Pink Lake Western Australia is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Now oddities in the land down under are nothing new, but this particular one is fascinating, beautiful and a little mysterious. It’s siolated on an island, surrounded by trees, and sticks out like a sore thumb. Want to learn a little more about this wondrous pink lake in Western Australia?
Pink Lake Western Australia is officially known as Lake Hilliers. It lies on Middle Island, which is the largest island off the coast of Esperance, a town in Western Australia. The lake itself if fairly big, stretching for over 600 meters (about one third of a mile).
The first recorded European discovery of the lake goes back to 1802, when explorer Mathew Flinders noticed the lake when he ventured to the top of the islands highest peak. Could you imagine being in his party and stumbling across a water source like this? It would have astounded everyone. Since that time it has remained a wonder, both with tourists and within the scientific community.
What causes Pink Lake Western Australia to be pink?
On first observation of the lake, apart from the obvious beauty of the thing, most people would assume that the water itself isn’t pink. That is, the clay and soil beneath it is colored that way, and the transparency of the water makes it appear to be pink. But it’s not. Another thought would be that perhaps the lake is full of weeds or other plants that produce the magnificent color. But again, it’s not. The water itself is naturally that color, and remains that way. When you take the water from the lake it stays pink.
One of the most amazing things about Pink Lake Western Australia is that no one knows for sure why it is pink. Many scientists have speculated, but as of yet no one has a completely verifiable reason to explain its uniqueness. Some scientists have openly speculated that the pink coloring is caused by low nutrient concentrations and growth of bacteria. Some of the bacteria that could present itself with such a baby pink tone are Dunaliella salina and Halobacterium.
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