Best Saline

Lake Turkana is a large, mostly saline lake in the East African Rift, located chiefly in northern Kenya with its northern end extending into Ethiopia. It is known as the world's largest permanent desert lake and is fed principally by the Omo River. The surrounding basin is part of a UNESCO World Her...

The Seaside Dragonlet is a dragonfly in the family Libellulidae, recognized as the only North American dragonfly species that breeds in saline coastal habitats. It is found in salt marshes and mangrove swamps along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. The species is relatively small an...

Lake Issyk-Kul is a large endorheic alpine lake located in the northern Tian Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan. It sits at an altitude of 1,607 meters and is the tenth-largest lake in the world by volume. Despite its high altitude and salinity, the lake never freezes over, which is reflected in its name,...

The Coorong Wetlands form an extensive, shallow coastal lagoon system located in South Australia at the mouth of the Murray River. Characterized by a mix of fresh, brackish, and hypersaline water, the environment is separated from the Southern Ocean by the Younghusband Peninsula. The wetlands were d...

Lake Namtso is a high-altitude saltwater lake located on the Tibetan Plateau in China. It is one of the largest lakes in the country, covering an area of approximately 1,920 square kilometers at an elevation of 4,718 meters. As the largest saltwater lake in Tibet, it is considered a sacred site in T...

Pangong Lake is a high-altitude endorheic lake spanning the border between India and China in the Himalayas. It sits at an elevation of approximately 4,350 meters and extends for 134 kilometers, with roughly 60% of its length situated in Chinese-controlled territory. Despite being a saltwater lake,...

Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline lake located in Mono County, California, formed within a closed basin. It is known for its unique limestone rock formations called tufa towers, which are exposed due to water level drops caused by water diversion to Los Angeles. The lake contains no fish but supp...

For the purist seeking pure minerality, Chablis is unmatched. The Premier Cru selections showcase Chardonnay stripped down to its purest, most saline expression. These wines are bone-dry, intensely acidic, and carry notes of flint, gunmetal, and lemon curd. They are a masterclass in terroir expressi...

Ounianga Serir is the southeastern group within the Lakes of Ounianga, a system of permanent lakes in the hyper-arid Ennedi region of northeastern Chad. Its lakes are generally smaller than those around Ounianga Kebir and are separated by dunes and areas of vegetation. The wider lake system was insc...

American Brine Shrimp, specifically *Artemia franciscana*, are small crustaceans found primarily in saline environments like the Great Salt Lake. They are notable as a vital live food source for aquarium fish and invertebrates globally. These shrimp are commonly harvested from these lakes to meet th...

Lake Qinghai is the largest lake in China, situated in a high-altitude endorheic basin on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The lake is saline and alkaline, covering a surface area that fluctuates around 4,400 square kilometers at an elevation of roughly 3,196 meters. It serves as a crucial ecologic...

Lake Nakuru is a shallow, alkaline lake situated in the East African Rift Valley of Kenya, enclosed entirely within Lake Nakuru National Park. The lake is fed by rivers such as the Njoro and experiences fluctuating water levels depending on regional rainfall. It is internationally recognized for hos...

Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far eastern part of the country. It is a highly alkaline soda lake covering an area of approximately 3,755 square kilometers, making it one of the largest endorheic lakes in the world. The lake's waters are rich in sodium carbonate and other sal...

Lake Manyara is a shallow, alkaline lake located in the East African Rift Valley of northern Tanzania. It forms the centerpiece of Lake Manyara National Park, a protected area encompassing diverse ecosystems ranging from dense groundwater forests to acacia woodlands and swampy wetlands. The area sus...

Artemia monica is a species of brine shrimp found exclusively in Mono Lake, California. This aquatic crustacean thrives in the highly alkaline and saline waters of the lake, where it feeds primarily on microscopic green algae. The species reproduces prolifically during the warmer months, generating...

Lake Elementaita is a shallow, alkaline saline lake situated in Kenya's eastern Rift Valley, located between Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru. The lake is surrounded by hot springs and forms a critical habitat for numerous bird species, serving as a significant feeding ground for both lesser flamingos...

Lake Tengiz is a shallow endorheic saline lake in the Akmola Region of central Kazakhstan, covering approximately 1,590 sq km with a maximum depth of about 8 m. The lake is designated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and forms the core of the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve, part of the Sar...

Bisson offers a highly focused and mineral-driven style. These wines are often described as having a beautiful, almost saline lift that cuts through the richness of the palate. They are less overtly powerful than some rivals, instead opting for an intellectual, crystalline expression of the site. Id...

Lake Mar Chiquita is an endorheic, saline lake located in the northeast of Córdoba Province, Argentina. It is the largest salt lake in South America, receiving its primary inflow from the Río Dulce. The lake's water levels and surface area have historically experienced significant fluctuations, expa...

Des Carrards presents a wonderfully taut and mineral-driven Chardonnay. These wines emphasize the cool, stony aspects of the terroir, resulting in vibrant acidity and a refreshing, saline finish. They are perfect for those who prefer their Chardonnay to speak more of the soil and the crispness of th...

Lake Chilwa is a shallow, endorheic lake located primarily in southern Malawi, with its basin extending into neighboring Mozambique. It is the second-largest lake in Malawi by surface area and varies dramatically in size and salinity due to seasonal rainfall patterns and periodic drying cycles. The...

Lake Eyasi is a shallow, seasonal salt lake situated at the foot of the Eyasi Escarpment in the northern region of Tanzania. It is part of the East African Rift Valley system and is located near the historically significant Olduvai Gorge hominin fossil sites. The lake's size fluctuates dramatically...

Lake Ebinur is a shallow saline lake located in the autonomous region of Xinjiang in northwestern China. It is recognized as the largest saltwater lake in the region and is designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. Over recent decades, the lake has significantly shrunk in size due...

Lake Abijata is a shallow, alkaline lake in Ethiopia's central Rift Valley, forming part of the Abijata-Shala Lakes National Park established in 1974. The lake typically has a depth of 14 meters and covers approximately 205 km², providing crucial feeding grounds for large populations of lesser and g...

Lake Rukwa is an endorheic salt lake in southwestern Tanzania whose water level fluctuates dramatically, periodically shrinking or expanding significantly over decades.

A large tidal bay in northwestern Venezuela regarded as South America's largest lake, Lake Maracaibo sits atop one of the continent's most productive petroleum reserves.

The Seaside Dragonlet (*Erythrodiplax berenice*) is a North American dragonfly described by Dru Drury in 1773, uniquely notable as the only dragonfly on the continent breeding in saltwater.

A shallow, saline lake in southern California's Salton Sink, accidentally created in 1905 when an irrigation canal breach flooded the basin for nearly two years.

The Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest lake straddling Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, has shrunk by over 90% since the 1960s due to Soviet-era irrigation diversions of its feeder rivers.