Less than an hour away from Dakar, the capital city of Senegal,
there is an unusual lake that will surely catch the unsuspecting visitor’s eye
because of its unusual yet vivid pink colour.
Lake Retba (or Lac Rose as it is known by locals) is
separated only by some narrow dunes from the Atlantic Ocean and, as expected
its salt content is very high. Its salinity content compares to that of the
Dead Sea and during the dry season it exceeds it.
Its distinct pink colour is caused by the Dunaliella salina
bacteria, which is attracted by the lake’s salt content. The bacteria produces
a red pigment in order to absorb the sunlight, thus giving the lake its unique
colour. Its colour is especially visible during the dry season (which lasts
from November to June) and less during the rainy season (July-October).
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