Amazing, beautiful lakes of natural and man-made origin attract travelers to the farthest corners of our planet. These are lakes of exotic Asia, distant South and North America, prim Europe and our Motherland. The most famous and picturesque will be discussed in this article.
1
Lake Baikal
Country Russia
"The Holy Baikal Sea" is the pearl of Siberia and all of Russia. It is the deepest lake in the world with the purest fresh water. Its surface area is about 32 thousand square kilometers, and the depth reaches up to 1650 meters. The Baikal waters have a unique chemical composition, therefore the ecosystem of the lake is also unusual and unique: more than 50 species of fish, the Baikal seal, and various birds live here. The water in the lake is so clear, and everything that is visible at a glance can be at a depth of 40 meters! Local residents attribute healing and even magical properties to the waters of Lake Baikal.
2
Hiller Lake
Country: Australia
The mysterious lake of Hiller is shrouded in secrets and legends of Australian aborigines. A pond with pink waters surrounded by evergreen eucalyptus trees is a truly amazing landscape. The strangest thing is that scientists still have not figured out why the water acquired such an uncharacteristic hue. Legend has it that blood and milk mixed in the waters of the lake, healing from pain and hunger.
3
Retba Lake
Country: Senegal
Since we are talking about pink lakes, one cannot but mention Lake Retba or Pink Lake - a huge bowl of salty water of soft pink color. But here the reason is obvious - ancient microorganisms (cyanobacteria) stain water in such an unusual color. Besides them, there is no other organic life because of the high salt content (1.5 times more than in the Dead Sea). For the same reason, it is almost impossible to drown here, and salt is mined on an industrial scale. By the way, salt from Retba Lake is highly regarded by European foodies.
4
Lake nakura
Country: Kenya
Lake Nakuru, translated from the local dialect “dusty place”, is located in Kenya in the East African Rift Valley. A large amount of phytoplankton and algae stains the lake waters in a deep blue-green color. Algae is a favorite treat of flamingos, so millions of flocks of beautiful pink birds fly to the lake. The largest ornithological spectacle in the world attracts a large number of tourists. To preserve the virgin beauty of this place, the Government of Kenya has created a national park here.
5
Kelimutu Lakes
Country: Indonesia
Kelimutu crater lakes formed in the crater of the volcano of the same name on the Indonesian island of Flores. Once in several years, the lakes change their color: blue, brown, black, red ... The local population believes that the lakes serve as a resting place for dead souls, and refers to colorful waters with sacred awe. However, scientists attribute these changes to volcanic minerals, which from time to time enter into chemical reactions among themselves. But, despite the prosaic explanation, the spectacle awaits you is simply fantastic.
6
Gipseland Lake
Country: Autsralia
Kroagingolong National Park Australia has Lake Gypseland, a popular tourist destination. The thing is that the waters of the lake glow with a blue neon light. Usually this phenomenon can be observed only in the deep ocean, but here it can be seen with the naked eye. The opportunity to enjoy the natural bioluminescence was presented to us by the Noctiluca Scintillans algae living here.
7
General Carrera Lake
Country: Argentina
General Carrera is one of the largest lakes in South America. The azure waters spilled over almost 2 thousand square kilometers. One half of the lake belongs to the state of Chile, and the second to Argentina. In the first country, the lake is called General Carrera, and the Argentines call it Buenos Aires. The Indians of Patagonia generally called him "Lake of the Storm" for his restless disposition. There is always strong excitement and wind knocking down. Tourists are attracted by the rock Marble Cathedral - the natural pillars of gray-pink marble.
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8
Mirror Lake
Country: Bolivia
The mirror surface of Lake Uyuni is an unusual and beautiful place that has gained worldwide fame. This is the largest salt lake on the planet (almost 10.5 thousand square kilometers) with a completely mirrored and, attention, solid surface. A completely alien picture was created by nature. But in fact it is a dried-up salt lake and one of the largest salt marshes. Although in the rainy season, the pit is a little filled with water. Salt production is conducted on an industrial scale.
9
Red lake
Country: Bolivia
The Red Lagoon of Colorado is located in the south-west of Bolivia, on the border of this country with Chile and Argentina. Its depth is very small - only 30 cm, but its peculiarity is that the waters have acquired a pinkish-red hue. This color was obtained due to salt and mineral deposits and microorganisms inhabiting the lake. Depending on the season and time of day, tourists can watch a real game of colors from greenish-brown to scarlet. The fantastic landscape is complemented by thousands of flamingos standing knee-deep in the water and plunging their beaks there.
10
Crater Lake
Country: USA
Crater Lake Crater is located in Oregon National Park. It was formed in the crater of the Mazama volcano, extinct 7700 years ago. But seismologists still observe some thermal activity at its bottom. In addition to its interesting location, the lake attracts tourists with clear transparent water of bright blue color. For more than 100 years, the log "Lake Old Man" has been floating vertically in the lake. And among the waters rises the volcanic islet "Witch Island".
11
Bande Amir Lakes
Country: Afghanistan
In the heart of the endless deserts of Afghanistan are the lakes of Bande-Amir, whose Afghan name is Imam Ali. It is amazing how ponds arose in such an arid place. Indigo lakes are surrounded by high limestone cliffs. The saturated blue color is due to the carbon dioxide content in the melt water. Lakes and the surrounding area are a national park of the country, and are included in the list of UNESCO heritage sites.
12
Abraham lake
Country: Canada
A real miracle of nature and the Canadian lake Abraham. This is an artificial pond created to collect spring melt water. And the lake is famous for the fact that, freezing in winter, it shows tourists a fancy pattern of frozen bubbles of methane in the thickest ice. Gas is formed by plants growing at the bottom of the lake. Photographers from all over the world fly to Canada to capture this extraordinary and sometimes sinister beauty.
13
Taal Lake
Country: Philippines
An active volcano of the same name rises in the center of Lake Taal. The volcano is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and was last erupted in 1977. Scientists still record the activity of the volcano, and tourists can see how hot fumes escape from its crater. This is a very picturesque but dangerous place. The last eruption claimed the lives of dozens of Filipinos. But locals, despite the danger, settle nearby to grow crops on volcanic fertile soil.
14
Five Flower Lake
Country: China
Jiuzhaigou National Chinese Nature Reserve, located in the southeast of the country, hides a beautiful and exotic Five Flower Lake behind 3 mountains. For local residents, it is sacred: crystal clear water allows you to clearly see the bottom, where the frozen trunks of ancient trees that once fell there lie. The color of the water resembles peacock feathers: due to the content of minerals, shades can change from light yellow to jade throughout the lake surface. This place is home to amazing plants, rare animals and birds. Here you can meet giant pandas, tapirs and golden snub-nosed monkeys, which are on the verge of extinction. Five Flower Lake is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
15
Berriessa Lake
Country: USA
In California, there is Lake Berriessa. In fact, this is a huge reservoir with an area of about 84 square kilometers and a depth of 84 meters. It is famous for the fact that a giant funnel for draining the waters, which received the loud name Gloria's Hole, was made in the lake by human hands. It is better to look at this man-made wonder of nature in the rainy season, then the work of this design can be seen in all its glory.
16
Lake rezia
Country: Italy
The artificially created Lake Rezia attracts tourists to the north of Italy with its beauty. Previously, there were several villages on the site of the reservoir, but in 1950 they began to build a dam, and instead the largest lake in the region spilled. About the distant days when people lived, worked and prayed on the current lake day, only the bell tower visible from the water recalls. Legends say that sometimes from the lake you hear the sound of long-shot bells ...
17
Boiling lake
Country: Commonwealth of Dominican Republic
In a small island state, the Commonwealth of Dominica (not to be confused with the neighboring Dominican Republic) is a real miracle of nature - boiling Lake Boiling. Water temperature reaches 90 degrees higher, about to boil! Swimming here is life-threatening, as jets of hot air and lava strike under water. Although the water temperature can drop to 10 degrees Celsius, it can boil in a matter of minutes.
18
Plitvice Lakes
Country: Croatia
One of the most visited natural European attractions is the Plitvice Islands. To enjoy the picturesque scenery, you need to get to the central part of Croatia. Plitvice Islands National Park - it's clean air, riot of greenery and clear lake water with flickering silver trout. To preserve the purity and beauty of this place, it is forbidden to swim, fish and burn bonfires here.
19
Pukaki Lake
Country: New Zealand
Unusual lake Pkukaki with sky blue water is one of the main tourist routes in New Zealand. The lake of glacial origin is located high in the mountains and is filled with melt water, so it is so clean and transparent. Scientists believe that the lake is at least 16 thousand years old, but its pristine beauty has survived to this day. The water temperature does not rise above 7 degrees Celsius, so you can’t swim here.
20
Color lake
Country: USA
We put this thermal hot water in the article as a bonus. It is not considered a full-fledged lake, but with its beauty and uniqueness, it deserves to be on this list. Yellowstone National Park is famous for its thermal springs and rich nature.
The lake received a unique color due to various microorganisms that “painted” it in various colors. There are cyanobacteria, and the simplest unicellular organisms, and fungi, mosses and algae. Each species of organisms contributes to the color diversity of the source. Depending on the weather, temperature and other factors, the color in the reservoir may change.
An interesting fact is that not so long ago this source looked completely different. It was sapphire color and was called "Morning Shine". But the habit of many tourists toss a coin into the lake has led to the fact that the underground channel through which the geothermal spring makes its way to the surface is partially clogged with coins. Hot water now hardly reaches the surface and the temperature of the lake dropped from 100 degrees Celsius to 75 degrees. This temperature has become comfortable for many microorganisms that now inhabit this place.
If you find yourself in these places, the lake can give you wonderful unforgettable emotions.
And finally
It’s hard to imagine how many more beautiful mind-blowing lakes in the world that weren’t on our list. We urge you to go on explorations of the world as soon as possible, and perhaps you will have something to supplement our article with. Thanks for your attention!