HELL ON EARTH
As we drove closer to our destination, the open land appeared mostly devoid of plants, with only a scattering of trees and the occasional grassy patch. Zebras, wildebeest and giraffes roam here, but are by no means abundant; skeletons, on the other hand, are a common sight.
“It is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever visited,” my travel companion and fellow biologist Antonia Ford observed. We were heading for a most unusual ecosystem, located in the presence of volcanic springs and caustic alkaline waters in northern Tanzania.
As part of a team, we spent a month studying Lake Natron and the wider area. We collected samples to research the extreme environment with the aim of finding out more about the extraordinary species that somehow survive in this hostile place.
The sun rises early and fast, enveloping the landscape in heat haze. Unpacking our tents beneath the scorching sun was unbearable and there was so much dry salt in the air that my hair and clothes were thick with
