What is the name of the world's only pink lake. Two pink lakes that always confuse

When you imagine a lake, then, for sure, images of the water surface of blue or bluish-green color pop up in your imagination. But, in reality, nature has created a much more diverse palette of shades in which reservoirs can be painted. Turquoise, emerald, brown, yellow and even red and pink lakes exist on earth. In which regions of the world are pink and red lakes? Why is their color so unusual? As it turned out, scientists have long known the answer to these questions.

There are a considerable number of bodies of water in the world that have a striking pink or red color. Moreover, this phenomenon is not associated with any unusual chemical composition of water or its industrial pollution. The pink lake phenomenon is caused by natural reactions that occur in salt water with certain bacteria and algae when exposed to intense sunlight. Pink-orange color you will never meet in fresh water - only salt lakes and the coastal waters of some seas are able to change their natural azure color to an unearthly lilac or reddish hue.

What causes the transformation of the natural color of water into pink, coral or scarlet tone? The extremely high concentration of salt in the water (more than 20%) creates ideal conditions for the existence of three types of microorganisms called gallophiles - literally, salt lovers who survive only in the salt lake ecosystem, endowing its water with shades of red:

• Algae Dunaliella salina
• Bacteria Salinobacter ruber
• The simplest archaea (Archaea)

Algae and microorganisms of these species can develop in the most extreme conditions - a significant content of alkalis and even ammonia, critically high temperatures - an excellent environment for their growth. The high salt content and exposure to active sunlight provoke the micro-algae Dunaliella to produce protective compounds - carotenoids or beta-carotene, which has a red-coral color. This pigment blocks solar radiation and allows microorganisms to survive. The bright pink or reddish-orange color of water containing Dunaliella can be enhanced by the parallel presence of Archaea protozoa and Salinobacter ruber bacteria.

Few animals have chosen salt lakes as their habitat. But those who live on their shores have the same unusual appearance as the surreal lakes themselves. The main inhabitants of these reservoirs are pink flamingos, whose plumage color is formed only because they feed on carotene-containing algae and plankton of the red shrimp - brine shrimp. Flamingo James, Andean, Chilean flamingos and other species of these birds build clay hills in the form of a truncated cone about 50 cm high in the shallow water of salt lakes, which serve as their nests.

Lake Hillier

pink lake Hillier, located off the coast of southwestern Australia on the Recherche Archipelago's Middle Island, is considered somewhat mysterious due to the fact that microorganisms that lead to the formation of a pink hue of water are not found in it. Therefore, the constant color of the reservoir - strawberries whipped with cream - is an unsolved mystery of nature. Although the lake is small - its length is 600 meters and its width is 250 meters, it is considered the most beautiful of the pink lakes in Australia and around the world. About a kilometer of sand dunes separating Lake Hillier from the Indian Ocean, but the reefs surrounding the island leave only one way to reach the lake - by air.

Lake Hutt Lagoon (Hutt Lagoon)

During the dry season, Hatt Lake is completely covered with a crust of pink salt, and during the monsoon season, not only rain, but also sea ​​water, as it is very close to the coast and below sea level. The length of the lagoon is 14 km, the width is 2 km, and 250 hectares of the reservoir area is occupied by the world's largest plant for processing Dunaliella salina algae for the production of food additives, dyes, other food components and cosmetics.

Pink Lake

Pink Lake is located in the Goldfields-Esperance region in Western Australia and covers an area of ​​4 by 2 kilometers. The pink color of the lake is not permanent, but appears during the flowering of the green algae Dunaliella Salina during a drought and, in part, due to the presence of the bacteria Halobacteria cutirubrum. Due to the existence of an extensive population of pink flamingos in the range of Pink Lake, the reservoir is recognized as an Important Bird Area of ​​the world.

Lake Quarading (Quairading Pink Lake)

Absolutely round in shape, Quairading salt lake is famous for the fact that it is interrupted by an earthen road that divides the reservoir into two parts. One half of the lake has a natural color, while the other half is dark burgundy, the color saturation of which varies depending on the season.

Lake Macleod

North of the small coastal town of Carnarvon, in western Australia, there is another of the five known pink lakes on the green mainland - McLeod. The area of ​​the reservoir is 1500 km2, the maximum depth is 1.5 meters. About 400 km2 in the northwestern part of the lake is a habitat for many birds, recognized as an ornithological and natural reserve, known for its. The southern tip of MacLeod is heavily exploited for salt and gypsum mining.

Lake Eyre

Australia's most famous lake is a dry, salty lake. Lake Eyre. It cannot be unequivocally attributed to pink lakes, but carotenoids, present in Eyre's water, cause a purple color to appear regularly on its surface. The lake is 144 km long and 77 km wide.

Salt lake fields

In Senegal, near Cape Verde, off the coast of the ocean, a lake with an area of ​​​​3 square kilometers was found. Another pink lake is Retba.

Pink shade, sometimes turns into a reddish color. It doesn't look pink every time. Only during periods of drought and calm. The water gets this color because of the bacteria living in it (Halobacterium). Peak color reaches during the drought period. The bacterium produces a pink pigment, protecting itself from salt water and the action of an aggressive environment. Rose water, when exposed to African light, shimmers with rainbow colors. In combination with the snow-white mountains around the lake, the sight is fantastic.

Why is Lake Retba salty?

The water in it is salty, saltier than in the Dead Sea twice. Retba is the record holder for salt: 380 grams per liter. It is located next to the Atlantic Ocean and has no outflow. Sea water, getting into Retba, made it salty. The work of winds and waves, and the lagoon turned into a lake. It is three meters deep. Sea salt deposits have accumulated at the bottom.

Salt is mined by residents of neighboring poor African countries. To protect the skin from caustic water, they cover with a layer of oil. Salt is mined in the most primitive way.

The workers dive and loosen the salt and lift it onto the boat. Then the salt is unloaded ashore, dried and cleaned (dirt, impurities). Aborigines on the lake do not extract salt. They give this hard work to people from poor countries. They also work with tourists.

How to get to the pink lake?

Pink Lake is located near the capital of the country - the city of Dakar. Only forty kilometers, and you are on the shore. It is located very close to the Atlantic Ocean.

You can get to it:

• if you are a wealthy tourist, rent a car;
• if you are inclined to save money, buy a ticket for a minibus;
• if you stay near the lake for a couple of days, book a hotel in Grand Côte;

What to see:

• The lake itself, during the day, when the lighting changes, the water surface changes;
• to see the optical effects, come here in calm weather;
• salt pyramids;
• the very extraction of salt from the bottom of the lake;
• necklaces and bracelets made by local craftsmen;
• stand on the dunes, where the Paris-Dakar rally has recently taken place;
• visit the turtle reserve, which is located next to Lake Retba.

A pink or red lake is a lake that has a reddish or pink color due to the presence of algae that produce carotenoids (organic pigments). These include algae such as Dunaliella salina, which is a type of halophile green microalgae that lives in particularly salty sea water. Thanks to their pink color, these lakes are becoming more and more popular among tourists and photographers from all over the world.

Lake Hillier (Hillier), Australia

Coordinates: 34°05′45″ S sh. 123°12′10″ E d.

Lake Hillier is a lake located on Middle Island, the largest of all the islands and islets that make up the Recherche Archipelago in Western Australia. The lake is very popular and tourists tend to get there, even passengers of planes flying over the lake take pictures of this miracle of nature.

The peculiarity of the lake is its bright pink color. The color of the water is constant and does not change if water is poured into a container. The length of the lake is about 600 meters. It is separated from the ocean by a narrow strip of land, consisting of sand dunes covered with vegetation.

The lake is surrounded by white salt deposits and dense forests of tea and eucalyptus trees. In the north sand dunes separate the lake from the Southern Ocean. Middle Island and the lake were discovered in 1812.

Hutt Lagoon, Australia

Coordinates: 28° 9"17.29"S sh. 114°14"23.99"E d.

Hutt Lagoon is depicted on the left side, and the Indian Ocean is depicted on the right.

Hutt Lagoon is an elongated salt lake located off the coast north of the mouth of the Hutt River in the midwest of Western Australia. It is located in the dunes adjacent to the coast.

The city of Gregory is located between the ocean and the southern shores of the lake. The road between Northampton (Northampton) and Kalbari (Kalbarri), called George Gray Drive (George Gray Drive), runs along the western edge of the lake.

The lake is 14 kilometers long and 2 kilometers wide.

Hutt Lagoon is a salty pink lake that has a red or pink hue due to the presence of Dunaliella saline in the water. Algae of this species produce carotenoids, which are a source of beta-carotene, food coloring and a source of vitamin A.

This lagoon is home to the world's largest microalgae farm. The total area of ​​small artificial ponds in which Dunaliella saline is bred is 250 hectares.

Lake Quairading, Australia

Coordinates: 31°58"22.37"S sh. 117°30"18.92"E d.

Pink Lake Quarading is located 11 kilometers east of the city of Quairading (Western Australia). The Bruce Rock Highway passes through it.

The local population considers Pink Lake a natural wonder. At some times, one side of the lake turns deep pink while the other side remains pale pink.

Pink Lake Field, Australia

Coordinates: 33°51"1.01"S sh. 123°35"34.06" E d.

This unusual landscape was captured from an airplane in western Australia. This field of pink lakes is located somewhere between the city of Esperance and Caiguna.

There are hundreds of small pink lakes on the field, and each of them has its own unique shade of pink. This is due to the fact that the concentration of algae and salt in each lake is different from all the others.

Pink Lake, Australia

Coordinates: 33°50"43"S 121° 49"40" E

Pink Lake is a salt lake in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It is located about 3 kilometers west of Esperanza and is connected to the east by the South Coast Highway.

The lake is not always pink, but the distinctive color of the water when the lake takes on a pink hue is the result of the green algae Dunaliella brackish, as well as a high concentration of brine shrimp. The lake has been noted as an important bird habitat by the international organization for the protection of birds and the conservation of their habitat.

Lake Masazir, Azerbaijan

Coordinates: 40°30"29"N 49°46"21"E

Masazir Lake is a salt lake in the Karadag region near Baku, Azerbaijan. The total area of ​​the lake is 10 square kilometers. The ionic composition of water contains large amounts of chloride and sulfate.

Workers load salt into horse-drawn carts

In 2010, a plant for the production of 2 foreign ministries of Azeri salt was opened here. The approximate reserve of salt that can be extracted is 1735 million tons. It can be mined both in liquid state (from water) and in solid state.

Laguna Colorada, Bolivia

Coordinates: 22°11′55″ S sh. 67°46′52″ W d.

Laguna Colorado is a mineral lake located in national reserve Eduardo Avaroa in southwestern Bolivia near the border with Chile.

The red-brown color of the water is due to sedimentary rocks, as well as the pigmentation of some algae growing there. Also in the lake you can find islands of borax.

The lagoon area is home to a large number of James's flamingos. Also here you can meet the Andean and Chilean flamingos, but in small quantities.

Lake Torrevieja, Spain

Coordinates: 38° 0"14.32" s. sh. 0°44"10.74"W d.

Aerial view of the Torrevieja Salt Lake from the Mediterranean Sea

Torrevieja Salt Lake and La Mata Salt Lake are salt lakes surrounding Torrevieja, a seaside town in southeastern Spain. The microclimate created by the largest salt lakes in Europe - Torrevieja and La Mata, is declared one of the healthiest in Europe, according to - World Organization healthcare.

The pink color of Lake Torrevieja, caused by the presence of algae and salt, gives it a "science fiction" look. Just like in the Dead Sea in Israel, here you can also just lie on the surface of the water. In addition, it will bring great benefits for the prevention and treatment of diseases of the skin and lungs.

At the other end of the lake, salt is being mined and exported to different countries. Near the lake you can see a huge number of bird species.

Pond in an old mine, Cyprus, Italy

Coordinates: 35° 2"10.01"N 33° 6"57.53"E

Not far from the Cypriot village of Mitsero there is a lake, the water in which is colored blood red. At first glance, it seems that instead of water, it really has blood.

In fact, the lake is not a lake at all, but a depleted iron ore quarry. It is the rich presence of iron that explains the rich red color of the water.

Dusty Rose Lake, Canada

Coordinates: 52°33"38"N 126°20"31"W

This pink lake, located in British Columbia, Canada, is quite unusual, little known, and possibly unique. The water in this lake is not at all salty, and does not contain algae, but it still has a pink color. The photo shows pink water flowing into the lake. The color of the water is due to the unique combination of rocks in the area (stone dust from the glacier).

Raspberry lake, Altai region, Russia

Coordinates: 51°40′31″ s. sh. 79°46′57″ E d.

Raspberry Lake in the Mikhailovsky district stands out with crimson water.

A distinct pink-crimson hue to the water gives a special appearance to small planktonic crustaceans living in the lake.

Especially bright crimson color near the lake in spring, although in other seasons it is noticeable.

Lake Retba, Senegal

Coordinates: 14°50′20″ s. sh. 17°14′04″ W d.

Lake Retba or Pink Lake is located east of the Cape Vert peninsula in Senegal, northeast of Dakar, the capital of Senegal. It got its name because of the color of the water in which Dunaliella salina algae grow.

The color is especially noticeable during the dry season. The lake is also known for its high salt content, which, like the Dead Sea, makes it easy for people to float.

Aerial photography of salt accumulations along the shoreline of Lake Retba

There is a small salt mining business on the lake. Many workers who collect salt work 6-7 hours a day in the lake, which has a salt content of about 40%.

To protect their skin, they rub "Beurre de Karité" (Shea butter, obtained from shea nuts harvested from the shea tree) into it, which softens the skin and prevents tissue damage.

Colored salt ponds in San Francisco, USA

Coordinates: 37°30"23.56"N 122° 1"40.79"W

San Francisco is famous for its colored ponds, flying over which delivers an indelible impression of what you see.

The reason for such beauty is banal - simple salt. These reservoirs are created for the extraction of salt.

The algae growing in them are the cause of these color effects. The palette of colors depends on the height of the salt level, more saturated shades are obtained with an increased salt level.

In addition, weather conditions can also make adjustments to the variety of colors. For example, the wind stirring the algae changes the color scheme, the rain, coupled with the wind, sometimes even lightens the water to its normal state.

Lake Natron, Tanzania

Coordinates: 2°25′ S sh. 36°00′ E d.

Natron is a salt lake located in northern Tanzania, on the border with Kenya.

The lake has a depth of no more than three meters, and changes coastline depending on the season and water level. The water temperature in the wetlands can reach 50 degrees Celsius, and depending on the water level, the alkalinity can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5.

Lake Natron is covered with a crust of salt that periodically turns red and pink. This is the result of the vital activity of microorganisms that live in the lake. The lake is home to millions of flamingos.

Lake Chott El Jerid, Tunisia

Coordinates: 33°42′ s. sh. 8°26′ E d.

Chott el-Jerid is a lake in the central part of Tunisia and a saline depression located in a series of depressions stretching deep into the Sahara from the Gulf of Gabes.

During the winter rains, Chott el-Jerid turns into a salty drainless lake with an area of ​​​​5-7 thousand km². In summer, when there is no precipitation, and the temperature often reaches +50 °C, the lake almost completely dries up, mirages are often observed.

The vegetation is sparse, with a predominance of halophytes; thickets of tamarisk and gorse are found near the waters. Along the edges of the depression there are outlets of artesian waters, around which there are oases, in which the date palm has been cultivated since ancient times.

In the 1970s, an asphalt road was laid through the depression along the crest of the constructed dam.

Lake Koyashskoe, Crimea, Ukraine

Coordinates: 45°2"54"N 36°11"4"E

Koyashskoye Lake changes its color several times a year. This is due to bacteria that become reddish in color during the hot season.

From above, during the dry period, the lake is covered with a thin layer of salt crystals. The silt deposits of the lake are therapeutic mud.

It is impossible to drown in Koyashsky Lake, since its depth does not exceed 1 meter. But you won’t be able to swim there either - the mud is very viscous.

Lake at the Sanetsch pass in Switzerland

The water surface is periodically covered with algae, which give an atypical color to the water.

Blood Pond (Chinoike Jigoku), Japan

Coordinates: 33°19"37.93"N 131°28"40.75"E

Blood Pond (Chinoike Jigoku) is one of the most famous sources of hot water - geysers, which is located on Japanese island Kyushu near the city of Beppu.

It got its name due to the fact that its water contains a large amount of iron oxide.

The color of the pond has a red tint, which is very reminiscent of blood to tourists, and that is why the hot water geyser was nicknamed "bloody". Geysers throw out more than 50,000 cubic meters of water per day, and over the lake you can observe vapor emissions from active volcanoes, which are located on the banks of the bloody pond.

WITH bloody pond many legends are associated, and in Japanese, its name means "Hell". One of these legends says that sinners were boiled in its waters. This is partly true - you can easily cook here, because the water temperature is about 100 degrees.

It would seem, what else can surprise the mainland, in which almost everything is so unusual? But Lake Hillier with bright pink water is an unsolved miracle of stunning Australian nature.

It is located in the Rechersh archipelago, on its Middle (Middle), off the southern coast of Australia. Lake Hillier is salty and shallow, and the water in it has a juicy dense. When you fly low enough on an airplane, you get a stunning view worthy of a surrealist artist’s brush: in the middle of the island lies a bright pink oval with smooth edges, framed by a white “frame” of sea salt and dark green eucalyptus forest. The pink expanse of Lake Hillier is often compared to a giant bubblegum or glittery cake icing.

History of a miracle

Pink Lake in Australia was first mentioned in 1802 in the notes of Matthew Flinders. This famous British hydrographer and navigator made a stop at Middle Island during his voyage to Sydney.

Then whalers and hunters who lived off the southern coast of the mainland in the 30-40s of the 19th century told about this lake.

At the beginning of the last century, they decided to mine salt here, but after six years, the activity was stopped. And in the 50s, they conducted the first scientific research on an amazing color.

Now Lake Hillier, Australia, is visited by numerous tourists who want to see for themselves that it really is as pink as in the photographs.

Interesting fact

Water looks bright pink in any amount, even in a small vessel, regardless of the angle of view.

Imagine sunset as the orange sun slowly sinks into clear pink water in a soft pink Australian sky!

A little information

The dimensions of the reservoir are quite small - about 600 meters long and 200 meters wide. Amazing pink water is separated from the ocean by a sandy strip covered with a dense eucalyptus forest. A white ring of sea salt has naturally formed around the lake, providing additional contrast. Approaching the lake is quite difficult due to the dense ring that surrounds the lake. But, nevertheless, you can walk here and even swim in salty pink water!

Why is it pink?

Scientists believed that Lake Hillier owes its rich pink color to the special Dunaliella salina, which, in very salty water, emit a bright red pigment. Similar algae have been found in other pink lakes x world.

Samples of Lake Hillier were carefully studied, but no traces of the alleged algae were found. The studies were conducted by different scientists and at different times, so there is no doubt about the reliability of the result. The color of the water is still a mystery.

Australia loves to amaze the imagination with such things, so the pink Lake Hillier has taken its rightful place among the living wonders of the local nature, along with the bright red Shark Harbor, the pinnacles desert of The Pinnacles in national park Nambung, the Bungle Bungles, Kangaroo Island, the Simpsons Desert and the Great Barrier Reef.

Senegal, which is located in West Africa, is famous for the extraordinary Pink Lake, its color reminiscent of a strawberry cocktail. Lake Retba is an amazing natural phenomenon, unique in its kind, with a really rich pink color. It is this fact that has made it one of the main attractions of Senegal. What is the secret of this miracle of nature, why does the lake have such a color, and what life stories are associated with it?

In fact, everything is quite simple, the water in Lake Retba is salty to such an extent that it is suitable for the life of only one type of microorganisms, which, in turn, give a color that varies from pale pink to brown. The salt concentration here is many times higher than the value in the Dead Sea. The intensity of the color changes depending on the time of day, namely on the angle of incidence of the sun's rays, as well as on the weather. During drought, the pink color is most pronounced.

Pink Lake is located near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, 30 km from the capital of Senegal - Dakar. The Retba area is 3 square kilometers.

A whole village is spread out on the shore of the lake, and the locals spend the whole day extracting salt from the bottom of the lake and pouring it into boats. This work is very hard, but the pay for it is not bad.

Previously, Lake Retba was not a lake at all, once upon a time it was a lagoon. But year after year, the Atlantic surf brought sand, which later caused the disappearance of the channel connecting the lagoon to the ocean. For many years the lake was unremarkable. But in the 70s, there was a severe drought in Senegal, Retba became shallow, and the extraction of salt, which lay in a large layer at the bottom, became quite a profitable business.

It is at present that people extract salt from the lake, standing up to their shoulders in water, but about 20 years ago there was so little of it that one could walk. Extracting a huge amount of salt from the bottom of the Pink Lake, people very quickly make it deeper. In some places, the bottom level dropped by three or more meters.

Video: AROUND THE WORLD: Retba Pink Lake