7 of the Most Dangerous Lakes in the World - Page 7 of 9

Lake Natron, Tanzania

The “lake that turns animals into stone,” Lake Natron in Tanzania is a red water lake with high alkalinity, enough to harden animals and humans into stone. The deep red color of the salt crust over the lake comes from salt-loving cyanobacteria that live there. Coming into contact with the water can burn the skin and eyes because of how caustic it is–nobody would even attempt to swim in this lake. Lake Natron’s alkalinity can reach as high as 12 and there’s a high level of evaporation–similar to ammonia or bleach. Despite the lake’s inhospitable environment for most animals, Lake Natron is the only home to over 2.5 million small flamingos because its caustic saline water supports their survival.