Lake Natron-Tanzania Safari

Lake Natron-Tanzania Safari.

Lake Natron is a soda lake at the base of the active volcano of Ol Donyo Lengai, area around the Lake is often explained as having a desolate and almost lunar beauty. The Lake Natron is located Tanzania at the northern circuit . Nearest towns to Lake Natron are Arusha in Tanzania and in Kenya is Magadi town. It’s the most important breeding site for Lesser Flamingos in the world.

East Africa has millions of Lesser Flamingos and this numbers representing three-quarters of the whole world population and most of them are hatched at the Lake Natron. Food is plentiful, nesting sites abound – and most importantly, the Lake Natron is isolated and undisturbed. The lake and its ecosystem provides a source of livelihoods to the Masai communities.

High levels of evaporation have left behind Lake Latron (sodium carbonate decahydrate) and trona (sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate). The alkalinity of the lake can reach a pH of greater than 12.1, the surrounding bedrock is composed of alkaline and the sodium – dominated trachyte lavas that were laid down during the Pleistocene period. The lavas have significant amounts of carbonate but lowest calcium and magnesium levels. This has allowed the Lake Natron to concentrate into a caustic alkaline brine.

Walking around the Lake Natron and to the streams and waterfalls along the nearby escarpment make for am excellent adventure off the beaten track.

There are a number of campsites near the Lake Natron, which is also the base for trekking mount Ol Doinyo Lengai.