Lake Retba

Ian Stroud Joins Eater as Development Producer | Eater

"A lake in Senegal that was the subject of a short-form Eater video documenting salt-harvesting practices; that video earned a James Beard Foundation Media Award nomination for its coverage." - Eater Staff

Eater Lands Multiple Nominations for 2022 James Beard Media Awards | Eater

"A salt lake in Senegal that ranks among the saltiest bodies of water on Earth; workers wade into its highly saline waters to harvest roughly 60,000 metric tons of salt per year in a physically strenuous process. That work was the subject of an award-nominated short-form visual feature produced by Eater’s video team, a piece that has been viewed by over 11 million people." - Eater Staff

The pink lake, as it is called, is a site for harvesting salt, but is also known as the finish line "for a legendary trans-African endurance race." Tony sat with a driver as they did some offroading then had a meal together.

How 60,000 Metric Tons of Salt are Harvested from Senegal’s Lake Retba | Eater

"Located in Senegal, this intensely saline lake—saltier than the Dead Sea—yields about 60,000 metric tons of salt annually. Its high density causes salt to crystallize on the surface, so harvesters can continuously collect salt and a harvested area will be ready again in roughly 45 days. Workers protect their skin with shea butter against the corrosive, heat-retaining water, which can reach around 100°F in September, then go out in flat-bottomed canoes wearing small, stool-like devices strapped to their sandals to stand on the salt crust, dig, and scoop salt into baskets that are dumped into boats. Onshore carriers move the material to giant mounds—sometimes making up to 200 trips a day—and the salt needs about two months to dry before being sprayed with an iodine-and-water mixture to address global iodine deficiency, then crushed, iodized, bagged, and exported. Locals describe the site as beautiful but physically demanding, and encourage fellow Senegalese to visit and see the labor involved." - Terri Ciccone