Bizarre Lake That Turns Animals Into Stone? Here's What Would Happen if Humans Jumped In

While the idea of a lake that turns animals into stone may sound fictional, it is actually a reality that animals in Tanzania face.

Lake Natron Turns Animals Into Stone?

The Daily Mail reports that Lake Natron, which is the lake that turns animals into stone, is a vital mating area for the less endangered flamingo species. However, animals are faced with the risk of getting forever frozen in the lake's salts if they approach the mysterious lake's shores.

Bacteria are some of the few organisms that can live through the average 78 degrees Fahrenheit heat of the lake, as well as its alkalinity and fatal concentration of salt. According to David Harper, an ecologist from the University of Leicester, bodies that splash into the lake rapidly decompose, while the ones that hit the edges of the water get encrusted in salt that stays that way forever.

NY Breaking reports that the harsh conditions of the lake can be attributed to the nearby active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai that releases natrocarbonatite. The release then flows down into the lake through stream channels that probe through the volcano.This contributes to the lake's alkalinity, which goes beyond pH 10.

Flamingoes are the only creatures that flock to the area to mate. They eat up the cyanobacteria that the waters are rich in. However, even flamingoes are not exempted from the harsh conditions of the lake. They can also end up getting encrusted by the shore.

In a book about this mysterious lake, photographer Nick Brandt writes about the unexpected sightings of different creatures getting washed up on Lake Natron's shores. These creatures include different kinds of bats and birds. Brandt mentions that nobody knows exactly how they die. However, the lake has extreme salt and soda concentrations. He notes that these extreme levels may "take the ink off [his] Kodak film" in just a matter of seconds.

What Would Happen If Humans Jumped In?

While encrusting may be the case for animals, what would happen if humans jumped in? IFL Science reports that the soda lake's great salt concentrations would not instantly freeze humans into stone, like how a glance from Medusa leads to freezing. However, the water would greatly hurt, especially if there were breaks or cuts on the human skin. It would be a lot worse than mere sprinkles of salts into the wound.

The alkalinity of the lake will also burn even more the longer one stays by the water. The exact levels of pH could change depending on the rainfall; but in the worst cases, people may end up with grave burns.

IFL Science also notes that, if one were to drown or dunk into the waters, the high salt levels of the lake would inhibit decomposition. This means that the person will end up being preserved. The body could potentially end up looking like a crunchy statue figure, as depicted in Brandt's shots, if the waters evaporated enough to reveal the dry body.

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