Lake Natron is the only breeding area for lesser flamingoes, a smaller species in the flamingo family. Few predators live here and the flamingoes can breed as a result. They live in a special environment: a dry area surrounding an alkaline salt lake, where temperatures exceed 40 degrees C in the daytime. The flamingo population is estimated at 2.5 million. Spirulina, salt-loving microorganisms in the lake, have a red pigment, and the pigment produces multiple colors: red, pink, and orange.Ī huge flock of flamingoes lives in the lake. Lake Natron is a salt lake strong in alkalinity. Blue-green algae are common in many lakes and marshes, but the algae in Lake Natron are vivid red.

The lake is located 120 km south of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, and near the border of Kenya and Tanzania.

Lake Natron, Tanzania(kmz, 3.42MB, Low Resolution) as seen on Google Earth.įigure 1 is an image of Lake Natron in United Republic of Tanzania in central east Africa, as observed by the Advanced Land-Observing Satellite 'Daichi' in August 2008.

The lake natron in tanzania