Senegal, which lies on the western side of the African continent, is not much of a tourist destination, but this country has some amazing places that one can visit. Unlike other western African countries, Senegal is very safe and has had a stable government for a long time. Wolof is the local language spoken by most people out here, apart from this French is spoken widely and is the official language of the country.
Dakar is the capital of Senegal and was once very popular for the famous Dakar Rally that used to take place every year. The annual event had motor enthusiasts travel from Paris to Dakar in an intercontinental challenge of endurance and speed. The competition now takes place somewhere else but the legends of the city remain.
Lake Retba in Senegal is the only Pink Lake in Africa
Around 40 kilometres from the capital Dakar is one of the most unique lakes in Africa. Lake Retba or as the locals refer to this place Lac Rose which means “Pink Lake” is indeed pink in color. It has nothing to do with pollution or industrial disaster. This lake is naturally pink in colour. The pink colour is due to Dunaliella Salina algae, which are found in abundance in this lake. These algae thrive in high saline environments as it contains a high concentration of Beta Carotene which helps the algae to protect themselves. These give the lake its pink colour.
A small dune separates this lake from the Atlantic Ocean and is the main reason for the high salinity of the lake. Saltwater from the ocean gathered in the lake and over the centuries was cut off from the ocean and the lake became highly concentrated with salt. There are no direct inlets from the ocean to the lake but the lake gets water from natural sources which helps maintain the steady flow of water. The colour of the lake varies from season to season depending on the volume of fresh water. The pink hue is most prominent during the dry season between November to June and with the onset of monsoon between July to October the lake has a sluggish blue colour.
Local boats
During the dry season, the salinity increases in the water, and the algae starts to release more and more pink pigments. This lake is extremely salty and the water from this lake cannot be consumed. The water is so salty that there are no fish in this lake, the high salt concentration makes it difficult for fish to survive so there are no fishing industries associated with this lake. This lake can be compared to the Dead Sea. Similar to the Dead Sea, no one sinks in this
lake due to the high salinity, so even if you do not know swimming you can easily float around. You don’t even have to swim in this lake as you would simply float.
Lake Retba is more saline than the Dead Sea and is counted as the second highest in terms of salt concentration. But be careful, the extremely salty water along with the scorching sun can make your skin extremely dry.
A local extracting salt from the bottom of the lake
Apart from tourism, the locals scoop out salt from the bottom of the lake and load them on wooden boats and then let them dry on the banks of the lake. After drying, the salt is then sold in the market. Due to the huge fishing industry around the Atlantic coast, there is a constant demand for salt, which is used for drying up the fish for storage.
You can enjoy boating around the lake on the traditional boats or can even take the speedier option with the motor boats. To make it more adventurous, you can hire a quad bike and drive around the lake crossing the dunes.
This place has now been developed into a tourist destination and lots of tourist resorts have developed around the lake for tourists to spend overnight instead of a day trip from the capital Dakar. Newly built four-lane highways will let you reach this tourist place in no time.
Travel Information
A child playing around the salt mounds
A round trip from Dakar to Lake Retba will cost you around 25,000 CFA (CFA franc) which is roughly around 3,200 Indian Rupees.
There are resorts around the lake and if you wish to enjoy the lake overnight, then you can safely stay here.
There are restaurants around the lake, so you can enjoy some fresh seafood caught from the Atlantic Ocean.
If you plan to take a dip in the lake to experience the effect of floating then it’s advisable to check into some hotels nearby or make necessary arrangements for a freshwater shower after the bath to wash away the salt.
French is widely spoken around the country so it’s advisable to note down a few words which will help in negotiating. In tourist places, the locals do understand a few words of English. Use language translator apps on your mobile for easy communication.
Working for more than a decade in the book retail and publishing industry, Subahdip Mukherjee is an IT professional who is into blogging for over 15 years. He is also a globetrotter, heritage lover, and photography enthusiast.
