calcified animals from lake natron in tanzania

Lake Natron is indeed hostile to wildlife that hasn't adapted to its highly alkaline water, which at a pH of 10.5 would burn the skin and eyes of any human foolhardy enough to take a swim.

You'll connect with a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, read articles and newsletters ad-free, sustain our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited-edition print releases, and much more.Lake Natron is home to a thriving ecosystem, and its waters' alkalinity preserves the remains of animals that die in or near it.įor around a decade now, striking images of calcified animal remains on Lake Natron in Tanzania taken by the photographer Nick Brandt have circulated through social media, often featuring alongside eye-grabbing headlines describing it as a lake that turns living animals to stone.

(via My Modern Met) #Africa #animals #lakesĭo stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. All photos copyright Nick Brandt, courtesy of Hasted Kraeutler Gallery. These photos and many more are included in Brandt’s new book, Across the Ravaged Land, a third and final volume of photography documenting the disappearance of animals in Eastern Africa. No one knows for certain exactly how they die, but it appears that the extreme reflective nature of the lake’s surface confuses them, and like birds crashing into plate glass windows, they crash into the lake.” Brandt tells NewScientist, “I could not help but photograph them. Birds and other small mammals that end up in the water gradually become calcified, turned to stone in the deadly water. While working Africa photographer Nick Brandt stopped by the lake to discover several dead animals on the shoreline.

Animals who enter the water are almost certainly doomed, save certain kinds of fish that have evolved to survive in such a caustic environment. Temperatures in the lake can rise to 140 ☏ (60 ☌) and the alkalinity is between pH 9 and pH 10.5, almost as alkaline as ammonia. Lake Natron in northern Tanzania is one of the harshest environments on Earth.

Calcified animals from lake natron in tanzania