the infamous Lake Natron

Have you ever heard of the Greek mythological creature Medusa, with snake hair that could turn people to stone with just one glance? While she may be a myth, there is an actual place that could turn you to stone - the infamous Lake Natron. What makes the water in Lake Natron so dangerous? What kind of creatures live there? Could you survive if you fell in? These are the questions we will explore.

Before we take the plunge, let's take a closer look at what Lake Natron is made of. Similar to the Dead Sea, this Tanzanian lake does not run off into any oceans or rivers, allowing it to soak up all the salty desert rain. However, what makes it especially lethal is its close proximity to the active volcano Lengai. The volcano spews a rare kind of lava rich in sodium and potassium carbonate called natrocarbonate, which releases into the water. This mix of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate were key ingredients once used in Egyptian mummification, creating the perfect preservative in lake form. The whole chemical composition is extremely alkaline with pH levels of 10.5, close to that of ammonia, giving the lake its rosy hue.

Any birds that happen to take a dive and don't make it out become calcified in a hardened stone-like husk. In 2013, wildlife photographer Nick Brandt was one of the first to document this phenomenon. He discovered several stone birds and other unlucky animals in the dry season when the water had receded. He theorized that since the lake is so mirror-like and reflective, the birds must have flown right into it as if it was a big glass door.

Despite so many birds dying in Lake Natron, there is a particular species that is flourishing - flamingos. It turns out that the lake's toxic waters provide a safe haven from predators, making it the perfect flamingo flocking grounds. However, it's not that simple. Unfortunately, flamingos thrive in salty lakes because of their tough skin and scaly legs, which prevent burns. So, could we survive if we fell into Lake Natron? The answer is no.