MONO LAKE by rocserum

Photography • Story/Sequential • posted on Feb 29, 2008

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Description

Mono Lake and its surrounding watershed encompass a unique region in California. Its close to the east entrance of Yosemite National Park. Trillions of brine shrimp eat and mate beneath the briny waters of Mono Lake as Wilson’s Phalaropes feast on alkali flies in preparation for their non-stop flight to South America. Embracing 14 different ecological zones, over 1000 plant species, and roughly 400 recorded vertebrate species within its watershed, Mono Lake and its surrounding basin encompass one of California’s richest natural areas. If you listen closely, this is what you hear at the edge of Mono Lake on calm summer days as swarms of black alkali flies carpet the shoreline. Walk among them and they move away from you, not at all interested in humans. If you were algae in the lake, it would be a different story. Along the shoreline, at the surface, and even beneath the lake, you can watch alkali flies busily feeding on microscopic algae. Walking around, in the slippery muddy shoreline filled with black flies, it smells very nasty, but the view is surrealistic wonderful! Take care, enjoy nature, its worthed.