Nestled next to the small village of Mitsamioli on the northern tip of Grand Comore, a turquoise saltwater lake sits in a crater just yards from the crystalline ocean. This small lake, known as Lac Salé or Lac Niamawi, likely formed as a result of volcanic activity from the nearby Mount Karthala in the 16th century. But local folklore has another origin story for the so-called “bottomless” lake. The story goes that a holy man or witch came to the village of Niamawi asking for water, but everyone refused them….
