LAKE RETBA [pink lake]

LAKE RETBA (LAC ROSE) - PINK LAKE, SENEGAL - FULL PAGE

Overview: Lake Retba, known as Lac Rose or Pink Lake, is one of Senegal's most famous natural wonders. It is a salt lake famous for its shocking pink color that looks like strawberry milk.

Location: Country: Senegal, West Africa Region: Cap-Vert Peninsula, Dakar Region Distance: 30km northeast of Dakar city Nearest Village: Niaga Coordinates: 14.8380° N, -17.2341° W Location in country: Northwest Senegal, right on the Atlantic Ocean coast

Why It Is Pink: The pink color is natural. It comes from a micro-algae called Dunaliella salina. This algae produces red pigment to absorb sunlight in very salty water. The algae is harmless. The color is most intense during dry season (November to June) and in the middle of the day when sun is high.

Salinity & Salt Harvesting: It is one of the saltiest lakes in the world - up to 40% salt content, saltier than the Dead Sea. You float easily in it. Locals have harvested salt here for centuries. Men go into the lake and break salt from the bottom. Women pile the salt on shore to dry. The piles of white salt on pink water is the iconic view.

The workers protect their skin with shea butter because the salt burns.

Boats: The boats you see are called Pirogues. They are traditional colorful wooden fishing boats painted in bright Senegalese colors - blue, yellow, orange, green, red. They are used to transport salt and workers.

Landscape: The lake is 3 sq km. Shallow - about 3 meters deep. Surrounded by white sand dunes, dry savanna, acacia trees, and small villages. Separated from the Atlantic Ocean by just a narrow strip of dunes.

History: The lake became famous internationally as the finish line for the Paris-Dakar Rally from 1979 to 2007. Now it is a major tourist attraction.

Best Time to Visit: November to June (dry season) = pinkest color. Visit between 10am - 3pm for best pink.

What Tourists Do: Boat ride on pink water, float in salty water, watch salt harvesting, buy salt souvenirs, quad biking on dunes, visit Fulani villages nearby.

Important Notes: Color changes - sometimes more pink, sometimes more brown depending on season, wind and algae. Not always bubble-gum pink. Salt harvesting is hard labor - please respect workers and ask before taking close photos.

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Copy version in one paragraph: Lake Retba is Senegal's famous pink salt lake 30km from Dakar, its vivid pink color caused by Dunaliella salina algae in super-salty water up to 40% salinity, where locals harvest white salt piles using colorful wooden pirogues along a sandy shore surrounded by dunes and savanna.