If, like us, your Instagram feed has recently been disrupted
by dreamy images of narrow pastel green lakes filled with crystalline lily pad
features, and you're wondering what wild alchemy is at work here, we've got you
covered.
And if you're wondering where you can get some of that sweet
salt lake selfie action for yourself, we can also help.
Where exactly are these salt lakes?
The majority of the images you're seeing are from the area
known as 'Long Salt Lake.' It's in Abu Dhabi's Al Wathba district, south of the
city. There is some off-roading involved, so an SUV with four-wheel drive is
highly recommended.
It's best to go in the direction of the Fossil Dunes if you know how to get there. When you get past the dunes, follow the pylons across the sand track. The E65 is the nearest E road, but the easiest access is via a spur off the E30 near the stunning AlWathba Wildlife Reserve (currently closed to protect nesting sites). The precise location can be found on Google Maps.
What exactly are these salt lakes?
The formation of the gloriously bizarre salt mushrooms in
what is almost certainly a human-engineered channel remains a bit of a mystery.
There are two 'lakes,' one on each side of the access road.
The banks of these beautiful emerald rivers are hemmed with snow-white salt
crust, giving the entire area a Nordic Fjord vibe.
Water is fed into each of the channels that run a reasonable distance into the desert by pipes. The high salt content of the ground beneath your feet comes as no surprise; the region is dotted with salt flats or'sabkha,' which are the geographical result of a hot climate and coastal location.
The conundrum stems from these massive dense salt pad
stepping stone features discovered some distance down the main channel. It
usually takes a long time for these types of structures to form naturally, due
to erosion and mineral depositing. Far longer, in fact, than would be expected
in a'man-made' lake.
Illuminati has been confirmed. Of course, we make jokes. The
most likely explanation is that the channel's water is simply eroding
pre-existing features beneath the top sand.
A humble request: if you plan to visit, please help preserve the integrity and natural beauty of this site. Don't litter, don't break off chunks of salt for souvenirs, and avoid any influencer activity that could harm the salt structures beneath your feet.
Abu Dhabi's truly otherworldly Fossil Dunes are only a short
distance away from the Al Wathba salt lakes. These gnarled nature-forged dune
ruins, too, necessitate an SUV, but there is a campsite nearby if you want to
take your time gawking in awe. However, and we cannot emphasize this enough,
you must not touch them. The site is in real danger of being irreparably
damaged by irresponsible visitors.
