Lake Natron is a salt lake located in the vast African Great Rift Valley - in northern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya and slightly northeast of Ngorongoro Crater. Tucked between volcanic hills and deep craters, Lake Natron sits at the lowest point in the rift valley - 600 meters above sea level - and is arguably the most alkaline body of water in the world.
Is it possible to swim in such a lake and is there life there?
And here's another wetland in Africa, purely for contrast.
Lake Natron (Lake Natron) translates as "red", because of its special color, which is given to it by some microorganisms that appear when the level of salinity and alkalinity increases excessively. The primary such organism is cyanobacteria, a tiny bacterium that, like plants, absorbs light through photosynthesis. As a result, from the accumulated photons, the pigmentation of this amazing bacterium changes towards red, and millions of bacteria of the cyano species formed in the alkali of Lake Natron, give a deep red color to all water surfaces. Only in shallow water, where these bacteria are slightly less, the water is no longer bright red, but orange.
This is truly a miraculous canvas of nature, painted by a local God named Lengai, the progenitor of everything on Earth among the Maasai tribes.
The total area of the reserve is 700 sq. km.
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Swimming in Lake Natron is not worth it. Any contact with alkaline water threatens burns and swelling of the skin - it is better not to risk it. However, from one glance at the skeletons of animals and birds and their limestone mummies scattered around the lake, it becomes clear that it is better not to get close to Natron.
Such discomfort is most often justified by what he saw. It is here, not far from this "Dead Sea" of Tanzania, that one of the sacred places of Ancient Africa is located - the volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai, which in translation from the language of the Masai tribe means "Mountain of the Gods" or "Mountain of Spirits". This volcano today is one of the "LIVING WONDERS OF TANZANIA", more about which you can read in the fascinating article "Why do the volcanoes of Tanzania not sleep?"
According to some reports, Ol Doinyo Lengai last woke up in October 2008, but never fell asleep. According to the most recent data, the volcanic eruption was also observed in 2010, which is apparently caused by the growing discontent of the "gods living in the mouth of the volcano."
One of the main reasons for their dissatisfaction could be an active discussion of the construction of a soda processing plant on the shores of Lake Natron - right at the foot of Ol Doinyo Lengai. The second reason - could be plans to build a hydroelectric power plant on the northern end of the lake, which would provoke a change in the alkaline balance in the lake.
Be that as it may, the Natron Lake Nature Reserve, which includes the sacred mountain, is increasingly exposed to external influences from large companies, which violates the peace zone and can provoke, according to shamans from the Masai tribe, the "wrath of the gods" Ol Donyo Lengai.
Lake Natron in Tanzania is fed by the Iwaso Nyiro River ("River of Brown Water" in the Samburu language) and mineral-rich hot springs.
With strong evaporation, a crust of alkaline salt forms on the surface of the lake, which is also often colored red or pink as a result of the vital activity of microorganisms living in the lake.
As the water evaporates during the dry season, the salinity of the lake increases to the point where the salt-loving microorganisms in it begin to proliferate.
These organisms living in conditions of high salinity - halophilic cyanobacteria - have the ability to photosynthesize, just like plants. In the process of photosynthesis, a red pigment is released, which gives a bright red color to deep water and orange to shallower water.
And the lake is the only breeding area for the 2.5 million endangered Lesser Flamingos that live in the valley.
These flamingos congregate along salt lakes in the area where they feed on Spirulina (blue-green algae with red pigments). Lake Natron is the Lesser Flamingo's only breeding ground because its caustic environment acts as a barrier against predators trying to reach their nests.
Temperatures in wetlands can reach 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit), and depending on rainfall, alkalinity can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5 (almost as alkaline as ammonia).
In 1962, due to heavy rains, there was a flood. According to experts, more than a million eggs were destroyed.
Threats to the salinity balance from increased freshwater inflows come from the projected loading watersheds of Lake Natron and the planned operation of the hydropower plant. Although development plans include the construction of a dam at the northern end of the lake to contain fresh water, the threat of dilution is still serious.
A new threat to Lake Natron is the development of a soda plant on the shores of the lake. The plant pumps water from the lake and then chemically extracts sodium carbonate to convert it into washing powder for export. Also, housing was built near the plant for more than 1000 workers, and coal was brought in for the power plant to provide energy for the entire plant complex.
Because of its unique biodiversity, Tanzania named the Lake Natron Basin to the List of Wetlands of International Importance - Ramsar on 4 July 2001.
The hunting grounds in the Lake Natron Nature Reserve are located on its northern and southern borders and are called, respectively, the Lake Natron South Game Control Area and Lake Natron North Game Control Area.
The southern hunting grounds of the reserve are located to the north of Arusha in the famous Masai Steppe (Maasai Steppe), which stretches for 1500 square kilometers. In the west they are bordered by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and in the north and east with Kenya and Lake Natron, respectively. These areas are home to two permanent luxury campsites and two adventure fly camps. The Kiserian adventure camp offers accommodation in a valley with stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro and great hunting opportunities for Grant and Thompson's gazelle and in the northernmost protected area for Gerenuka and Little Kudu.
An equally wonderful place to observe the life of the Maasai lands is the luxurious Kitumbeine luxury base camp, located at the Kitumbeine mountain of the same name (2800 meters), where savanna acacia grow. The camp is at the foot of this mountain and offers unparalleled views of the Great Rift Rift ridges and the white smoking cap of the still active Olduvai Volcano. Here are some of the best hunting spots for oryx, mountain buffalo and big leopard.
Lake Natron North Game Control Area 0 is much larger. They run along the border of Tanzania and Kenya, east of Lake Natron itself, where the Great Rift Rift mountain ranges rise, covered with a dense array of mixed rainforest, where mountain buffaloes are preserved in large numbers - a special trophy of Masayland. You can stay in one of two mobile hunting camps, which will be delivered along with provisions by plane from Arusha or Kilimanjaro.
Here is the wildest and most untrapped area by humans than in the south. That is why the villages of the original African Maasai tribe here seem to fit especially organically into the landscape of the Natron Lake reserve. These are some of the best photo safari spots. Just imagine the red surface of water with the same red haze in which thousands of small flamingos drown on the horizon, as if involuntarily painting their wings in orange and pink shades.
Here it is allowed to hunt typical representatives of the Masiland fauna: mountain buffalo (buffalo), bushpig or wormhopper, leopard, lion, hyena, jackal, white antelope, savannah zebra, small cats (caracal, geneta, kivet, serval and wild cat), small antelopes (dikdik, siphon and Steinbeck's antelope), medium antelopes (gerenyuk, lesser kudu, East African bushbuck, impala) and the gazelles of Thompson, Grant, Robert, and mountain readbook.
Among the permitted game species, large antelopes are also available: oryx, patterson and large kudu. Perhaps also hunting for the feathered inhabitants of the northern forests of the Natron Lake Reserve. Among the local population of the Maasai, especially in the price of meat grouse, pigeon and quail.
How to get there
The roads to the lake are rather broken, and you can mostly get there only through Arusha or Lake Manyara park (5-6 hours). But, nevertheless, the local route is one of the most difficult to pass in comparison with other tourist areas. An alternative "route" of the safari trophy to the lake passes through the eastern corridor of the Serengeti - Loliondo.
Things to do
Watch flocks of flamingos on Lake Natron, climb to the coldest active crater in the world - Ol Donyo Lengai, arrange antelope safari.