Geek out with the latest in science and weather. While Lake Natron is a death sentence for most animals, lesser flamingos are among the few creatures that aren’t affected by the toxicity of the lake. (Photos courtesy: Nick Brandt/ Hasted Kraeutler Gallery) These birds, along with greater flamingos, nest in the area every year, and it's the red algae they eat that give these birds their vibrant pink colour.
The environment supports salt-loving microorganisms and algae, two species of fish known as alkaline tilapia live in the waters near the lake's hot springs, and the lake is the only breeding area in eastern African for the lesser flamingo. There are salt marshes and wetlands around the lake's shores. In fact, whereas a lake that actually petrified anything that came near it or touched the water would likely be a complete dead-zone for birds and animals, life thrives around Lake Natron. The 'stony' look about them just comes from the the salts and sodas in the natron caking onto their skin and feathers. However, these animals are simply dying near the lake, their bodies get covered with a layer of natron, which dries them out and preserves them. Petrified and dead, the animals look like. This is what creates things like petrified wood and dinosaur fossils. Mystery lurks around Lake Natron, the lake that preys on bats, flamingos, and even buffaloes of enormous size. When a body becomes truly petrified, its cells are slowly replaced over time by rock.
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