This Hot Pink Lake in Australia Is a Mystery

Lake Hillier

By Diamond Bridges, The Active Times

You might remember learning in school that the oceans and other bodies of water are blue because when light reflects on the surface, the water absorbs the red color of the light spectrum and leaves behind the blue color that we see. But an amazing lake in Australia defies all grade-school logic.

On Middle Island in Western Australia, you will find one of the country's most-visited tourist attractions, Lake Hillier. People flock here by boat or helicopter ride to see its unnatural bubblegum-pink color, which starkly contrasts the deep blue waters of the Indian Ocean beside it.

But where does this lake's special color come from? Scientists from the Extreme Microbiome Project tested the water to try and discover the source of the pink color. While a clear explanation hasn’t been discovered yet, there is speculation that the color comes from a certain salt-loving algae species called Dunaliella salina that can be found in other rainbow waters, including Pink Lake in the Goldfields-Esperance region of West Australia.

Unlike other fading pink lakes that can be found in Australia, Lake Hillier maintains its pink shade all year round. This lake may be strange, but its jaw-dropping natural beauty is worth seeing.

Across Australia, there are more beautiful natural wonders that will make your trip worthwhile, but Down Under isn't the only place you can see strange natural wonders around the world.