Have you ever heard of Medusa?
The snake-haired Greek monster
who turns people to stone with a single glance?
Well, she may just be a myth,
but there is an area so deadly
that it could actually turn you to stone.
The infamous Lake Natron.
This is WHAT IF and here's what would happen
Before we take the plunge,
we'd better look at what Lake Natron is made of.
Much like the Dead Sea,
this Tanzanian lake
doesn't run off into any oceans or rivers.
This allows it to soak up all that salty desert rain.
Mmm, soupy.
Yet what makes it especially lethal,
is its close proximity to the active volcano,
The volcano spews a rare kind of lava
rich in sodium
and potassium carbonate, called
Releasing into the water,
this mix of sodium carbonate
and sodium bicarbonate
were key ingredients once used
in Egyptian mummification,
creating the perfect preservative in lake form.
The whole chemical composition
is extremely alkaline,
with pH levels of 10.5
close to that of ammonia.
This gives the lake its rosy hue.
Any birds who happen to take a dive
and don't make it out
become calcified in a hardened,
stonelike husk.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
In 2013, wildlife photographer Nick Brandt
was one of the first
to document this phenomenon.
He discovered several stone birds
and other unlucky animals
in the dry season when the water had receded.
He theorized that,
since the lake is so mirror-like and reflective,
the birds must have flown right into it.
As if it was a big glass door.
But despite so many birds dying in Lake Natron,
there is a particular species flourishing.
Turns out, the lake's toxic waters
provide a safe haven from predators,
making it perfect flamingo flocking grounds.
So if flamingoes can handle it, couldn't we?
Well, it's not that simple unfortunately.
Flamingoes thrive in salty lakes
because of their tough skin and scaly legs
which prevent burns.
They can drink the freshwater
from nearby springs
or geysers at the edges of the lake,
and if they're desperate enough,
they can even filter saltwater
with special glands in their nasal cavities.
And to top it all off,
their strong stomachs
allow them to feed on the toxic algae
found throughout the lake.
This makes Lake Natron the perfect spot
to raise and protect their young.
So, let's say we tried to live like a flamingo
and decided to take a dip?
Depending on the time of year,
the water can be up 60 °C (140 °F),
which is hot enough
to cause third-degree burns
in five seconds or less.
Also, I wouldn't plan on
doing any fancy dives or cannonballs,
as its shallowness
is also chock full of sharp, salty structures.
You wouldn't be turned to stone instantly,
but if you happened to drown
and stay submerged,
your entire body would harden
and be preserved.
If people found you hundreds of years later,
you might still have your hair and organs intact.
Yeah, looking spiffy after all those years.
Like mummification,
Natron's super high alkalinity
stops the decomposition process.
Thankfully, this means you'd be safe
from vultures or any other hungry scavengers
looking for a snack.
If you waded into the lake at a time
when the water temperature was lower,
it could feel more like a hot tub.
But your eyes or any open wounds
would sting like crazy because of all the salt.
I'd strap on some goggles if I were you.
In 2007, another bird flew straight into
this chemical cocktail.
A group of wildlife videographers
plunged into Lake Natron's toxicity
when their helicopter crashed.
The pilot suffered a broken leg,
and another passenger had a broken hip.
Incredibly, one of the passengers
managed to struggle to shore
and alerted some of
the Masai tribespeople nearby.
They quickly built stretchers
and carried the injured to land
in the nick of time.
Even though you could survive
Lake Natron's waters,
I'd stick to a swimming pool if I were you.
As for our flamingo friends,
this just goes to show
how the harshest environments
can be a sanctuary for some animals.
But if you're craving something
even more extreme,
how about surviving a limnic eruption
on your next swim?
Think you could handle it?
Be sure to check out our new series,
How to Survive, to find out more.