In Senegal, near Cape Verde, off the ocean coast, a lake with an area of 3 square kilometers was found. Another pink lake is Retba.
Pink tint, sometimes turning into red color. She doesn't look pink every time. Only during periods of drought and calm. The water gets this color because of the bacteria (Halobacterium) living in it. The color reaches its peak during dry periods. The bacterium produces a pink pigment, protecting itself from salt water and the action of an aggressive environment. Rose water, when exposed to African light, shimmers with the colors of the rainbow. Combined with the snow-white mountains around the lake, the view is fantastic.
Why is Lake Retba salty?
The water in it is salty, twice as salty as in the Dead Sea. Retba holds the record for salt: 380 grams per liter. It is located next to Atlantic Ocean and it has no drain. Sea water, getting into Retba, made it salty. The work of winds and waves, and the lagoon turned into a lake. It is three meters deep. Deposits of sea salt have accumulated at the bottom.
Residents of neighboring poor African countries extract salt. To protect the skin from caustic water, they cover it with a layer of oil. Salt is obtained in the most primitive way.
The workers dive and loosen the salt and lift it onto the boat. The salt is then unloaded onto the shore, dried and cleaned (dirt, impurities). The natives on the lake do not mine salt. They give this hard work to people from poor countries. They themselves work with tourists.
How to get to the pink lake?
The Pink Lake is located near the capital of the country - the city of Dakar. Just forty kilometers and you are on the shore. It is located very close to the Atlantic Ocean.
You can get there:
- if you are a wealthy tourist, rent a car;
- if you are inclined to save money, buy a minibus ticket;
- if you are staying near the lake for a couple of days, book a hotel in Grand Côte;
What to see:
- The lake itself, during the day, when the lighting changes, the water surface changes;
- To see the optical effects, come here in calm weather;
- salt pyramids;
- the extraction of salt from the bottom of the lake;
- necklaces and bracelets made by local craftsmen;
- stand on the dunes where the Paris-Dakar rally recently took place;
- visit the turtle reserve, which is located next to Lake Retba.
When you imagine a lake, then, for sure, images of blue or bluish-green water surface pop up in your imagination. But, in reality, nature has created a much more diverse palette of shades in which bodies of water can be painted. Turquoise, emerald, brown, yellow and even red and pink lakes exist on Earth. In what regions of the world are pink and red lakes? Why is their color so unusual? As it turns out, scientists have long known the answer to these questions.
There are a considerable number of bodies of water in the world that have a striking pink or red color. Moreover, this phenomenon is not associated with any unusual chemical composition of water or its industrial pollution. The pink lake phenomenon is caused by natural reactions that occur in salt water with certain bacteria and algae when exposed to intense sunlight. You will never find a pink-orange color in a fresh body of water - only salt lakes and the coastal waters of some seas are capable of changing their natural azure color to an unearthly lilac or reddish hue.
What causes the transformation of the natural color of water into pink, coral or scarlet? The extremely high concentration of salt in the water (more than 20%) creates ideal conditions for the existence of three types of microorganisms called gallophyles - literally, salt lovers who survive only in the ecosystem of a salt lake, giving its waters shades of red:
- Algae Dunaliella salina
- Bacteria Salinobacter ruber
- The simplest archaea (Archaea)
Algae and microorganisms of these species can develop in the most extreme conditions - a significant content of alkalis and even ammonia, critically high temperatures - an excellent environment for their growth. High salt content and exposure to active sunlight provoke the micro-algae Dunaliella to produce protective compounds - carotenoids or beta-carotene, which has a red-coral color. This pigment blocks solar radiation and allows microorganisms to survive. The bright pink or red-orange color of water containing Dunaliella may be enhanced by the parallel presence of Archaea protozoa and Salinobacter ruber bacteria.
Few animals have chosen salt lakes as their habitat. But those who live on their shores have the same unusual appearance as the surreal lakes themselves. The main inhabitants of these reservoirs are pink flamingos, the color of whose plumage is formed only because they feed on carotene-containing algae and plankton of red shrimp - brine shrimp. James's flamingos, Andean, Chilean flamingos and other species of these birds build clay slides in the shape of a truncated cone about 50 cm high in the shallow waters of salt lakes, which serve as their nests.
Lake Hillier
Pink Lake Hiller, located in the coastal strip in the southwestern part of Australia, on the Middle Island of the Recherche Archipelago, is considered somewhat mysterious due to the fact that microorganisms leading to the formation of a pink tint of water have not been found in it. Therefore, the constant color of the pond - strawberries whipped with cream - is unsolved mystery nature. Although the lake is small - it is 600 meters long and 250 meters wide, it is considered the most beautiful of the pink lakes in Australia and around the world. About a kilometer of sand dunes separates Lake Hiller from Indian Ocean, but the reefs surrounding the island leave only one way to reach the lake - by air.
Lake Hutt Lagoon
During the dry season, Lake Hutt is completely covered with a crust of pink salt, and during the monsoon period it is replenished not only with rain, but also with sea water, since it is very close to the coast and below ocean level. The lagoon is 14 km long and 2 km wide, with 250 hectares of the reservoir occupied by the world's largest algae processing plant, Dunaliella salina, for the production of food additives, dyes, and other food components and cosmetics.
Pink Lake
Lake Rose is located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of western Australia and covers an area of 4 by 2 kilometers. The pink color of the lake is not permanent, but appears during the bloom of the green algae Dunaliella salina during drought and, in part, due to the presence of the bacteria Halobacteria cutirubrum. Due to the existence of a large population of pink flamingos in the range of Pink Lake, the reservoir is recognized as a key ornithological area of the world.
Quairading Pink Lake
Absolutely round in shape, the Quairading salt lake is famous for the fact that it is crossed by a causeway that divides the reservoir into two parts. One half of the lake has a natural color, while the other is dark burgundy, the color saturation of which varies depending on the season.
Lake Macleod
North of the small coastal town of Carnarvon, in western Australia, there is another of the five famous pink lakes on the green continent - McLeod. The area of the reservoir is 1500 km2, the maximum depth is 1.5 meters. About 400 km2 in the northwestern part of the lake is a habitat for many birds, recognized as an ornithological and nature reserve, famous for its. The southern tip of McLeod is heavily exploited for salt and gypsum.
Lake Eyre
The most famous lake in Australia is a drying salt lake. Lake Eyre. It cannot be unambiguously classified as pink lakes, but carotenoids, present in Aire water, lead to the regular appearance of a purple color on its surface. The length of the lake is 144 km and its width is 77 km.
Salt lake fields
Pink Lake of Senegal (also known as Lake Retba) is not a very famous landmark in Africa, but is still quite extraordinary.
The local population of the Wolof ethnic group prefers to call it Retba Lakes. But we know it as Pink Lake. Again, as in the case of the Blue Grotto, the lake owes its name to its unnatural color for a reservoir.
And here there is something to be surprised at: the color of the water varies from pink to blood red. This phenomenon is associated with the presence in water of a huge number of halophilic archaea of the genus Halobacterium. Translated into understandable language, there are a lot of specific bacteria in the water, which paint the lake in such incredible colors. Particularly bright colors are characteristic of the lake during the dry season.
Pink Lake on the map
- geographic coordinates 14.838150, -17.234862
- distance from the capital of Senegal, Dakar, about 25 km
- the distance to the nearest airport of the same Dakar is approximately 30 km
The history of the Pink Lake is quite earthly and sacrifices with copious amounts of blood were not carried out here. Initially, it was an ordinary lagoon, connected to the ocean by a small channel. But, over time, the ocean surf covered the channel with sand and thereby blocked the communication of the lagoon with the “big water”.
And that is not all. The lake would have remained ordinary and inconspicuous if one day, during a severe drought, they had not become very shallow. Then the local residents began to extract salt from it, and in the most in a simple way, almost like on the territory of the Uyuni salt marsh, collecting it from the bottom of the lake. Over time, bacteria began to develop, turning Lake Retba into abnormal colors. As a result, we have another attraction.
Lake Retba in numbers
- Surface area about 3 km2
- Maximum depth up to 3 meters
It is noteworthy that local residents who extract salt spend 6-7 hours in the water. This is an insanely high amount for such a saturated brine solution. But a special karite product made from shea butter helps workers protect their skin from burns. By rubbing it into the skin, people are able to stay in water for a long time.
The workers live right next to the lake in unpresentable shacks. There is not much entertainment here. Perhaps boat rides, short swimming and jeep rides in the local surroundings. You can buy souvenirs that are sold by local residents, usually carrying them in baskets on their heads.
- The lake has long been the final destination of the famous Paris-Dakar rally
- The salt content in the waters of Pink Lake reaches 40%
- You cannot stay in water for more than 10 minutes, as this can cause chemical burns.
- There are no living creatures (no fish, no algae), except for the above-mentioned bacteria, in the lake (try to survive in a reservoir where there is almost 400 grams of salt per liter of water)
- The salt content in Lake Retba exceeds that of the famous Dead Sea in Israel
- It is almost impossible to drown in the lake, since the density of its water is very high and, accordingly, the buoyant force prevents you from sinking to the bottom
- salt has been mined here since the 70s of the last century
African nature is sometimes extremely amazing, which is why more and more tourists are trying to get to this continent.
Another miracle is the Pink Lake Retba, located near the capital of Senegal. From Cape Verde you should head northeast to get to this place.
The reservoir got its name because of its unusual and amazing color, which is actually pink with a hint of milk. The lake was named so by local residents belonging to the Wolof people.
Its area is small - 3 square kilometers, with a maximum depth of only 3 meters in some places.
Pink lake Retba in Senegal
Once upon a time, on the site of Pink Lake there was a lagoon connected to the Atlantic Ocean, but the waters constantly washed up the sand, which led to the disappearance of the channel. As a result, it appeared salt Lake with quite a decent depth.
However, already in the 70s of the 20th century, droughts began in the country, which led to a constant and significant decrease in the volume of the reservoir, so Pink Lake Retba became shallow over time, while the concentration of salts in the water increased.
At the same time, the lake acquired its color, thanks to which it has an unusual name and attracts travelers from all over the world. There are a couple of reasons why the color is this way:
- increased salinity;
- microorganisms.
The salt in the water has such a high concentration that its indicator exceeds this parameter of the Dead Sea by one and a half 
times and is 380 g/liter. In this regard, any swimmer stays perfectly on the surface; it is almost impossible to drown in Pink Lake Retba; relaxation on the water is truly relaxing and relaxing.
Naturally, such a huge salinity of the reservoir has led to the fact that few inhabitants can survive in these conditions, so the main inhabitants are the oldest cyanobacteria - Dunaliella salina, which have lived on the planet for several billion years. Thanks to them, the color of the water is so extraordinary.
At the same time, the Pink Lake is not always the same color; the color is influenced by:
- Times of Day;
- cloudiness;
- wind.
It is during windy weather that microorganisms are most active, and then they produce the largest amount of pink enzyme. In general, the color palette can range from light pink to rich brown.
All coastline This colorful lake is filled with small boats, which are not intended for swimming or fishing, but for the main local activity - salt mining.
If a couple of decades ago salt miners worked standing in water only up to their waists, now the main depth is up to their necks. This increase in the depth of the reservoir is due to the fact that the volumes of salt produced are extremely large - more than 20 tons per year.
This process of obtaining this important product is simple - every day local men go to Pink Lake, in its very center they plunge into the water with all the equipment. Since the salt has accumulated at the bottom, it is beaten off with hooks, taken out of the liquid with shovels and placed in the boat. All this is done by touch, because the head is always above the surface.
This type of fishing is dangerous because salty water corrodes the skin, forming wounds that take a long time to heal. The only way to protect yourself from this is with fat, so miners cover themselves with shea butter before diving.
Men's work consists of directly extracting salt from the lake, everything else is done by women, who become involved in the process from unloading the filled boat.
Salt is transported from the reservoir on the head; for this, about 25 kilograms of wet product are placed in containers, which are carried in this way to a drying place on the coast.
The color of the salt changes during processing:
- dark gray when first mined;
- whiter when exposed to sunlight.
The salt remains lying on the shore in heaps until wholesale buyers come for it, until this moment a year can pass. 
more. This product is exported mainly to the countries of the Dark Continent, sometimes it is sent to Europe, where it is considered exotic.
Local Africans rarely use lake salt; most often they use sea salt in everyday life, but in restaurants they sometimes bake fish in it.
The workers who mine the salt live right on the shore of the lake; there is a small village for them, in which frail dwellings are built from available materials with their own hands. Usually residents of not only but also other African countries work here, because they pay good money for such work. But the conditions are very difficult, so earnings usually last only a few years.
For visiting tourists who want to look at the pink pond, there are several hotels here. To make your vacation memorable, it is recommended:
- take a boat ride on the pink surface of the water;
- go on a jeep tour around the lake;
- buy a few souvenirs sold locally.
Amazing Lake Retba, which translates as " Pink Lake", located in the African city of Senegal. Looking at it, you might think that in front of you is a huge sea of strawberry milkshake, which you immediately want to enjoy. However, this view is deceptive: in front of you is a salt lake, and not a delicious dessert.
Many years simple people wondered why the lake has such an unusual, soft pink color. And only in our time have scientists been able to shed light on the situation. It's all about a single-celled microscopic algae - Dunaliella salina. She in large quantities is located in the lake and gives it its original pink color.
It is also unique that in Lake Retba, apart from this bacterium, there is not a single living soul - neither plants nor animals. The reason is that the reservoir is so saturated with salt that no microorganisms simply survive there. Even people cannot stay in such water for a long time: a concentrated salt solution can easily corrode the skin.
Scientists found that the local concentration is approximately 380 grams of salt per liter of water. Surprisingly, this is 1.5 times more than in the famous Dead Sea! There is definitely no risk of drowning for a person in Lake Retba. The history of the reservoir lake indicates that it once had access to the ocean, but over time, the current was covered with sand and the lake gradually began to dry out.
This happened around the 70s of the last century. As a result of this separation from the ocean, the water in the lake became so salty that it was no longer suitable for drinking. This caused the people who lived near the Retba to move to other places.
But at present, people who come from the Wolof tribe still live near the lake. In total there are about three thousand people here. They not only live near Lake Retba, but also work. Their work consists of extracting salt from the reservoir for sale. At the same time, from available materials, they create huts for themselves near the lake.
They do not earn very much - only $9 per working day, but for an African village this is a fairly acceptable income. You can see from the photographs that extracting salt from a reservoir is a difficult task. To do this, you need to stay in water all day, which can easily corrode the skin and leave ulcers on it. To protect themselves, workers rub their bodies with oil squeezed from the fruits of the tallow tree: this method allows them to protect their skin from salt for a while.
Modern salt mining on Lake Retba has been going on since 1970. At the same time, it is actively selected from the bottom of the lake, which makes the reservoir deeper and deeper. This makes the work of private miners more difficult. It remains to be added that every year 25 thousand tons of salt are exported from here.
The salt extraction process begins with the salt at the bottom of the reservoir being first loosened and then pulled out in baskets. The collected salt is loaded into boats and taken to the shore. Interestingly, due to the high concentration of salt in the water, boats can support the weight of large loads, for example, up to 500 kilograms. This allows the worker to rarely swim to shore to unload, which, of course, is convenient and profitable.
Afterwards, the salt “placed” on the ground is collected again by women, among whom there are often very young ones, into basins, cleaned and washed, and then carried to their piles of processed salt. Each family has its own pile. Here the salt dries and waits for resellers to buy it. In recent years, tourists have begun to visit Lake Retba. Although this is not the only pink lake in the world, such beauty is still worth seeing. It captivates with its soft pink color and can be admired for a long time. If you wish, you can also swim and get acquainted with the culture of the local residents.
