Red Lake Natron in Tanzania
Red Lake Natron in Tanzania
Located in the vast African Great Rift Valley, Tanzania, this beautiful salt lake is near the border with Kenya and Ngorongoro Crater. Tucked away between the volcanic hills and deep craters, the lake is at the lowest point of the rift valley – at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level. Red Lake Natron has the most alkaline body of water in the world. The climate in the city is hot, with very dry air and dust, and this doesn’t attract tourist visits. But those who still dare to make a trip to Lake Natron, will have unforgettable impression from the most amazing views that can only be found in Tanzania. Because of its unique biodiversity, it was included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance on July 4, 2001. Besides, the lake is listed East African halophytics Eco region by the World Wildlife Fund.
The Natron – the only place in East Africa for breeding small endangered flamingos. Red Lake Natron has venomous alkaline environment, which is a barrier to predators. The main distinguishing feature of the lake – it’s certainly most unusual bright red color of the water. With strong evaporation in the lake appears a crust of alkaline salts, which are also often painted in red or pink color as the result of the activity of micro-organisms living in the lake. The lake feeds the river Iwasa Niro (“The river of brown water” in the language of Samburu tribe) and the mineral-rich hot springs.
The organisms that live in high salinity have the ability to photosynthesize, like plants. In the process of photosynthesis they get red pigment, which gives the bright red and orange color.
Red Lake Natron in Tanzania
source of images bigpicture.ru