LAC ABBE : DANS UN AUTRE MONDE

The fascinating thing about Lac Abbé is that it takes us into an otherworldly setting. And we can't help but be overwhelmed by the beauty of this mysterious, lunar landscape. Lac Abbé has something to enchant travelers, lovers of unexpected, unique landscapes, observers of flora and fauna who can't help but admire their remarkable adaptation to this hostile environment, dreamers, contemplatives and the restless. And everyone in between.

The stars of Lac Abbé. The stars are the hundreds of limestone chimneys of all shapes and sizes that stand out against the horizon. It's like arriving on another planet... The tallest are almost 50 metres high. Tormented and jagged, they resemble giant termite mounds, petrified carcasses in the process of decomposing, miniature Bavella needles, immense fossilized and tortured tree trunks. Depending on the time of day you look at them, their color changes: red, ochre, gray, sulfur yellow, brown... Their dark hue contrasts with the light-colored ground. On closer inspection (or rather, from further away), these limestone creatures are not arranged haphazardly. They seem to follow one another on an east-west axis. A handful of these chimneys emit fumaroles that smell of sulfur. The name "chimney" is fully justified. The smell is explained by the fact that the lake is fed by the waters of the Awash River, diverted by the Ethiopian volcano Dama Alé into the marshes. These waters, which have passed slowly through a volcanic zone, deposit calcium carbonate and sulfate in Lake Abbe. The lake is also fed by water flowing through gypsum terrain, sometimes heated by incursions of magma. These waters then flow into the lake, raising its temperature. Finally, the various chemical elements contained in the lake over-saturate its waters to form chimneys, vertical (and hollow) accumulations of calcite. The steam from these hot springs could one day be harnessed, transformed into inexpensive and, a priori, unlimited geothermal electricity. It's a project... that's been on the drawing board for a long time.

The lake, source of life. You'll soon notice the "pastures" and reeds that surround the lake. They are unique to Djibouti, created by hot springs, sometimes bubbling, clearly visible in small basins. Nomadic children from the surrounding area come here to graze their sheep, goats, donkeys and camels. They all arrive in the morning and leave in the evening. The water in the springs is hot, but the animals (and plants) are used to it. For part of the year, the waters of the lake are populated by flamingos, ibises, pelicans and ducks - birds big enough to compete with the mineral beauty of the site and represent the animal world with dignity. The morning flight of the flamingos is a superb spectacle. If you're lucky, you'll see groups of ostriches approaching the lake from time to time. At night, after the herds have left, the wildlife takes over, especially the gazelles. Jackals and hyenas will fill your sleep with their hideous cries. A lake is a watering place, a major meeting and hunting ground. The edges of the lake are sandy, sometimes muddy. The risk of getting stuck calls for vigilance. Despite the presence of grazing land not far away, a sense of desolation takes over when fossilized trunks and clean, smooth camel skeletons appear. We're on the edge of a lake, but the water seems distant, secondary. Tamarisk trees grow on the banks, birds congregate here, as do many insects, all too happy to find a place to breed.

A lake on borrowed time? Lac Abbé is the remnant of a vast lacustrine expanse which, 9,000 years ago, probably covered the entire Gobaad area (hence the fossilized shells sometimes found there). Today, it covers an area of less than 150 ^km2, whereas in 1939 it covered more than 550 ^km2! It is shrinking at a rate of 4 cm per year.

Like the Aral Sea in Central Asia and many other bodies of water around the world, Lake Abbé is in danger. Receding water levels are creating muddy, unstable shores. There are two reasons for the lake's decline. Ethiopia's increasingly dry climate is reducing the volume of water flowing into the lake. At the same time, the Ethiopians' capture or detour of water from the Awash River is having the same effect. As in the case of the Aral Sea, the aim here is to capture water to irrigate cotton crops, which consume a lot of water.

A word of advice before you go. The area around the lake must be visited with caution. You'll need to be accompanied by a guide to avoid the slippery ground and sometimes 80°C mud on certain shores. The guides also know the best vantage points, the best routes to take in the immense site at a glance. You'll need to spend at least one night on site, either in a bivouac or at the As Boley tourist camp. For greater comfort, we recommend The Neem Farm. Lac Abbé is a 1-hour 4x4 drive away. Don't forget your mosquito repellent!