DVD. Nature Wonders. 10 Minutes.. Mono Lake is the greatest crater lake in the world and although it is one of the oldest lakes in North America, its water is three times as salty as the sea, it is far from dead. Mysteriously and full of bizarre formations, white tuff rocks rise out of the water. Their origin is a remarkable natural wonder. The combination of both lake water and natural springs creates a white limestone sediment of calcium carbonate that is the main constituent of the tuff stones. Both the Bodie Hills, close to the northern part of the lake, and the eastern Anchorite Hills are millions of years old volcanic mountains with enchanting rock formations. Sometimes it seems as though the rock possesses a mysterious inner power. In the summer months, 50,000 seagulls flock around the lake in which small salt crayfish and saltwater flies are food to millions of birds of passage.