Mysterious plants planet - Pink Lake Hiller. Pink Retba Lake in Senegal (West Africa): Photo, Video Pink Lake Senegal

Senegal, a state in West Africa on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, if not for the lack of infrastructure, could be one of the most popular tourist directions of the world. Here, perhaps, there is everything that a real traveler can like is long sandy beaches, a wonderful climate, colonial cities such as Saint Louis with characteristic colorful boats on the ocean. There are also objects included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, such as the island of Gori - the largest center of the slave trade in Africa. And near the capital of the country, Dakar, in a relaxed atmosphere, there is one of the unique miracles of nature in the world - Lake Retba, thanks to the unusual color, as well as the Pink Lake.

This is the most lake Retba about 20 km from the capital and from the western point of Africa - green cape, and only a narrow strip of dunes is separated from the Atlantic Ocean. Water in it becomes an unusual pink color throughout the dry season in Senegal, which lasts from November to May, and the color varies depending on the angle of the Sun.

The unusual color of the lake, which is reflected in its name, is associated with the presence of cyanobacteria in water, which produce a special pigment. It affects the shade and the presence of minerals on the shores of the lake, mainly chlorine and minerals.

The reservoir occupying the area of \u200b\u200b3 square kilometers is also characterized by a large salinity, it allows people to easily swim along the water, as well as in the case of the dead sea. The salt content in the water liter here is estimated at 380-400 grams!

It is not surprising that the extraction of salt from the Pink Lake became one of the main classes of local residents who spend in it for several hours a day. To protect your skin from the harmful effects of water, they lubricate the body by special local butter "Shi". After removing from the bottom of the sludge, it is washed and sucked, as a result, a variety of characteristic salt mounds can be seen on the shore.

Retba Lake brings a double income to the inhabitants of Senegal - first, it is prey and sale of salt, and secondly, thanks to its pink color, it quickly became a popular attraction, which attracts tourists from all over the world.

An interesting fact is that along the coast of the Pink Lake, one of the main stages of the famous Rally Paris-Dakar, which is held today in Argentina.

When you imagine the lake, then, for sure, in your imagination, images of aquatic surface of a blue or bluish-green color pop up. But, in reality, nature created a much more diverse palette of shades in which water bodies can be painted. Turquoise, emerald, brown, yellow and even red and pink lakes exist on Earth. In which regions of the world are pink and red lakes? Why is their color so unusual? As it turned out, scientists have long been a response to these questions.

There are a considerable amount of water bodies in the world with a striking pink or red. Moreover, this phenomenon is not associated with any unusual chemical composition of water or its industrial pollution. The phenomenon of pink lakes is due to natural reactions occurring in salted water with certain bacteria and algae under the influence of intensive sunlight. Pink-orange color You will never meet in a freshwater - only salted lakes And the coastal waters of some seas are able to change their natural azure painting on an unearthly lilac or reddish tint.

What causes the transformation of the natural color of water into a pink, coral or scarlet tone? The extremely high concentration of salt in water (more than 20%) creates ideal conditions for the existence of three types of microorganisms, called halobila - literally, salt lovers, which survive only in the ecosystem of the salted lake, hanging his water with shades of red:

• Algae Dunaliella Salina.
• Bacteria Salinobacter Ruber.
• The simplest Archaea (Archaea)

The algae and microorganisms of these species can develop in the most extreme conditions - a significant content of alkalis and even ammonia, critical temperatures - an excellent environment for their growth. Great salt content and exposure to active sunlight provoke micro-algae Dunaliella produce protective connections - carotenoids or beta carotene, having red and coral color. This pigment blocks solar radiation and allows microorganisms to survive. The bright pink or red-orange color of water containing Dunaliella can be intensified by the parallel presence of the simplest Archaea and Salinobacter Ruber bacteria.

Few animals chose salted lakes as an area of \u200b\u200btheir existence. But those who live on their shores have the same unusual appearance as the surreal lakes themselves. The main inhabitants of these reservoirs - pink flamingo, the color of the plumage of which is formed only because they are powered by caroteno-containing algae and plankton of red shrimp - Artemia. Flamingo Jems, Andean, Chilean Flamingo and other types of these birds build on the shallow water of salty lakes Clay slides in the form of a truncated cone with a height of about 50 cm, serving them with nests.

Lake Hiller (Hillier)

Pink lake Hiller, located in the coastal strip in the southwestern part of Australia, on the middle island of Racherch Archipelago (Recherche Archipelago), is considered somewhat mysterious due to the fact that it does not find microorganisms that lead to the formation of a pink water shade. Therefore, the constant color of the reservoir - strawberries whipped with cream is an unsolved mystery of nature. Although the lake is small - its length is 600 meters, and the width is 250 meters, it is considered the most beautiful of the pink lakes in Australia and around the world. Near a kilometer of sand dunes with separates lake Hiller From the Indian Ocean, but the reefs surrounding the island leave only one way to reach the lake - air.

Lake Hutt Laguna (Hutt Lagoon)

In the arid season, the Hutt lake is completely covered with a pink salt crust, and in the monsoon period, not only rain, but also sea water is replenished, as it is completely close to the coastline and below the ocean level. The length of the lagoon is 14 km, width - 2 km, and 250 hectares of the reservoir area occupies the world's largest waterproof processing plant for Dunaliella Salina for the production of food additives, dyes, other food components and cosmetics.

Pink Lake (Pink Lake)

Pink Lake is located in the Goldfields-Esperance (Goldfields-Esperance) in the West of Australia and covers an area of \u200b\u200b4 by 2 kilometers. The pink color of the lake is not permanent, but appears during the flowering period of green algae Danaliella Salina during drought and, partly, due to the presence of Halobacteria Cutirubrum bacteria. Due to the existence of an extensive population of pink flamingos in the Pink Lake area, the water was recognized as the key ornithological territory of the world.

QUAIRADING PINK LAKE)

Absolutely round in shape, the salty lake Quairading is known that a bulk road is supplied, which divides the reservoir into two parts. One half of the lake has a natural color, the other is dark burgundy, the saturation of the color of which varies depending on the season.

Lake Macleod (Macleod)

The north of the small coastal city of Karnarvon, in the West of Australia, there is another five famous pink lakes on the green mainland - the MacLeeod. The area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir is 1500 km2, the maximum depth of 1.5 meters. About 400 km2 in the northwestern part of the lake - the habitat of many birds recognized by the ornithological and natural reserve known to his own. The southern tip of the MacLeod is intensively operated for the extraction of salt and gypsum.

Lake Air (Eyre)

The most famous lake in Australia - drying salted lake Air. It can not be unambiguously attributed to pink lakes, but carotenoidsPresent in Water Ayr, lead to the regular appearance of purple color on its surface. The length of the lake is 144 km with a width of 77 km.

Fields of saline lakes

If you look at Retba Lake (Retba) or Lac Rose (Lac Rose) - "Pink Lake", in the African city of Senegal from above, then you might think that this is some kind of milky-strawberry cocktail, which I want to taste But in fact it is a salt lake that is not a sweet cocktail.

A question may arise - how can the lake have such a color?. And all because in the water in large quantities there is a single-cell microscopic algae - Dunaliella (Dunaliella Salina), which gives the lake Rosch color. In addition to this bacterium, there is no live life in the reservoir, everything is because very saturated with salt, and no microorganisms survive in it. Even a person for a long time is dangerous for a long time, since the concentrated salt solution can erod the skin. The salt content is about 380 grams per liter, which is one and a half times higher than in the Dead Sea! The man in such a lake does not understand exactly.

Once the lake had an exit to the ocean, but over time the passage was covered with sand, so, without having access to the ocean, it began to dry out since the 70s, and it became so salty that it became impossible to drink it and therefore residents who lived near him, moved to other places. But at the moment, people still live near him, these people from the tribe - Volof, who here there are about 3,000 people and who are working in this place, they get salt from Lake Salt and sell it. From those affordable, girlfriend, they created their homes - huts in which they spend the night. Although their earnings are not very big - about $ 9 per day, but for the African Republic is quite good income. Salt mining from this lake is not easy, it is necessary to have a whole day in salt water, which can surround the skin, but to protect themselves, they are rubbed with oil obtained from the fruit of a coarse tree, which for a while protects their skin for a while.

Salt mining from the bottom of Lake Retba (Lac-dew) has been taking place for several years since 1970, and every year it becomes deeper that it complicates it to prey with employees. Every year more than 25,000 tons of salt are produced here. The production process itself is, at first, salt at the bottom is baptized and then blindly assembled in the basket, then the collected salt is loaded into boats, which, due to the large concentration of salt in water, can withstand a lot of weight, and it is up to up to 500 kilograms, and the employee does not need to swim To the shore to unload. Then, this salt of women, often young, is collected again in the basins, washed and clean it, and then carry them to their heaps of the assembled salt. Each family has its own, where she is already driving, until they buy the dealers.

It would seem that how else can the mainland surprise in which almost everything is so unusually? But Lake Hiller with bright pink water is an unsolved miracle of the amazing Australian nature.

It is located in the Solhersch archipelago, on his MIDDL (medium), at the southern coast of Australia. Lake Hiller Salted and shallow water, and the water in it has a juicy dense when you fly on the plane low enough, it opens a stunning look, a worthy brush of the artist-surrealist: in the midst of the island is a bright pink oval with smooth edges framed by a white "frame" sea salt and Dark green eucalyptus forest. The pink church of Lake Hiller is often compared with a giant bubble-gumm or shiny icing for a cake.

History of the miracle

The Pink Lake in Australia was mentioned for the first time in 1802 in the notes Matthew Flinders. This famous British hydrograph and navigator did a stop on Middle Island during his journey to Sydney.

Then the stories of the kitoboi and hunters who lived at the southern coast of the mainland in the 1930th century were conducted about this lake.

At the beginning of the last century, they decided to extradite salt here, but after six years the activity stopped. And in the 50s there were first scientific research of amazing color.

Now Lake Hiller, Australia, attend numerous tourists who want to personally make sure that it is really such a pink as in the photos.

Interesting fact

Water looks bright pink in any quantity, even in a small vessel, regardless of the angle of view.

Imagine like a sunset when the orange sun slowly falls into clean pink water on the gentle-pink Australian sky.

A little information

The sizes of the reservoir are very small - about 600 meters in length and 200 meters wide. From the ocean, an amazing pink water separates the sand strip covered with a dense eucalyptus forest. A white salt of sea salt appeared around the lake in a natural way, which gives additional contrast. Close to the lake is quite difficult due to the dense ring that surround the lake. But, nevertheless, you can walk on foot and even swim in salt pink water!

Why is it pink?

Scientists have believed that Lake Hiller with her juicy pink color is obliged to special Dunaliella Salina, which in very salted water allocate bright red pigment. Similar algae were found in other pink world lakes.

Samples of Lake Hillaler carefully studied, but the traces of the aligned algae did not find it. Studies conducted different scientists at different times, therefore, in the reliability of the result, it is possible not to doubt. The color of water so far remained a mystery.

Australia loves to hit the imagination with such things, so Pink Lake Hiller took its decent place among the living wonders of the local nature, along with the bright red shark harbor, the deserts of pointed rocks Te Pinnakls in National Park Nambung, Striped Mountains Bangle Bangle, Kangaroo Island, Desert Simpsons and a big barrier reef.

Amazing retba Lake (Retba)which is translated as " Pink lake", Located in the African city of Senegal. Looking at him you might think that you are located in front of you the huge sea of \u200b\u200ba strawberry cocktail, which I immediately want to be destroyed. However, this kind of deceptive: in front of you is a salt lake, and not a delicious dessert.
For many years, ordinary people wondered why the lake has such an unusual, gentle pink color. And only in our time, scientists were able to shed light on the situation. The whole thing in unicellular microscopic algae - Dunaliella (Dunaliella Salina). It is in large quantities in the lake and gives it an original pink color.

Uniquely and the fact that in the lake Retba, except for this bacterium, there is not a single living soul - neither plants nor animals. The reason is that the reservoir is so saturated with salt, that no microorganisms there simply survive. Even people in such water can no longer be: a concentrated salt solution is able to easily freeze the skin.

Scientists have found that the local concentration is approximately 380 grams of salt per liter of water. Surprisingly, it's 1.5 times more than in the famous Dead Sea! A man in Lake Retba is definitely not threatened to drown. The history of the lake of the reservoir suggests that once it had an exit to the ocean, but over time, the flow was covered with sand and the lake began to gradually dry.

It happened in about the 70s of the last century. As a result of such a separation from the ocean, the water in the lake has become so salty that he stopped being suitable for drinking. This was the fact that people who lived near Retbs began to move to other places.

But at present, people who follow the lake still live near the lake. In total, about three thousand people are coming here. Nearby Retba Lake, they not only live, but also work. Their work is that they are extracted from a reservoir for sale salt. At the same time, from the primary available materials, they create a hut for themselves near the lake.

They earn not so much - only 9 dollars per working day, however, for the African village, this is quite acceptable income. You can see the photos that the production of salt from the reservoir is a difficult matter. To do this, it is necessary to be a whole day in water, which can easily have a skin to leave and leave ulcers on it. To protect yourself, workers rub the body with oil, squeezed out of the fruit of a hazardous tree: This method allows for some time to protect the skin from salt for a while.

Modern salt mining on Retba Lake is conducted since 1970. At the same time, it is actively chosen from the bottom of the lake, which makes the water all deeper and deeper. This complicates the work of private earfeds. It remains to add that every year from here is exported 25 thousand tons of salt.

The process of salt mining begins with the fact that the salt at the bottom of the reservoir is first breaking, and only then pull out baskets. The collected salt is loaded into the boats and driven ashore. Interestingly, due to the high concentration of salt in water, the boats can withstand the weight of large loads, for example, up to 500 kilograms. This allows the worker to be infrequently swimming to the shore for unloading, which, of course, is convenient and profitable.

The consequence of salt, "submitted" to the ground, women, among which are often found and very young, they are collected again in basins, they can also be cleaned, and then spread to their heaps of treated salt. Each family has its own bunch. Here the salt dries and waits when it will buy a dealer. In recent years, Retba lake began to visit tourists. Although this is not the only pink lake in the world, but it's still worth seeing such beauty. It fascinates with its soft pink color and you can admire for a long time. Also, if desired, you can swim and get acquainted with the culture of local residents.