As isolated as the lake is (it wasn't even discovered by Europeans until 1954), there are no protections in place for the lake or its threatened flamingo population.įollow Marc Lallanilla on Twitter and Google+. The serenity of Lake Natron - and its flamingo population - are threatened by a proposed hydroelectric power plant on the Ewaso Ngiro River, the main river feeding the lake. The other animals that can be spotted on the shores of Lake Natron includes the zebra, ostrich, fringed, eared Oryx, gazelles, lesser kudu as well as the golden. As shallow lakes in a hot climate, their water temperatures can reach as high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius). The dead animals are preserved in eerie detail, from birds to bats each one has been slowly turned to stone by the waters of Lake Natron. Both are terminal lakes that do not drain out to any river or sea they are fed by hot springs and small rivers. Lake Natron is one of two alkaline lakes in that area of East Africa the other is Lake Bahi. The flamingos' nests are built on small islands that form in the lake during the dry season. 'Reanimated, alive again in death.'ĭuring breeding season, more than 2 million lesser flamingos (Phoenicopterus minor) use the shallow lake as their primary breeding ground in Africa. 'I took these creatures as I found them on the shoreline, and then placed them in 'living' positions, bringing them back to 'life,' as it were,' Brandt wrote, referring to the way he repositioned the animals. the water has an extremely high soda and salt content, so high that it would strip the ink off my Kodak film boxes within a few seconds.' 'No one knows for certain exactly how they die, but. 'I unexpectedly found the creatures - all manner of birds and bats - washed up along the shoreline of Lake Natron,' Brandt wrote in his book. In fact, Lake Natrons alkaline waters support a thriving ecosystem of salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, flamingos and other wetland birds, tilapia and the algae on which large flocks of flamingos feed. ( Photos: Lake Natron Gives Up Its Dead)īrandt discovered the remains of flamingos and other animals with chalky sodium carbonate deposits outlining their bodies in sharp relief. Despite some media reports, the animal didnt simply turn to stone and die after coming into contact with the lakes water. Now, photographer Nick Brandt has captured haunting images of the lake and its dead in a book titled 'Across the Ravaged Land' (Abrams Books, 2013). In fact, Lake Natron's alkaline waters support a thriving ecosystem of salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, flamingos and other wetland birds, tilapia and the algae on which large flocks of flamingos feed. PHOTOS: America's Best Drive-By Vacation Spotsĭespite some media reports, the animal didn't simply turn to stone and die after coming into contact with the lake's water.

Lake natron stone animals