The Calcified Animals of Lake Natron, Tanzania

Photographer Nick Brandt has captured these stunning and morbid images of animals that have been calcified by the extreme local environment of Lake Natron in Tanzania. It’s unknown exactly how or why the animals ended up in the waters of Lake Natron but it would seem that the extreme salt and soda content of the lake causes the creatures to calcify as they dry. For this photo series, Brant picked up the dead animals as he found them and placed them on branches around the lake. Due to the calcification process, the animal’s corpses couldn’t be manipulated so the ones pictured look exactly as Brandt found them.