Birds turned to stone: the ominous lake Natron in Tanzania
Birds turned to stone: the ominous lake Natron in Tanzania

Video: Birds turned to stone: the ominous lake Natron in Tanzania

Video: Birds turned to stone: the ominous lake Natron in Tanzania
Video: Refjorged | Critical Role | Campaign 2, Episode 76 - YouTube 2024, April
Anonim
Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania
Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania

Lake Natron, located in the north of Tanzania, is one of the mysterious places on our planet. Interest in it arose in connection with the publication of the illustrated edition "Across the Ravaged Land" ("On the ravaged land"). Its author is renowned photographer Nick Brandt, who is well acquainted with African nature. He claims that the ominous lake has the ability to turn into stone bats and birds that fly here.

Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania
Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania

The mysterious lake in Tanzania attracted the attention of the photographer for a reason: Nick Brandt specializes in black and white photography of African wild animals. Having visited Natron, the photographer was amazed at the abundance of bird skeletons that can be found in the coastal strip, so it became necessary to find an explanation for this phenomenon.

Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania
Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania

The main feature of the lake is the high temperature of the water, in the marshy part it can reach 60 C. In addition, the water has a high level of salt, the alkalinity can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5. These factors contribute to the "mummification" of animals entering this aggressive environment. In fact, birds gradually turn into limestone. Nick Brandt managed to find several surviving "statues" of birds. He set them in natural poses against the backdrop of water, so they look like they are alive in the pictures. The photographs show a lesser flamingo, a dove and an eagle. By the way, Lake Natron is unique in that it is the only place where small flamingos breed (although, as we can see, some birds die right there).

Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania
Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania

There is no exact explanation for the reason for the death of birds. Scientists believe that they can be disoriented due to the powerful reflectivity of the lake's surface. Like birds breaking against transparent glass, African flyers crash into the lake surface.

Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania
Ominous Lake Natron in Tanzania

The author of the photo cycle admits that in his work he tried to create the illusion that the dead birds came to life for a moment, because their death is still a mystery to us in many ways.

Recommended: