The following article is a guest post by GhostTheory’s reader The Oshmar.

When you hear the phrase “The World’s Deadliest Lake” you probably are not imagining a lake that’s less than 10 feet deep with calm warm waters and filled with flamingos. But then again you probably aren’t imagining a lake that will turn you into a mummy either.

 

While exploring stark areas of East Africa in 2010, photographer Nick Brandt stumbled upon an amazing site. Perfectly preserved remains of birds, fish, and bats lay strewn around the shores of a

seemingly tranquil lake in northern Tanzania. “Discovering them washed up along the shoreline of Lake Natron, I thought they were extraordinary

— every last tiny detail perfectly preserved down to the tip of a bat’s tongue, the minute hairs on his face. The entire fish eagle was the most surprising and revelatory find,” Brandt told CBSNews.com in an email. The dead animals were all victims of the shallow lake’s lethal combination of high temperatures and salinity. The lake’s average temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but it can spike as high as about 140 degrees.

Most people when confronted with such imagery would probably respond with a quick “Nope”, followed by a hasty retreat. Heck, I certainly wouldn’t be hanging around to investigate. Nick Brandt however, decided to collect a few and pose them for some of the creepiest looking photos ever. If you’re wondering “how did this mummy making death trap come to be?” you need only check the pH. To get an idea of just how caustic this particular lake is, you could easily equate it with ammonia, as pH levels reach upwards of 10.5.

 

Lake Natron takes its name from natron, a mineral often referred to as sodium carbonate decahydrate. Records show that ancient Egyptians used this natural salt to dry out organs during the

mummification process. Natron made its way to the lake through volcanic ash from Ol Doinyo Lengai, a Rift Valley volcano just south of the lake. Ol Doinyo Lengai is the only volcano on the planet that spits out

natrocarbonatite lava. In other words, it’s much saltier than the more common silicate-rich lava. Ol Doinyo Lengai has erupted at least eight times since measurements were first recorded in 1883,

and lava has been flowing since the 2007 eruption. When the lava’s natrocarbonatites mix with rainwater, they run into the lake, where they spike the lake’s salinity. Once this toxic soup gets a hold

of unknowing animals who make the fatal error of diving into the lake, they are in a word history, the kind preserved via involuntary mummification.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scientists do not know what entices birds and bats to plunge into the deadly water. Brandt said that it is likely that they are confused by the lake’s “extreme reflective nature.” He compared the situation to birds flying into glass windows.

If you like Nicks photography feel free to check out his website in the content section below. His works are also displayed at galleries around the US.

Content provided by:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57605774/the-worlds-deadliest-lake-mummifies-animal-remains/

http://www.nickbrandt.com/