The lake is situated east of the small town Cervantes, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) inland from the Indian Ocean, on a Quaternary limestone pavement.

[2] Alongside the stromatolites, a diverse array of benthic microbial communities, such as algal mats, inhabit various layers of the lake.

[4] The lake water is alkaline and nutrient poor but provides an ideal environment for bottom dwelling microbial communities.

The lake contains some small fish, amphipods and a few crustacean species adapted to living in highly saline environments.

An interim recovery plan is currently being written which will provide direction to further protect this extremely valuable community for future generations.