It is located in northern Tanzania, close to the border with neighboring Kenya. I saw entire flocks of dead birds all washed ashore together, lemming-like,” he says. Lake Natron is the most alkaline body of water on planet Earth. Lake Natron skyline is dominated by the volcanic silhouette of Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano which is more than 2km above the Rift valley floor which surrounds it, at an altitude of 2960m above sea level. During dry season, Brandt discovered, when the water recedes, the birds’ desiccated, chemically-preserved carcasses wash up along the coastline. Lake Natron lies within the Lake Natron basin which is a Ramsar Site wetland of international significance. Brandt theorizes that the highly-reflective, chemical dense waters act like a glass door, fooling birds into thinking they’re flying through empty space (not long ago, a helicopter pilot tragically fell victim to the same illusion, and his crashed aircraft was rapidly corroded by the lake’s waters).
The project will soon roll out a revolving fund to support small-scale entrepreneurs.” - Īnd the flamingos, for now, are thriving.A swallow © Nick Brandt 2013, Courtesy of Hasted Kraeutler Gallery, NYĪs you might expect, few creatures live in the harsh waters, which can reach 140 degrees Fahreinheit-they’re home to just a single fish species ( Alcolapia latilabris), some algae and a colony of flamingos that feeds on the algae and breeds on the shore.įrequently, though, migrating birds crash into the lake’s surface.
#Lake natron facts how to
“Over 152 women, 29 men and 71 youth have been trained in ecotourism management and how to run small businesses. Meanwhile, because of the ongoing collaboration among local communities, organizations, and government, the Lake Natron basin has become a thriving ecological region and a boon to the local economy. The issue went unresolved until 2018, when the Government of Tanzania abandoned its plans to construct a soda ash factory on the site. Why is the Government insisting on building a soda ash plant?” –Mary Saiguray of Ngare Sero Women’s Cultural Boma (, Sept. Tourism is our farm it is puts food on our tables. “We do not want any project which will interfere with tourism. An adult lesser flamingo consumes up to about 72 grams dry weight (DW) of cyanobacteria per day and in return, the bacteria pass along their rosy pigment to the birds’ feathers.īack when I wrote that piece, a battle was raging between the government of Tanzania, who wanted to build a soda ash plant in the basin and conservation officials and environmentalists who were rightfully concerned about the well-being of the flamingos and the other species that count on Lake Natron for their survival.Īt the same time, Masai residents were developing a budding tourism industry offering eco-tourists dramatic scenery, spectacular waterfalls, wildlife safaris, and fishing and hunting, all under the mandatory watchful eyes of paid local guides. The birds swish their “upside down” beaks back and forth through the water, siphoning it through special filters that allow them to capture the algae. Impervious to the burning water, they come en masse to Lake Natron to eat the rich Spirulina. Photo: Flickr User: Steve Garvie (cc 2.0) First, it is the source soda ash, a key component in glass manufacturing. Lake Natron offers two things of interest. Almost as alkaline as ammonia, and as scalding as a cup of coffee, the waters of Lake Natron will blister skin, burn nostrils, blind eyes, and poison nearly any animal tempted to drink its water.
Lake Natron is a shallow saline body of water that burns with alkalinity born of the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano’s unique soda ash that has rained into its waters over the last 350,000 years.
#Lake natron facts update
Why am I suddenly reporting on Lake Natron? Because this is an important update to a post about Lake Natron that I wrote back in 2013. The number of chicks increased by over 600% from 120,000 in 2018 to 995,000 in 2019,” says Emmanuel Mgimwa, BirdLife’s Manager of the Lake Natron Ecotourism Project*. “This year, we counted over 1,750,000 adult birds compared to 760,000 last year, which is an increase of 130%. This week, BirdLife, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and the Engaresero Eramatare Community Development Initiative (EECDI), reported on the results of the lesser flamingo survey conducted in February 2019 at Tanzania’s Lake Natron.
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