Retba Lake, Senegal

Not only the wonderful flowers, but also the bacteria can color the world colorfully. An excellent confirmation of this is the lake Retba, located in Senegal. This unique water basin is characterized by the bright pink water color. The secret of the strange lake is quite simple - a special kind of cyanobacteria is living there. Remarkable that they are among the oldest microorganisms living on earth and among the few living creatures that can live in saturated saltwater.

Retba is one of the most salty lakes on the planet. The salt concentration in the salt concentration of the Dead Sea is about one and a half times. The unique natural site is not far from the Cap Vert peninsula. The remarkable pink lake is quite large, its surface is 3 sqkm. The depth of the water basin is relatively low and is a maximum of 3 meters. Retba Lake has been used for salt production for more than forty years. The numerous tourists come here to ride on the pink sea surface by boat.

The race fans know the distinctive natural attraction as well. Retba is the end point of the Paris-Dakar race. There is a small village in the immediate vicinity of the lake, the 'Wolof' tribe lives on its deserts. Literally all the mainstream residents are concerned with salt production. At a reasonable price they take the tourists to their work and show them all the subtleties of this job. It is not recommended to unprepared people to touch the salty water of the lake because it is so salty that it can cause serious burns on the skin. Locals have found an excellent way to protect themselves. Before working, they rub with the special oil of the butter tree. Next - Takinoue Park