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The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Lake Natron (Classic)

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.61.6K Ratings

🗓️ 11 April 2025

⏱️ 12 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Lake Natron in Tanzania can leave welts and burns on human skin but is a bit of a paradise for another animal.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Let me start by saying something.

0:02.9

On this show, we love a mysterious lake.

0:07.6

In episode 201, we took you to Lake Karachi in Russia, this top secret dumping ground

0:13.8

for nuclear waste.

0:15.4

In episode 155, we visited Lake Nios in Cameroon, the site of this tragic lake explosion,

0:24.2

an accident that triggered a scientific detective mission.

0:27.8

And today, you guessed it, we are going to another strange and unusual lake.

0:36.3

This lake is in Tanzania, and it spreads across this vast, picturesque valley.

0:42.3

It's nestled next to an active volcano, and yes, this one also has a hint of danger.

0:49.5

The first ornithologist who tried to walk out there almost died.

0:55.0

And I've walked out into the lake with a friend who got really bad welts and burns on his skin.

1:03.0

But here is an amazing thing about this lake.

1:06.0

The lake, which can leave welts and burns on human skin,

1:10.0

turns out to be a kind of paradise

1:12.6

for another animal.

1:14.8

And we're not talking about crocodiles or some other ultra-tuff reptile.

1:19.7

No, for these animals, think less teenage mutant ninja turtle and more lawn ornament.

1:27.2

That's right. We're talking flamencos.

1:33.8

I'm Dylan Thuris and this is Alice Obscira, a celebration of the world's strange,

1:41.5

incredible and wondrous places. And today, we're headed to northern Tanzania,

1:46.7

and we're going to Lake Natron.

1:50.1

Flamingo Paradise.

...

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