Lake Natron

Lake Natron is something special. It is located next to Ol Doinyo Lengai, an active volcano. It is a salt lake, water only flows in but doesn't flow out. The only way the water disappears is through evaporation. The salt in the water stays behind.

Next to that, the lake contains a high level of natron, which makes the pH level of the water go very high (pH of 10.5, for comparison ammonia has a pH-level of 11.6).

Not surprisingly, there are only a few creatures that can survive in this lake, among which flamingos. The lake is known for its huge population of Lesser Flamingos. Three quarter of the world population is in East-Africa, and the biggest part of that lives in Natron. The flamingos feed themselves with cyanobacteria, a kind of algae that lives in the water. These algae can give the lake a red-orange color.

You can have walks around the lake, to the streams and waterfalls nearby or use it as a basecamp before climbing Ol Doinyo Lengai. This volcano next to the lake is a guarantee for beautiful views.