Weirdest Natural Places: Lake Hillier
Lake Hillier is located on an island in Australia’s Recherche Archipelago. It’s pretty big, but not incredibly so. It’s not very deep. It’s not a strange shape, nor does it have any rare, incredible creature living in it. It would be a perfectly average lake if not for one peculiar characteristic. It’s pink.
That’s not because someone spilled something in there. Pink is its natural color. However, we can’t say for sure why. Most theories point to its high salt content and the various bacteria or micro-algae that live in the lake and create a dye that gives it its distinct coloration. Whatever it is, it appears to be harmless to humans. You can feel free to jump in for a dip.
In fact, Lake Hillier is not the only one. There is also the creatively named Pink Lake, likewise in Australia, as well as Lake Retba in Senegal (which also means “Pink Lake”). But unlike those two, the mysterious Lake Hillier retains its pink color year-round, no matter the temperature or environmental conditions.
Next up: You’d count yourself lucky if you saw one a tenth the size of these…