Simply because the lake is highly alkaline, and terrestrial and mammalian life does not drink its waters. Since this area is not a wildlife destination, in the dry season does not see any concentration of wildlife.
You may choose to schedule your tour to Lake Natron during the rainy or dry season. But some guests find these temperatures tropically warm as well since Tanzania is located just south of the equator. The weather at Lake Natron is primarily hot and mostly dry, and the coolest months are June through October. Lake Natron is the best site to raise and protect its young because of its powerful stomachs, which let it swallow the toxic algae found throughout the lake. They can drink fresh water from nearby springs or lava water at the lake’s edges, and if fresh water isn’t available, they can filter salt water using unique glands in cavities.
#LAKE NATRON FACTS SKIN#
More than two million lesser flamingos use the shallow lake as a key habitat for reproduction in Africa during the breeding season, where the toxic lake waters provide a haven from predators, and flamingo nests are built on small islands that form in the lake during the dry season.įlamingos live in saline lakes due to their strong skin and scaly legs, which protect them from burns. How did the flamingos survive around Lake Natron? The lake’s edge is also frequently orange rather than red. Lake Natron’s algal blooms wax and wane, hence the lake’s color is not consistent. A species of bacteria that thrives in soda lakes frequently produces ‘algae blooms,’ which then color the water. The colors are caused by a form of algae. Parts of the lake are often a deep red, pink, or orange color. This is why Lake Natron is known as a dangerous lake. As a result, many of the birds and animals that drink from Lake Natron die.Īlso, some birds mistake the lake surface for a reflective mirror and dive in by mistake, the alkaline chemical composition of lake water, which is close to ammonia (and gives the lake its pink color), may cause birds that dive into the lake water and do not come out to become calcified and covered with a solid stone crust. This is an algae that produces a chemical that affects the cells, brain system, and livers of most organisms that consume it. The lake water contains a high concentration of cyanobacteria. Lake Natron is also remarkable in that water is extremely caustic (alkaline) due to the surrounding volcano. The lake is unlike any other you’ve ever seen or heard about. Lake Natron is regarded as Tanzania’s beautiful but deadly lake. Food is plentiful, nesting sites abound, and the lake is remote and unspoiled. More than, 2 million Flamingos live in East Africa, accounting for three-quarters of the global population, with the majority of them hatching at Lake Natron. It is the world’s most important breeding place for Lesser Flamingos. The lake provides a harsh and difficult living environment for many organisms. Alkali salt crust on the lake’s surface is colored red or pink by salt-loving bacteria that live there. The deep red colors of the lake’s waters and the orange colors in the shallow areas are produced by the red pigment in those cyanobacteria. Some cyanobacteria are halophilic organisms that, like plants, produce their own food through photosynthesis. In this environment, special bacteria and blue algae thrive, creating an ideal breeding ground for bird life. The lake alkalinity can reach a pH level of more than 12. Water containing high concentrations of salt minerals such as sodium and trona remains in the lake as freshwater evaporates. The lake temperatures frequently exceed 40 degrees Celsius. The region experiences erratic seasonal rainfall, primarily between December and May. The lake is 57 kilometers long and 22 kilometers wide. Lake Natron is quite shallow, measuring less than three meters deep and varying in width depending on the water level. The lake is located at the base of mount Ol Doinyo Lengai, an active volcano. It is situated in the Gregory Rift, the eastern branch of the East African Rift. Like other soda lakes, Lake Natron has high levels of various salts and it is very high in alkalinity. Lake Natron is located in north Ngorongoro district of Arusha region in Tanzania.
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