Oldonyo Lengai Mountain with its 3.450 m altitude is an active volcano in the South of Lake Natron.
The mountain lies in the Masaai land, located in the Rift Valley. This impressive peak is revered by the Masaai as the sacred home of god.
Oldonyo Lengai still erupts occasionally, the last time in March 2006. You may have the opportunity to walk on still steaming ground. It's the only active sodium carbonite volcano in the world.
In the North of the volcano we can find Lake Natron, one of the most alkaline lakes and home of thousands of flamingos. In its South the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands strech out.
Lake Natron
The Lake Natron is located in a section of the Great Rift Valley Lakes, (the foundation of the Great Rift Valley is start from Ethiopia, pass through Kenya and process into northern Tanzania to the final destination in Southern of Africa). Among of the Great Rift Valley lakes in Tanzania are lake Magadi, lake Eyasi, lake Manyara and the lake Natron, both are soda lakes. Although there are other fresh water lakes. Lake Natron is a part of Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This area is a reserve, where the local communities live alongside the wildlife. Beyond there are many activities in Lake Natron, have a walking around the lake pass through dense forest and grassy ridges, have caused the water coming from underground rocks of the valley to pass over the cliffs and forming the nice streams of Ngarasero water falls,(or incredibly convenient Jacuzzi) which are deposited in the Lake Natron area.
Great Rift Valley Escarpment in Northern Tanzania, Lake Natron is adjacent to the extinct Gelai Volcano and near the active Oldoinyo Lengaï.
It is a large soda lake (water full of sodium carbonate) that seems hostile to any living creature, except for an endemic species of fish, the alkaline tilapia, and also for the Spirulina a blue-green algae with red pigments, micro-organism make an area of Lesser Flamingoes,
The lake is home of more than a million of flamingos, more particularly the pinkish white plumage Lesser Flamingos : indeed provides food and breeding place for these birds which are outright suited to the hard environment of a volcanic lake. Lake Natron is the most important flamingo breeding place on earth. The flamingos feed on the Spirulina algae abundant in the waters of Lake Natron and which pigments give the birds feathers their pink colour. The alcaline water of the lake provides a natural protection barrier against predators, wherever hyenas, marabou storks, and jackals try to come near!
When the lake recedes, and the algae they eat is diminishing, it's time for flamingos to depart and migrate in search for a suitable new lake: it is the migration of thousands of flamingos towards many Countries of Africa. There are other African breeding sites like Lake Nakuru and etc, but principally Lesser Flamingos breed on the highly caustic Lake Natron.