13 Lake Natron Facts: A Mineral-Rich Amazing Waterbody!

Lake Natron is a lake in northern Tanzania, Africa, rich in minerals.

Lake Natron is termed a salt lake or an alkaline lake because the lake's water flows in, but it doesn't flow out, and the only way the water can escape is through evaporation. It is one of the most interesting lakes to learn about.

Lake Natron is a shallow lake, which is around 9.8 ft (3 m) deep, 35.4 mi (57 km) long, and 13.67 mi (22 km) wide. The volume of water in this lake is yet to be determined.

The lake has very alkaline water, and the pH levels can be more than 12 if measured on a scale.

As the moisture evaporates during the dry season, the level of salinity increases and micro-organisms start blooming because it's the best conditions for them to thrive.

Most animals and birds don't find the environment of Lake Natron suitable for making their homes in because of its high temperature and dry weather. Still, a few animals, and birds like flamingos, as well as tilapia fish, manage to survive in these conditions.

Interested in finding more about Lake Natron? Then read on for more interesting Lake Natron facts.

Natural Warnings: Lake Natron

Lake Natron is interesting because it is so deadly. Read on to find out more about its dangerous properties and why you should never swim in its waters.

Lake Natron is easily one of the most corrosive and uninhabitable lakes of the world, and the reason behind this is its alkaline nature and high temperature, which can reach 140 F (60 C).

It can burn your flesh off if you tried to swim for even a few seconds or touch the water of the lake, as the water is such a high temperature and corrosive.

Lake Natron is deadly because not many living creatures (including birds and animals) find the environment suitable to live in. Rainfall in Lake Natron is very unpredictable, and the water level keeps fluctuating due to its temperature and climate. The lake has many hot springs and rivers around the area.

Lake Natron is reddish in color, and the reason behind it is due to salt-loving algae known as halophiles, which thrive on the lake's salty water. However, the color of the lake changes over time.

It is rich in minerals, like sodium carbonate decahydrate, with around 17% sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate (found in washing powder), and numerous other minerals that stream into the lake from the surrounding hills. Because of these many chemicals, extremely alkaline and boiling water, Lake Natron is toxic and dangerous.

The alkalinity of the lake supports the ecosystem of Lake Natron, and the salinity balances the ecosystem as micro-organisms thrive due to the salinity. As such, Lake Natron is a breeding ground for flamingos as they feed on these micro-organisms to survive.

Lake Natron has proved to be an unfit habitat for many creatures. Still, for some, it's just a perfect place to reside, including flamingos, tilapia and other species of fish, and wetland birds.

Lake Natron is one of the most crucial breeding grounds for lesser flamingos as 75% of the world's population of flamingoes live here. The high salinity helps algae and some aquatic life to thrive, and flamingos have fed on these creatures to survive.

The sea is a pink hue due to the micro-organisms on which the flamingoes thrive without drinking water.

Is it dangerous to visit Lake Natron?

Interested in visiting Lake Natron, despite its dangerous reputation? Read on to find out why it is such a tourist attraction.

If you love to travel and are full of adventure, you surely should visit Lake Natron with your family as it has many things to discover. Lake Natron is full of flamingos, active volcanoes, and many other things which will amaze you.

There are even ancient footprints from early humans preserved near the lake, which is near Tanzania, on the Kenyan border.

As the temperature of this place is usually very hot and dry, one should visit the place during its coolest months, from June to August. During the summer, the climate is cool and dry, which is best for trekking and roaming around the lake.

Also, water evaporation takes place at this time, and micro-organisms like algae expand in number, giving beautiful color to the lake's water.

If you ever visit this scenic place, you must check out the Gelai Volcano, a 9,652 ft (2,942 m) high active volcano. You can also check out the archeological site of Peninj, which is a place where the Peninj mandible, an ancient human jawbone, was discovered.

The Maasai live in manyatta huts in villages near which the wildlife of Lake Natron resides.

Safety Measures To Take When Visiting

There are some safety measures you should know about if you visit this place.

Lake Natron is one of the most toxic lakes in the world. Many animals die if they can't adapt to the environment as the water has many toxic chemicals present in it, and is generally boiling hot due to the high temperature of this place in Tanzania.

The temperature of the lake can reach up to 140 F (60 C), which is hot enough to burn your flesh off in a few seconds, and the high concentration of sodium chloride can dehydrate you quickly, so it's recommended to stay out of the water.

If you accidentally trip and fall into the water, find something to can climb on and paddle, to avoid using your hands.

If you accidentally fall into the water, and there is nothing to grab, then you must try to swim. If you fall into the water during the wet season, then the water can be around 9.8 ft (3 m) deep.

The good thing is that you will not sink due to the high concentration of salt, but the hot water can burn you if you remain in it for a long time.

No matter what, don't let the water get into your mouth, nose, ears, or eyes as you can die if you swallow the water, or it can permanently blind you if it gets into your eyes. So, try to keep your head up while swimming.

Economic Activities Of Lake Natron

In 2006, Tata Chemicals industry showed their interest in Lake Natron and wanted to build a soda-ash plant there. Still, after two years, in May 2008, they withdrew the idea because of the international concerns of its negative impact on the local people and the wildlife of Lake Natron.

A study proved that soda-ash mining at Lake Natron is not economically feasible.

The construction of a soda-ash plant would not just disturb the habitat of lesser flamingoes and local residents, there would be no benefits. The report suggested that priority should be given to the preservation of the huge population of lesser flamingoes and wildlife residing there, and the investment should be made with the same motive.

This will not just protect the wildlife of Lake Natron, but it will also provide an opportunity to support the local livelihood.

Did you know..?

We have some more exciting facts lined up for you. Read on to find out more.

Sodium carbonate, which is found in the lake, was used in Egyptian mummification, which preserved the dead. Egyptian mummification comprises removing all the moisture from dead bodies so that water evaporates leaving just a dried preserved structure that does not rot.

Nick Brandt is a famous photographer who has taken haunting images of Lake Natron, and its dead animals. Nick Brandt discovered the dead animals with pale sodium-carbonate stores laying out their bodies in sharp relief, which he photographed.

Nick Brandt wrote that nobody knows the reason behind the death of these creatures and that he found the dead bodies of the animal and the birds near the coastline of the lake and put them in 'living positions' as they were before they died.

You must be thinking; how does the flamingo survive in Lake Natron without drinking water and how does it manage to live in such hot weather, and why do flamingoes and other birds use it as a breeding ground?

The answer is that the flamingo has unique hard skin and scales on their legs that preserve their legs from burning, and they can drink water that is close to boiling point to obtain fresh water from springs and geysers near the lake's shore.

If there is no fresh water available, the flamingo can eliminate salt from its nasal cavity using glands in its head.