Ounianga

In the heart of the Sahara, the lakes of Ounianga make a startling sight among sandstone cliffs and dunes. They are remnants of a much larger lake that filled the basin when the desert was wetter. Groundwater sustains the separate pools despite the scant rainfall: some are fresh enough to support fish, while others are intensely saline. At Ounianga Serir, floating reeds shelter much of the water from evaporation, and dunes divide one lake from the next.