Travel

10 AMAZING PINK LAKES TO VISIT NOW!

Pink Lake - Hutt Lagoon near Port Gregory, Western Australia, by Stefan L.

by S L. Pink Lake - Hutt Lagoon near Port Gregory, Western Australia.

If you love pink, you’ll want to add visits to these amazing pink lakes to your pink bucket list! All, naturally pink and spectacular, they almost feel as if they are on another planet.

1. HUTT LAGOON -- AUSTRALIA

Hutt Lagoon, located on the western coast of Australia, is a system of pink salt lakes fed by waters from the Indian Ocean. The salt, sunlight, and blooming reddish algae, create the lake’s light pink color. Surrounding pink sand add the the glory.

Sunset is the best time to see the Lagoon, with the pink sky reflecting off of the pink waters. But it is also spectacular to see the pink water contrasting against a bright blue sky.

2. LAKE SYVASH: THE ROTTEN SEA - CRIMEA, UKRAINE -- SERGEY ANASHKEVYCH

Lake Syvash is actually a system of salt-water lagoons in Crimea, Ukraine. We are treated to a rare look at this pink beauty by a series of amazing photographs, taken by Sergey Anashkevych, on behalf of Caters.

The lake, also known as The Rotten Sea, covers about 2,560 km2 and its waters are exceptionally shallow. The deepest part is about 3 meters, while most areas are between ½ and 1 meter. As with many other pink lakes, its color comes from salt-loving algae -- there’s about 200 million tons of salt in this lake to love.

See more of Anashkevych’s incredible photos here.

3. LAGUNA COLORADA -- BOLIVIA

Laguna Colorada, in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, in Bolivia, is a riot of pinks -- from the lake itself to the rare James’, Chilean, and Andean species of flamingos that wade in it.

The lake’s pinkish-reddish color is caused by red mineral sediments and reddish algae. White borax “islands” dot the lake, lending contrast against the pink.

Enjoy the magnificent wildlife and colorful landscapes of the surrounding Andes Mountain range.

4. LAKE RETBA -- SENEGAL

Lake Retba, in Senegal, gets its pink color from Dunaliella salina algae, which produces pigment to assist in its absorption of light. The algae thrives in the saline water -- with a salt content of around 40%, similar to that of the famed Dead Sea, in Israel. Fish in the lake have adapted to manage the heavy salt content.

Beautiful Pink surrounds the lake as well, with magenta colored samphire bushes and pinkish sand dunes at its edge. The lake’s pink color is particularly visible during the dry season (from November to June) and is less visible during the rainy season (July to October).

5. LAKE NATRON -- TANZANIA

You won’t see a lake like Lake Natron anywhere else on this planet. Check out the color! And the patterns!

This lake, in northern Tanzania, has a unique chemistry, called natron (sodium carbonate decahydrate or hydrated soda ash). It’s level of alkalinity is close to that of ammonia. And the water is hot -- 60 °C (140 °F). No swimming here.

Salt-loving microorganisms (halophiles) proliferate, including some cyanobacteria. They utilize a special pigment for photosynthesis that produces deep red and orange colors.

Read more about this lake in our previous post, Extraordinary Tanzanian Excursions Now.

6. SALINA DE TORREVIEJA -- SPAIN

Salina de Torrevieja, a pink salt lake in Torrevieja, Spain, has a lower salt content than many of the other pink algae-filled lakes.

It is a lovely place to visit, not only for its colorful landscape and wildlife, but also for its pleasant microclimate, thanks to its position between the sea and the salt lake.

Be sure to check out the Museum of Sea and Salt!

7. MASAZIR LAKE -- AZERBAIJAN

The beautiful pink Masazir Lake, near Baku, in Azerbaijan, gets its color from the estimated 1,735 million tons of mineral salt deposits here.

Locals harvest over 1 billion tons of salt each year.

8. LAKE HILLIER -- AUSTRALIA

Lake Hillier, at the edge of Middle Island, in Western Australia, is another pink lake that owes its color to the Dunaliella salina microalgae and red halophilic (salt-loving) bacteria in the salt crusts around the lake.

The lake is around 600 meters long and 250 meters wide. Paperbark and eucalyptus trees surround the lake, as well as plant-covered sand dunes.

The best way to see this lake is from above. It looks just like a globule of pink candy or bubble-gum when seen from the sky!

9. PINK LAKE -- ESPERANCE, AUSTRALIA

The aptly and simply named Pink Lake, located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, gets its rosy hue from beta-carotene-rich Dunaliella salina algae, pink salt-loving bacteria known as Halobacteria cutirubrum, and a high concentration of pink brine prawn.

The lake has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports native and migratory birds. To get the best views, check out Pink Lake lookout!

10. CHAMPAGNE POOL -- NEW ZEALAND

Champagne Pool, in the North Island of New Zealand, often looks like a giant goblet of pink champagne, bubbling with carbon dioxide rising up from its bottom. This terrestrial hot spring was formed about 900 years ago by hydrothermal eruption within the Waiotapu geothermal area.

Metallic sediments cause the lake to appear pink at time, as well as a variety of other colors at other times. These colourful deposits are in sharp contrast to the grey-white silica deposits surrounding the Pool.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

Image: by S L. Pink Lake - Hutt Lagoon near Port Gregory, Western Australia.
Image: by S L. Pink Lake - Pink Lake - Hutt Lagoon near Port Gregory, Western Australia.
Image: by Sergey Anashkevych. Lake Syvash, aka Rotten Sea. Crimea, Ukraine.
Image: by Sergey Anashkevych. Lake Syvash, aka Rotten Sea. Crimea, Ukraine.
Image: by Carlos Adampol Galindo. Flamingos en la Laguna Colorada, Uyuni, Bolivia.
Image: by Mireia Saenz. Le Lac Rose (Sénégal). Cap Vert, Senegal.
Image: Courtesy of Original Travel. Lake Natron. Tanzania.
Image: by Tomas Penalver. Salina De Torrevieja. Torrevieja, Spain.
Image: Courtesy of Joe’s Trippin. Masazir Lake, Azerbaijan.
Image: by Sean Comiskey. MacLeod Lake. Carnarvon, Australia.
Image: Courtesy of Fifty Toes Walkabout. Pink Lake, Port Gregory, Australia.
Image: by Zoe. Champagne Pool. Champagne Pool, New Zealand.
Image: Courtesy of NMA News Direct. Lake Natron, Tanzania.
Image: by Ockert Le Roux. Pink Lake. Lake Hillier, Australia.
Image: by BN App - Download now!
Image: by Daniela Szczepanski. Lake Natron. Tanzania.