The volcano and its surroundings preserve a unique ecosystem, of which Lake Natron is an appendage, formed by the waters that flow downstream, which are strongly alkaline and loaded with sodium.Ħ0 km long by 22 km wide, Lake Natron has a maximum depth of just 3 metres, is subject to strong evaporation, and its temperature can reach 60 degrees centigrade.
As the lake has high alkaline content, it stops the decomposition process.Among the most spectacular volcanic landscapes in northern Tanzania, to the north of Ngorongoro and in the Great Rift Valley region, is the marvellous environmental area of Lake Natron and the stratovolcano of Ol Doinyo Lengai, “ the Mountain of God” in the Maasai language, which is still active today and rises to almost 3,000 metres. In the ancient Egypt they used the natron salt for mummification, with which is what the whole lake Natron is made of. If you find a body even after hundreds of years after becoming stone, the hair and organs would still be intact. But if an animal is drowned in it and its body manages to stay submerged in the lake the entire body would harden in time and be preserved. You can’t take a quick dive either as the lake is very shallow and as it has high concentration of sodium there are sharp salt crystals found in the surface.Īnything that falls into the lake Natron or touches it, won’t be turned into stone immediately.
As depending on the time of the year the water can be up to 60 degrees which can cause third degree burn in less than 5 seconds.
The simple answer is no as we are NOT flamingos. They are able to feed on the toxic algae found all over the lake as their stomach are very strong. They have a special gland in their nasal cavity which helps them filter water for drinking.
CALCIFYING LAKE NATRON TANZANIA SKIN
Flamingos thrive in salty lakes as they have tough skin and long-scaly legs that prevent burns. This is why its best suited for flamingos. The lakes toxic waters provide a safe haven from predators. In 2013, a wildlife photographer, Nick Brandt found out that there are dead birds found in the surface of the red water which seemed like as the bird came in contact with the water it turned into stone.Īlthough lot of these birds fly into lake as its reflective and mirror-like and die and turn into stone-this lake is not barren. This gives the lake that Vermillion-Red vibrance.ĬALCIFIED FLAMINGO, LAKE NATRON, 2010 - From Nick Brandt’s book Across The Ravaged Land (Abrams 2013) Hence, this lake has that preservative in a perfect lake form. These two chemicals were the key ingredients for the ancient Egyptian mummification. It seems like a normal lake when you hear its name, so what makes it lethal? The lake Natron is very close to the active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai, this volcano forms a rare kind of lava that consists of rich amounts of sodium and potassium carbonate. The lake is a maximum of 57 kilometres long and 22 kilometres wide. It is one of the most shallow lakes in the world, its only 9.8 feet deep. By Devaa Ramalingam – Art in Tanzania internĪlthough Medusa is a Greek mythological character whose eyes when people see turn into stone, the lake Natron is a real place situated in north Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region in Tanzania.
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