You must have heard about Medusa, a snake-haired Greek monster who can turn people into stone with a single glance. Well, that is a myth. But there is a deadly lake in Northern Tanzania called The Lake Natron, which can surely turn people into stone.
What makes Lake Natron so deadly?
Before taking a plunge we would see what makes this lake so deadly? Like the dead sea, this Tanzanian lake doesn't mix with any oceans or sea, this allows the salty desert rain to get mixed up in this lake. Yet the proximity to the active volcano makes it more lethal. This volcano spews a rare kind of lava rich in sodium and potassium carbonate called Natrocarbonate.
Releasing into the water, this mix of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate were key ingredients used in mummification in Egypt creating preservatives in the lake form.
The pH of this lake is extremely alkaline with a level of 10.5. This gives a rosy colour to the lake. So whenever a bird takes to dive into a lake and stays there, it becomes a hard stone-like husk.
What kind of creatures live there?
Though many unlucky animals and birds get killed by this lake, a particular species turn out this toxic lake into a place to keep themselves safe from predators. They keep flourishing this lake making perfect flamingos flocking ground.
They can survive this salty lake because of their tough skin and scaly legs which keep them away from burning. With the help of a special gland in their nasal cavities, they can filter this salty water. Even due to their strong stomach they feed upon toxic algae found throughout the lake. This makes the lake Natron the perfect spot for the flamingos to raise and protect their young ones.
What if you jump into the lake Natron?
You will float up quickly if you jump because of the high concentration of sodium.
When water comes in contact with eyes and skin it will start to eat you. The liquid begins to burn you because your skin eyes and not adapted for this high alkalinity and temperature of 60°C.
If you take a dip into this lake you wouldn't turn into a stone instantly. But if you drown or stay submerged your entire body would harden and be preserved. Even hundreds of years later you would still look spiffy, your body's organs and hair might be intact. The salts of this lake stop the decomposition process and you will become weirdly deformed. This lake can be the deadliest for us but its harsh environment is the sanctuary for our flamingos.
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