Tanzania’s Lake Natron Turns Animals to Stone

Some of the wildest places on Earth look like they belong in a sci-fi film, and Lake Natron in Tanzania has to sit near the top of that list.

The lake is beside an active volcano, with bright red water that can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit. And amazingly, you can find birds that have been completely turned to stone along its shores.

It’s Chemistry, Not a Curse

The eerie reputation makes for fantastic pictures, but nothing supernatural is happening on Lake Natron – it’s simply a product of its harsh surroundings.

Hot springs and ancient lava flows have fed heavy loads of minerals into the water. That, combined with irregular rainfall and rapid evaporation, has turned the lake into a caustic, alkaline brine. Its pH approaches 12, which puts it about in the range of ammonia.

That chemistry explains the stone birds: when an animal dies in or near the water, the lake coats it in mineral deposits, calcifying the body. They’re preserved by minerals, like a natural cast.

Life Where You Wouldn’t Expect It

You’d assume nothing could survive a lake with the pH of a cleaning product – but that’s wrong!

Lake Natron is home to millions of Lesser Flamingos, serving as their primary breeding ground. In fact, this single hostile lake is where the vast majority of the world’s Lesser Flamingos are born.

The birds nest on salt crystal islands further out in the water. Their tough, leathery legs handle the caustic brine just fine, letting them wade through the shallows in search of algae. The same conditions that make the lake deadly to almost everything else give the flamingos an advantage.

The Lake as a Fortress

That brutal water also protects the flamingos while they raise their young. Predators like hyenas don’t cross the caustic lake to reach the nesting islands, so the water serves as a natural moat. It’s amazing that this harsh environment, which can turn animals to stone, keeps the flamingo chicks safe.

Can You Visit?

You can, though it’s difficult to reach and the terrain is awful. The area around Lake Natron has sparse campgrounds that mostly serve as a base for people hiking the nearby volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai. It’s not a terribly popular tourist area, but if you want a rugged adventure to a place that looks like it came from another planet, Lake Natron is an incredible one.

About the Author

As the editor in chief of Frayed Passport, my goal is to help you build a lifestyle that lets you travel the world whenever you want and however long you want, and not worry about where your next paycheck will come from. I've been to 20+ countries and five continents, lived for years as a full-time digital nomad, and have worked completely remotely since 2015. If you would like to share your story with our community, or partner with Frayed Passport, get in touch with me using the form on our About page.

Featured image by Uday Kiran on Unsplash