Lake Natron is spectacularly weird, and is also deadly

IT MAY look pretty in pink, but this lake is deadly. One of the harshest environments in the world, few species can survive here.

IT MAY look pretty in pink, but this lake is actually pretty deadly.

A series of incredible aerial photographs have captured the bizarrely coloured Lake Natron, in northern Tanzania, like never before.

The water, which is coloured in several different shades of pink, owes its unusual colour to photosynthesising cyanobacteria.

The serene-looking lake is one of the harshest environments in the world due to its extremely high alkaline content.

Its pH levels have been recorded as high as 10.5 — which is almost as high as ammonia, so it can burn the skin off any animals which have not adapted to its harsh climate.

What’s more, the temperature of the lake can reach up to 60 degrees celsius.

Flamingoes on the lake.

While the shallow lake supports little wildlife, the exception is a flock of 2.5 million bright pink flamingoes. They are drawn to the lake to feed on spirulina, a blue-green algae formed by the cyanobacteria.

The birds build their nests on small islands formed in the lake during the dry season.

Spanish photographer Juan Carlos Muñoz, 52, flew above the wildlife spectacle in a light aircraft to capture these unique pictures.

Wildlife photographer Juan Carlos Muñoz, 52, captured these incredible aerial shots.

“It is the most striking lake in the world,” Muñoz said. “I was really impressed by how it looked from the air.

“Under the midday sun the lake glows in a panorama of powerful pink hues. As I flew over I was terrified that the flamingoes would take off when they heard the plane. It was one of the most exceptional images in my long life as a nature photographer.”

The lake is the only breeding ground for lesser flamingoes in West Africa.

The lesser flamingo population is threatened because of their reliance on this one breeding ground.

Close-up of the flamingoes on Lake Natron.