Description
Aerial view of the salt pan and mineral crust with red algae of Lake Natron, in the Great Rift Valley, on the border between Kenya and Tanzania. The Rift Valley contains a chain of volcanoes, some of which are still active, and many other lakes such as the Magadi, Turkana, Baringo, Bogoria and Nakuru. During the dry season Lake Natron is partly covered by soda and is known for its wading birds. During the rainy season, a thin layer of brine covers much of the saline pan, but this evaporates leaving a vast expanse of white salt that cracks to produce large polygons. The lake is recharged by saline hot springs around its shores and is very rich in blue-green algae, which feed insects and massive flocks of lesser flamingos (Phoenicoparrus minor). Altogether it forms a very peculiar mineral and colour-rich landscape. The area is inhabited by the cattle-herder Masai tribes. Relics of many hominids have been found in the escarpments.