African lake turns red from high levels of salt

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Like the world famous Dead Sea, swimmers can now lay back on the water and drift with ease as the salt content helps in floatation.

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"The strawberry colour is produced by salt-loving organism Dunaliella salina. They produce a red pigment that absorbs and uses the energy of sunlight to create more energy, turning the water pink," said Michael Danson, an expert in bacteria from Britain's Bath University.

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"Lakes like Retba and the Dead Sea, which have high salt concentrations, were once thought to be incompatible with life - hence the names. But they are very much alive," he said.