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Lake Natron, Tanzania
Aug 15, 2025
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0:00
This is Lake Natron in Tanzania, and
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it's one of the most inhospitable bodies
0:04
of water on Earth. Its alkalinity is so
0:07
extreme that it can turn anything that
0:09
enters it to stone. Why aren't all the
0:11
animals that live around it dead? Stick
0:13
around and you'll find out. You're
0:16
watching Wilds but True with Malcolm
0:18
Walker. When you think of lakes, you
0:20
probably imagine calm, cool bodies of
0:22
water surrounded by lush greenery
0:25
teeming with life. But that's not the
0:27
case for Lake Natron. It's hot. Like
0:30
really, really hot. And it doesn't have
0:33
much in the way of greenery. In fact,
0:36
it's so hostile that it can turn living
0:38
creatures into statues. But what makes
0:40
this lake so crazy? Let's start at the
0:43
beginning. Way back when, about 3
0:46
million years ago, there was a volcanic
0:48
eruption. The ash created a massive
0:50
crater. Over time, this crater filled
0:52
with water and became the lake we see
0:54
today. But because of the volcanic ash,
0:58
the water isn't like other lakes. It has
1:00
a pH level of around 10.5, which makes
1:03
it extremely alkaline. To put that in
1:06
perspective, the pH of seawater is
1:08
around 8.5. So, Lake Natron is twice as
1:11
alkaline as sea water. This alkalinity
1:14
comes with some pretty intense side
1:15
effects. If you were to take a swim in
1:18
this lake, the high pH levels would burn
1:20
your skin. But that's not even the worst
1:22
of it. If you were to accidentally
1:24
ingest some of this water, your stomach
1:26
would be no match for it. Acids and
1:29
bases are ranked from 0 to 14. The lower
1:32
the pH, the stronger the acid. The
1:35
higher the pH, the stronger the base. A
1:38
pH of 7 is neutral. Anything above that
1:41
and you have an alkaline substance.
1:43
Bases work by removing protons from a
1:45
solution. The stronger the base, the
1:48
more protons it can remove. So
1:50
substances with a high pH have a strong
1:52
affinity for protons. The pH scale is
1:55
logarithmic, meaning that each whole
1:57
number represents a 10-fold difference.
2:00
So a pH of 10 is 10 times more alkaline
2:03
than a pH of 9 and 100 times more
2:06
alkaline than a pH of 8. Now, if you've
2:09
ever played with baking soda, you may
2:11
have noticed that it's a little bit
2:12
slippery to the touch. That's because
2:15
it's slightly alkaline. Alkalinity
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allows it to bind with the oils on your
2:18
skin, making it feel slippery. Baking
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soda is a weak base with a pH of around
2:24
9.
2:26
Lake Natron, on the other hand, is a
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strong base with a pH of 10.5, so it's
2:30
even more slippery. But unlike baking
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soda, it's so slippery that it can break
2:35
down rock. The reason why Lake Natron is
2:38
so alkaline is because of all the
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minerals in it. When the lake water
2:41
evaporates, it leaves behind a bunch of
2:43
salts, including sodium carbonate. This
2:46
salt is super alkaline and it just so
2:48
happens to be the main ingredient in
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baking soda. So over time, the salts
2:52
have turned Lake Natron into one giant
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vat of baking soda. Except instead of
2:57
being mildly abrasive, it's so alkaline
3:00
it can burn through flesh and turn
3:02
animals to stone. So how do the animals
3:04
that live near Lake Natron survive?
3:07
Well, it turns out that some organisms
3:09
actually thrive in this environment. One
3:12
of them is the lesser flamingo. Every
3:15
year, 2.5 million of these pink birds
3:17
migrate to Lake Natron to breed. For
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flamingos, alkaline lakes are a great
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place to raise their young. The high pH
3:25
levels make it hard for predators to
3:27
survive, so it's a safe place for baby
3:29
flamingos. Plus, there's plenty of food
3:32
to go around. Algae and other
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microorganisms that live in the lake are
3:37
a great source of protein for flamingos
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and their babies. These organisms are
3:42
also pink, so they give the flamingos
3:44
their signature rosy hue. In fact, Lake
3:46
Natron is the only place on Earth where
3:48
the lesser flamingo breeds regularly.
3:51
That makes it a pretty special place,
3:52
even if it is a little bit, you know,
3:54
crazy. Thanks for watching. Let me know
3:57
what you want to see next. If you like
3:59
this video, be sure to check out our
4:01
other videos about nature's craziest
4:02
places. From the deadliest deserts to
4:05
the most venomous lakes, we've got you
4:08
covered. So sit back, relax, and get
4:11
ready to learn something
#Biological Sciences
#Ecology & Environment
#Wildlife