In Greek mythology, there is such a character, Medusa the Gorgon, who turns all living things into stone with one glance. And one could say that this is just an exaggeration, an invention, but not everything in myths is untrue. Lake Natron, the embodiment of the Gorgon, exists in nature.
An unusual body of water is located on the border of Tanzania and Kenya. His fame is bad: all living things, once in its waters, turns into stone. Local residents try to bypass the lake as far as possible, not understanding what tourists need here. And their flow is more and more.
The embodiment of Greek myths
Natron is a reservoir of considerable size. It is more than fifty in length and twenty-two kilometers wide. But the depth is not impressive: three meters, no more. The water temperature is quite high: 40-60 degrees.
This very salty lake is also one of the most alkaline on the planet. The reservoir is surrounded by lava rock containing sodium. Since there is little magnesium in such rocks, but an overabundance of potassium carbonate, the reservoir turned over time into a saturated and caustic alkaline solution.
Any living organism that comes into contact with the surface is saturated with minerals, the concentration of which is extremely high, and becomes a salty stone. Trapped in an insidious reservoir, animals and birds often catch the eye of both tourists and local residents. There are also rich deposits of sodium carbonate at the bottom.
Life is everywhere
English photographer Nick Brandt was the first to discover Natron's unusual ability. He created a whole series of pictures from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. They depict bats, birds found on the surface of the deadly surface. These works are called the best evidence of the power of nature.
The alkaline environment prevents the development of organic life in the reservoir. Few microorganisms are able to survive in it. Among them are cyanobacteria with a red pigment. It owes them a blood-red lake. And the word "natron" in translation means "red".
Despite the lifelessness of the reservoir, it has become a favorite spot for pink flamingos. Birds are able to survive even in such a saturated salty environment. They arrive to nest. There are no predators on the lake, and therefore the offspring grows calmly.
Flamingo house
Thanks to their tough skin and plumage, flamingos are protected from burns, and the glands in the nasal cavity are involved in filtering salt water. A strong stomach digests the rather toxic algae from the bottom.
Bird visits coincide with the time of the shallowing of the lake. Small salt islands appear on the surface. They become nests. Tourists are interested in the Natron phenomenon. Swimming in the pond is prohibited due to the appearance of blisters with burns on the skin after such a procedure.
Local authorities are planning to build a soda ash plant on the shore. Sodium carbonate can be extracted directly from water. The chemical industry cannot do without this element. In this case, flamingos will lose the opportunity to raise chicks here.
Such prospects could lead to the extinction of beautiful birds in East Africa in the not too distant future.
