When you come across most lakes in the world, you can count on being able to jump in and feel refreshed. While some are more dangerous than others (primarily based on what is living in them), being near a lake is almost always very enjoyable.

If you happen to visit Lake Natron in Tanzania, however, that is absolutely not the case. This is a unique lake that has many different ways to hurt, or even kill you.

The first threat that this lake poses is the temperature. The combination of the intense African sun, the fact that it is a very shallow lake, and the hot springs feeding it has the water temperatures up to 60°C (140°F).

While that isn’t enough to kill you on contact, it would certainly cause some serious burns if you fell in. For context, that is about the temperature of a cup of hot coffee.

In addition to being very hot, the water is also extremely alkaline. Its pH fluctuates based on a number of factors, but it has reached a pH of 12, which is very dangerous. That pH level is about the same as household bleach, which can cause serious burns with contact, and if consumed, can be deadly on its own.

The water is also very salty. Not just salty like the ocean, but it is scientifically classified as ‘hypersaline’ because the salt builds up to such high levels. The hot and dry climate of the area keeps the water evaporating, leaving behind the salt.

The lake is so unique that NASA’s Earth Observatory has analyzed it. They explain:

“It’s the region’s volcanism that leads to the lake’s unusual chemistry. Volcanoes, such as Ol Doinyo Lengai (about 20 kilometers to the south), produce molten mixtures of sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate salts. The mixture moves through the ground via a system of faults and wells up in more than 20 hot springs that ultimately empty into the lake.

Not many people venture near the shores of Lake Natron. The lake is mostly inhospitable to life.”

One thing that not only lives in this lake, but thrives, are haloarchaea, which are microorganisms that love the salty environment. These microorganisms are what cause the lake to be so red.

Anytime you have an abundance of one type of life, you’re likely to attract other things that like to consume that life form, and that is the case here as well.

Flamingos love eating these microorganisms (it is one of the reasons their feathers turn pink). For this reason, flamingos return to the area around Lake Natron regularly. In fact, it is the only breeding area in East Africa.

The flamingos do have to be careful when eating, however. If they make one mistake, they can get seriously burned. If they drink too much of the water with the microorganisms, they can die due to the alkalinity or the hypersalinity.

It is a very dangerous environment to be sure, and when animals do die in or around the lake, they are preserved, perhaps as a warning to others.

The nature of the water will cause any body that falls into it to become dehydrated rapidly, which leaves it in something of a mummified state that preserves it for years to come.

The bottom line with this unique lake is that while it may be beautiful and interesting, it is definitely not one that you want to swim in.

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