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Where in the World is the Lake that Turns Animals to Stone?
It’s beautiful but deadly
This week’s “Where in the World?” takes us from serene to sinister. Located in a country known for Safarian adventures and experiences with the world’s most remarkable members of the animal kingdom, this lake can turn those beautiful creatures to stone.
Tanzania in East Africa is home to the Serengeti National Park plains, Kilimanjaro National Park, and the spicy islands of Zanzibar. Its northern region is also where the picturesque, yet lethal Lake Natron lies.
Lake Natron
Lake Natron is almost 35 miles long, 15 miles wide, and unmistakable on a map due to its bright red color, with varying shades of orange and pink. It sits approximately 62 miles northwest of the Tanzanian city of Arusha. The lake is very shallow, averaging less than 10 feet deep, but is rich with sodium carbonate, thanks to the neighboring volcanic mounds of Mt Ol Doinyo Lengai.
Fed by the Southern Ewaso Ng’iro River in Kenya, the lake has had no outflow and irregular rainfall for thousands of years. The intense heat in the area causes water from the lake…
