the northern forests of the Lake Natron Nature Reserve. Among local population The Maasai especially appreciate the meat of hazel grouse, pigeon and quail.
How to get there
The roads to the lake are quite rough, and basically you can only get there through Arusha or Lake Manyara Park (5-6 hours). But, nevertheless, the local route is one of the most difficult to pass compared to other tourist areas. An alternative safari route to the lake passes through the eastern corridor of the Serengeti - Loliondo.
Things to do
Watch flocks of flamingos on Lake Natron, climb to the coldest active crater in the world - Ol Donyo Lengai, take an antelope safari.
Salt Lake Natron is one of the amazing lakes on our planet, capable of turning almost all living things into stone sculptures. This reservoir is located in eastern Africa, in Tanzania, on the border with Kenya.
As the lake's water evaporates during the dry season, salinity levels will increase to the point that salt-loving microorganisms will thrive, causing the lake to temporarily turn blood red.
In general, the water level in Lake Natron depends on the time of year - and at its deepest, its depth does not exceed three meters. At this time it looks quite normal.
The water temperature in the reservoir reaches 60 degrees Celsius, and the alkalinity level of the pH factor ranges from 9 to 11. Heat water and high level pH is not dangerous only for one species of living creatures that inhabit these waters - alkaline tilapia (Alcolapia alcalica) - a species of fish that has adapted to such difficult conditions a habitat.
The only birds that have adapted to unusual conditions lake, are small flamingos. Natron is considered the only regular nesting site for these birds in East Africa; their number here reaches 2.5 million individuals.
The salty waters of the reservoir created excellent conditions for the growth of blue-green algae spirulina - the favorite food of small flamingos. In addition, the “unfriendly” waters of the lake reliably protect them from predators, which is why millions of these birds have “registered” here. Some of them build their nests directly on the formed salt islands, surrounded by water.
Well, if other birds end up in such “unfriendly” waters, they usually don’t die, as the authors of many blogs on the Internet write, having seen enough photographs of fossilized birds by photographer Nick Brandt, nothing terrible happens to them at all, they just can’t live here, so how they are not adapted.
And more about these fossilized birds, indeed, due to the high salinity and alkalinity level of the bodies of the dead birds in such saline solution do not decompose, but are covered with a layer of calcium and turn into something like statues over time.
Personally, it was funny for me to read posts on the Internet where it was written something like “a bird flew to Lake Natron and turned into a statue”...
