11 Weird Lakes of the World (PHOTOS)
Published:
Jan 4 2016 12:00 AM EST
weather.com
Despite being covered by water, only a tiny fraction -- 0.008 percent -- of Earth's freshwater is contained in rivers and lakes. Yet there is astonishing variety among the lakes the of the world. From pink lakes in Australia and Kenya, to lakes filled with harmless jellyfish, lakes provide strange environments for different species of animals and plants. The lakes listed here are some of the most spectacular and unusual that the world has to offer.
1. Lake Baikal - Russia
Being the world's deepest lake doesn't keep this huge body of water from freezing in the winter. Located in Siberia, Russia, Lake Baikal is 25 million years old and contains 20 percent of the world's unfrozen freshwater, says UNESCO. The lake is also home to the only freshwater seals in the world, and hundreds of other species. Because of its remote location, Baikal is rarely visited by tourists, but it has a huge impact on the local people, influencing their diet and trade, since the ice is so thick through the winter that it can be driven across, says LakeBaikal.org. Lake Baikal is also among the world's clearest lakes. According to the Lake Baikal Homepage, the ice on the lake is strong, but daily temperature fluctuations create intricate patterns of cracks and permanent gaping grevaces across the ice. Some of these crevaces can be several yards wide.
Photographer Alexey Trofimov descibed the frozen lake as having "magical properties" when he photographed it on a March morning at sunrise, when the frozen lake was so clear that he could see right through it to the dark blue water underneath. "When I saw these cracks, I absolutely fell in love with them and will never forget them. Cracks such as these don't seem real and seeing it was like seeing something supernatural," he said.
2. Gruner See - Austria
The worlds of diving and hiking collide at this underwater forest in Austria. Gruner See (which translates to "Green Lake") in Tragoess, Austria, rests at the edge of the Hochschwab mountains. When the mountain snow is frozen in the winter, the area is used mainly by hikers since it's almost entirely dry. But in the spring and summer, when the melting snow and ice trickle down the mountain, the water rises as much as 10 meters (30 feet) according to the Daily Mail. The yearly rise in water levels gives divers the chance to see surreal underwater scenery, such as park benches, the roots of trees, and grassy paths. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) recommends visiting Gruner See as a way to complete the Altitude Diver specialty, which is when a dive occurs at 1,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level.
3. Spotted Lake - Canada
Visit the Spotted Lake, located near Osoyoos in British Columbia, Canada, during fall and it will look like any small body of water. But in the summer, the lake transforms into a psychedelic, polka-dotted pool, known to have healing powers. Its "spotty" appearance is caused by the large concentration of minerals in the lake, according to MSN. During the summer, most of the water evaporates and the mineral deposits at the bottom of the lake become visible.
Due to their different concentrations of magnesium sulfate, and calcium/sodium phosphates, the mineral deposits, about 25 feet on average, get a distinct yellow, orange, green, or blue color, according to StrangeSounds.org. The site is owned by the First Nations and not open to the public, however it is easily seen from a highway that runs past the lake.
4. Jellyfish Lake - Palau
Although jellyfish are commonly known for the painful sting they impart on divers who get too close, Jellyfish Lake on Eil Malk island in Palau is home to a more docile species of jellies. The millions of golden jellyfish that pulse through the waters of the small inland lake have such a mild sting that it's undetectable by humans, according to Fish 'n Fins. The golden jellyfish are also unique in that they follow a daily migration pattern instead of drifting aimlessly. Each morning the jellyfish follow the rising sun, then move back to the saltwater lake's western shore as the sun is setting so they can wait for the next new day. The sunlight is used by the symbiotic algae-like organisms that live in the jellyfishes' tissues, providing the jellies with energy, says National Geographic. Although scuba diving isn't allowed in the lake -- the gas can be harmful to the jellyfish -- there are plenty of tour companies that provide snorkeling gear for travelers who want to get up close and personal with millions of orange-sized jellyfish.
5. Tricolored Lakes - Indonesia
One unique cluster of lakes is found in the craters of Mount Kelimutu on the Indonesian island of Flores. Tiwu Ata Mbupu (Lake of Old People), Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Lake of Evil Spirits) all change colors, from blue to bright green to dark brown or red. Crater lakes normally change colors because of minor eruptions that change the chemical composition of the water, but the three lakes on Flores are more unusual because they all belong to the same crater, yet appear in different colors, according to the Ministry of Tourism in Indonesia. The best time to visit the tricolored lakes is during sunrise, which means waking up as early as 3:30, says Discover Asean.
6. Boiling Lake - Dominica
This lake on Dominica in the Caribbean isn't the best spot for a swim if you want to cool down after a long hike. Boiling Lake is a fumarole, an opening in the planet's crust that releases gas and steam and is so hot it actually boils the water. Located in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, getting to the Boiling Lake requires a three to six hour hike just to get there, according to US News. Only physically fit people should attempt the hike, and the Discover Dominica Authority highly recommends hiring a local guide to navigate the trails.
7. Pitch Lake - Trinidad
The largest of the world's asphalt lakes is about 250 feet deep and is filled with liquid and semisolid asphalt. It's composed of water, gas, mineral material and bitumen, and moves with a slow stirring action, according to UNESCO. The lake was created in the process of subduction, when fault lines opened up and allowed oil deposits to rise and collect in a volcanic crater, reported USA Today. In more modern times, the lake has been mined for asphalt by Lake Asphalt of Trinidad and Tobago. Visitors to Trinidad can come to the strange, hardened lake and walk along the thick spots of its surface.
8. Pink Lakes of the World
From Australia to Kenya, the vivid hues of pink lakes can be eye-catching and disconcerting. Examples of pink lakes can be found around the world, such as Lake Retba in Senegal and Laguna Colorada in Bolivia. According to British newspaper the Daily Mail, salt-loving algae such as Dunaliella Salina produce the red pigment that gives the lakes their bright color.
9. Exploding Lakes - Congo, Rwanda, Cameroon
Although they give no warning before occurring, the limnic eruptions that gave exploding lakes their dangerous eruptions have lethal effects. One example of an exploding lake is Lake Nyos in Cameroon, which released a cloud of carbon dioxide in 1986 that killed nearly 2,000 people living nearby in addition to 3,500 livestock, according to the USGS. Another eruption event at Lake Monoun killed 37 people by asphyxiation. The third of the world's exploding lakes is Lake Kivu in Rwanda, and it has the potential to be lethal, especially since it's much larger than the other two lakes which have already experienced limnic eruptions, reported Fast Company. Now that the problem is known, scientists can monitor the release of gases and even tap into them to prevent an eruption, according to the Guardian.
10. Beppu Hells - Japan
The steamy hot springs of Beppu have earned it a reputation as a top spot for spa-goers. Sometimes called the "Eight Hells of Beppu," a tour through the area can include visits to Chi-no-ik-jigoku, where the water is red from melted clay, and Umi-jigoku, where the hot water is bright blue, says the Japan National Tourism Organization. Tourists looking for a relaxing vacation should try to check out a couple of the different hot springs, such as Kankaiji Hot Spring, which overlooks Beppu Bay.
11. Tonle Sap - Cambodia
This large Asian river has an unusual trait that makes the region around it extremely fertile: during the monsoon season, so much rain pours down that the Mekong River forces the Tonle Sap River to flow backwards and expand the Tonle Sap Lake to five times its normal size, reported NPR. The lake also provides more than half the fish consumed in Cambodia, according to Tourism of Cambodia. Visitors can travel by boat around the lake, or just sample some of the regional specialties and see the boats and villages that rely on Tonle Sap for food and work.
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