Downtown Africa
Running through Africa from Syria to Mozambique, the Great Rift Valley is a wonder which has shaped the geological features of every country it pierces. The phenomenon is slowly dividing Africa, and will one day host an ocean.
In Kenya, the rift has led to the rise of soda lakes: low-lying water bodies with extreme alkalinity. The condition of the water arises from the region’s geological and climatic settings.
The soda lakes may be toxic to most life, but they are the home of the pink-feathered flamingo. The odd-looking bird teeters about the harmful waters on its impossibly thin legs, feeding on the brine shrimp that flourish in the water. They also feed on caustic lake’s blue-green algae, giving the bird’s plumage an exquisite pink coloration.
