About an hour away from the capital city of the country Senegal, in Africa, lies a lake much different than the others. The difference? Its color. Lake Rebta, known as Lac Rose by the locals, is a bright pink color. Strange isn’t it?! Dunaliella salina bacteria gives the lake this vivid color. The bacteria thrives in this lake because of its high salt content. As I have learned, the salt content of this lake compares to that of the Dead Sea in Europe, and at times, exceeds it. Lac Rose is separated from the Atlantic Ocean only by some narrow sand dunes. It’s insane how the dunes create such a different environment in the waters. The lake is mainly used a tourist attraction and for salt production because many organisms have trouble surviving in such a high salt density. The culture around this lake is shaped by the salt trade. The people living around the lake work to produce salt from the lake. I have read that they are very-hands on, and do a lot of manual labor. It is important for them to keep the environment pristine in order for the salt to remain. Compared to the United States, where much of our production of goods is done by machines, these people work together to maintain their living. As a traveler, I think that this destination is absolutely amazing. Its mind blowing how mother nature can create such a sight, and such stunning natural colors. The bacteria is completely harmless to humans, so wouldn’t it be cool to say that you’ve been swimming in a pink lake? Believe it or not, Lac Rose is not the only pink lake in the world. It’s remarkable to learn that that no major towns have developed around the lakes shores. I feel that it is important to protect natural sites like these. Developments can take away from its natural beauty, and eventually damage it’s worth. It’s important to protect this environment. If the bacteria starts to die off, the lake will lose it’s color, and then lose its attraction. This lake is surrounded by beautiful mountains, making me want to visit even more! This destination is definitely on my list of places I want to visit.