Foto © C. Heidler
Given the incredible emotions experienced among the rocky gorges and the spectacular scenery of the Ennedi, most travellers wrongly think that the surprises and the apotheosis of adventure in the Chadian desert end there.
This is immediately rectified when, after crossing a monotonous desert plain for an interminable time, they appear, the Ounianga lakes, a glimpse of brilliant colours with multiple ranges, in the midst of the blinding white of the sand.
If there is anything miraculous about the Sahara, it is these 18 fossil water lakes, of all sizes and colours, in the heart of one of the most desolate and arid regions in the whole desert. From cobalt blue to acid green, from crystalline blue to shades of yellow, white and even pink, the lakes of Ounianga Kebir and Ounianga Serir may seem like a colourful mirage, reinforced by the emerald green of the palm trees that border the pools of water and the blinding white of the salt pans nearby (still active today and on which the survival of the last inhabitants who have adapted to living in extreme conditions depends). It is in fact an area with a high concentration of salt, on the variation of which the colour of the water also depends.
Most of them are consequently salty or extremely salty lakes, due to the copious evaporation of water and the almost total absence of rain, while remaining stable in their depth and size, thanks to the underground water table. Even more miraculous are those few lakes in the complex that retain their fresh water, thanks to the aquatic plants that prevent evaporation and thus preserve a special microclimate that accommodates a flora and fish fauna dating back millions of years.
A true open-air museum/laboratory for experts in biology and geology, but also a true paradise for ordinary mortals who can cool off in its waters, regenerate with an invigorating swim and warm up immediately afterwards in the rays of the sun, among the palm groves that frame this spectacle of nature. Truly idyllic scenery.
