These strange formations called tufas (click to enlarge),
are in Mono Lake at the eastern edge,
of The Sierrra Nevada Mountain Range in California.
They are made of calcium carbonate and formed by the interaction of fresh water with the saline/alkaline lake.
Mono Lake is 2-3 times more salty than the ocean.
It is one of the oldest lakes in North America.
Trillions of brine shrimp live in the lake,
supporting 1-2 million migratory birds annually.
On this winter day, the lake was mirror still and silent.
Cheers to you from Mono Lake ~
For more on Tufas see: https://www.monolake.org/learn/aboutmonolake/naturalhistory/tufa/
cindyknoke.com 
What an amazing place! Magical photos!
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Grazie mille Alethea დ
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Absolutely amazing I had no idea!
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Very happy you enjoyed & cheers to you! დ
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What an amazing place. Welcoming shrimp and birds ❤️
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Shrimp & birds work for me!!! Hugs to you Val დ
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I’ve never seen turfas before. I had NO IDEA – but this is one of the things that makes your blog so interesting.
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Awww……You make me happy I posted! Thank you & cheers to you დ
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Fascinating formations, Cindy!
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They are quite unique დ
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Amazing scenery.
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Winter made it especially beautiful and empty! დ
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It’s like another planet. Beautiful photos, Cindy. Thank you for the tour!
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Thank you Amy for joining me. You make the experience richer დ
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I’m singing “on the road again” when I visit you! Brilliant photography, as always, Cindy.
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You are the best travel companion Rebecca დ
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What a gorgeous spot! So still and reflective. Isn’t it wonderful how nature provides what each species needs? Who’d have thought shrimp would live in California?!?
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Agreed, especially in an inland sea დ
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thank you for the memory, a friend visited there MANY years ago.. I was fascinated, thank you for reminding me.. it is someplace I want to see for myself.. xxxoo
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I hope you do go. I would recommend visiting in winter. It is cold, but empty and beautiful დ
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Thanks for the beautiful pictures and interesting info about Mono Lake! I hope its unique and important habitat is being preserved for all those birds!
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You are most welcome Kathy. The lake is actually under serious threat, both the continuing drought and from water diversion დ
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Alien!
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These are super interesting to look at, Cindy. They look like giant version of the drip sand castles my kids used to make on the beach!
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Yes they do and I thought of this too! დ
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Beautiful! And I love all the migratory birds it feeds!! 🙂
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Amazing number of birds isn’t it. Very sadly, the continuing drought and water diversion are endangering the lake and hence the birds who rely on it დ
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You captured Mother Nature beautifully! Such beauty.
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Thank you Jennie. The lake was especially lovely in winter დ
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You always find the beauty.
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Thank you Jennie. It is always there!! დდ
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🙂
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Life goes by Tufas, so I need to slow down and look at these beautiful pictures again. Thanks for keeping it reel, my friend! Lol! (●මᴗමσ)σணღ*❤️
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Laughing…… (●මᴗමσ)σணღ*
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Wow these are such beautiful pictures.
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So happy you think so & thanks much დ
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I love your photography..beautiful images .
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Honored. Thank you very much & cheers to you დ
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How fascinating and beautiful!
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So happy you think so & thank you Patty დ
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Lovely captures.These formations are gorgeous!!
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Aren’t they stunning! Happy you think so too & thank you დ
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Wow amazing reflections!! Beautiful and magical place! Lucky you Cindy!
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So happy you enjoyed & thanks much! დ
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A brilliant photo!
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Merci beaucoup mon Ami Candia დ
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awesome
✨🙏🕉☀🌙⚖🪔🕊♾🈚☯🌍🐲🙋♂️
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დდდ
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I have never seen Tufas, very interesting to see. The snow cap mountains in the background sure caught my attention. Together they make an interesting and beautiful image.
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I had never visited the lake in the winter before. It was still, pristine and beautiful დ
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Stunning views !!
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Grazie mille დ
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‘Mirror still and silent’. That just causes you to mentally hold your breath and just imagine that peaceful beauty. *contented sigh*
Your blog is a bit of travel heaven!
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Awww….. You make me happy I posted! Thank you & cheers to you დ
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Wonderful pictures, Cindy. Thanks for sharing them.
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Thank you more for appreciating them Pit & cheers to you დ
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So interesting. Thanks for the cool pics, Cindy!
Now, all that salty makes me feel like eating sweets…Valentines sweets.
Happy Valentines, Cindy! ❤️
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Happy Valentines Day Resa & stay well my friend დდდ
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დდდ
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The place is beautiful but looks deadly empty. How come shrimps can survive in that salty water. Definitely it is not a Dead Sea 🙂
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It is a really strange lake. No fish can live in the high alkaline and saline environment, but creatures like brine shrimp and alkali flies thrive in this environment. Alkali flies make air bubbles and enter the water in them to lay their eggs. The migrating birds eat the flies, the eggs and the shrimp. Remarkable დ
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Gorgeous photos, Cindy! Very interesting to learn shrimp thrive in the lake.
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Thank you. It is fascinating isn’t it because it is such an intense alkaline and saline dominant environment დ
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These formations are so beautiful and quite interesting. Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful pictures.
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Awww……. You are very welcome Beverly. Take good care my friend დ
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Otherworldly if not biblical.
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Yes. The pillars of salt! Especially wonderful in winter დ
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Stunning photography and beautiful Tufas. I’ve not heard of them before. Thanks for sharing.
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Happy you enjoyed Sandra & thank you very much დ
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Pingback: Tufas~ – can you ?
Thanks so much & cheers to you დ
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Nunca había visto ni escuchado las tobas, fotos muy bellas. Abrazos desde España
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¡Estoy muy feliz de que hayas disfrutado de verlos y gracias por visitarnos! ¡Un abrazo para ti en la hermosa España! დ
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🙂
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Fascinating. I’d never heard of this lake. When I saw the lake at Salt Lake, Utah I don’t think it had any of these. I guess it doesn’t have the fresh water like this one. Thanks! I love learning new things.
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Hi Derrick. This is one of the best things about living longer. We never ever have to stop learning everyday. Stay safe and well in your storm my friend. Mother Nature appears highly irked with us everywhere დ
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Cindy, I’m gobsmacked. I wasn’t familiar with any of this. Thanks for this fascinating post. As always, your photos are gorgeous too. Hugs on the wing!
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Hugs flying back to you talented Teagan დ
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Dear Cindy,
great pictures of a great landscape.
Thanks and all the best
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Thank you. I hope all four of you are drying out after that very rude visit from Eunice! დ
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Wowwwwwwww again!!!
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Thank you very much! Much appreciated დ
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Wonderful!
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Grazie mille დ
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Fabulous photos, Cindy. These fascinating formations look slightly otherworldly. I imagine it gets very hot there in the summer.
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thank you Tanja. It is quite high altitude. It does get warm but not scorching like the lower deserts დ
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That makes sense.
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Stunning
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Merci beaucoup mon Ami Charlotte დ
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Je vous en pris if my rusty French 🙂
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დდდ
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