Incredible Pictures Show How An Australian Lake Turns Pink In Summer

Though at first it may look like it has been the scene of an horrific crime or a hilarious high school prank, this pink lake in Australia is actually a natural phenomenon.

Every year the body of water in Westgate Park, Melbourne, turns a pretty shade of pink during the summer months.

But why, I hear you cry? Science, that's why.

It's all to do with salt and A LOT of it. Well, almost, it's not just about salt - it's a salt lake after all, so the clue's in the name - there are also a few other ingredients it needs to change colour.

The first of those ingredients is a whole lot of sunlight. When this is combined with very little rainfall, algae in the lake then forms in the salt's crust at the bottom, creating a reddish pigment as part of its photosynthesis process.

Getty

And voila, we have the charming hue you can see in the photographs.

It's not always been this way however. According to staff at Parks Victoria, the lake first turned pink in December 2012 and January 2013 but has continued to change colour almost every summer since then.

The park does say, however, that humans should stay away and not come in contact with the water, but they have assured people that the algae is not harmful to local wildlife.

This incredible site isn't unique to Westgate park. In the northern parts of Victoria there are a series of salt lakes that turn a wonderful deep pink in the hot weather, including Lakes Crosbie, Becking, Kenyon and Hardy in the Murray Sunset National Park, which are all are popular tourist attractions.

Getty

And in Western Australia there are several pink lakes, such as Lake Hillier near Esperance and Hutt Lagoon in the state's mid-west, which are the most well-known.

Across the other side of the world, Lac Rose - which is Francais for Pink Lake, obvs - near Dimboola, Senegal, boasts a salt content of around 40 percent in some parts, which in turn also leads to it having a red glow.

Unlike the lake in Westgate park, Lac Rose is tinted all year round but it becomes much more visible during the drier season.

Well, I feel like we've all learnt something there - but remember, though it may look pretty, don't go dipping your toes in.

Topics: Science, World News, Interesting, Animals, Australia

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

@SmithersDom