Deadly beauty: The most dangerous rivers and lakes on the planet. Most Dangerous Places: A few sinister but beautiful lakes that could kill you if you swim in them
Few things are as fresh and soothing as the clear waters of a lake. Beautiful lakes delight and beckon, and thrill diving in deep, calm water is incomparable to anything else in the world. But how many beautiful, seductive gifts of nature there are in the world, there are just as many lakes that pose a mortal danger. This danger lies in creatures hiding in the depths, in poisonous gases and radiation, and other harmful factors. Sometimes such lakes appear due to the fault of man, but often this is the result of the work of Mother Nature. I present to you a selection of the most dangerous lakes in the world.
boiling lake
The name speaks for itself. Located in Dominica, beautiful caribbean island, this lake is actually the second largest natural hot spring on the ground. The water temperature in the boiling lake reaches 90 degrees Celsius and there are hardly any people who want to check the temperature of the source on their own skin. Just look at the photos and it becomes clear that the water is almost boiling here. The temperature cannot be controlled because it is the result of a crack in the bottom of the lake through which red-hot lava erupts.
Lake Powell
Despite its common name (Horse Shoe), near the town of Mammoth Lakes, Lake Powell is a fearsome killer. The city of Mammoth Lakes was built on top active volcano, and this is not best location. However, for many years the lake was considered safe. But about 20 years ago, the trees around the Horseshoe began to dry up and die abruptly. After ruling out all possible diseases, the scientists decided that the trees were suffocating from excessive levels of carbon dioxide, slowly seeping through the earth from underground chambers of cooling magma. In 2006, three hikers took refuge in a cave near a lake and suffocated from carbon dioxide.
Lake Karachay
Situated in beautiful Ural mountains Russia, this dark blue lake is one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world. During a secret government project, for many years, starting in 1951, the lake was used as a dumping ground for radioactive waste. This place is so toxic that a 5-minute visit can make a person nauseous, and a longer visit of over an hour is guaranteed to be fatal. During a drought in 1961, the wind carried toxic dust that killed 500,000 people - a tragedy comparable to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Definitely one of the most polluted places on Earth.
Lake Kivu
This lake is located on the border between Democratic Republic Congo and Rwanda, with large layers of carbon dioxide at the base of the volcanic rock, as well as 55 billion cubic meters of methane at the bottom. This explosive combination makes Lake Kivu the deadliest of the three exploding lakes in the world. Any earthquake or volcanic activity can pose a lethal threat to the 2 million people living in this region. They can die from both methane explosions and carbon dioxide asphyxiation.
Lake Michigan
Of the five Great Lakes on the border between Canada and the United States, Lake Michigan is the deadliest. The warm, inviting lake is a popular holiday destination for numerous tourists, despite its dangerous undercurrents that claim at least a few lives each year. The shape of Lake Michigan makes it particularly prone to dangerous currents that come on spontaneously and abruptly. The lake becomes more dangerous in autumn, in October and November, when there are sudden and significant changes in water and air temperature. Wave heights can reach several meters.
Mono Lake
One of the most developed ecosystems in the world, Mono Lake is located in the California county of the same name. This ancient salt lake has no fish, but trillions of bacteria and small algae thrive in it. unique waters. Up until 1941 it's amazing beautiful lake was healthy and strong. But Los Angeles intervened, which was just beginning its giant growth spurt. The city drained the tributaries of the lake, which began to dry up. This scandalous destruction of natural resources continued for almost 50 years and when it was stopped in 1990, Mono Lake had already lost half its volume and its salinity had doubled. Mono has become a toxic alkaline lake overflowing with carbonates, chlorides and sulfates. Los Angeles has decided to correct its mistake, but the restoration project will take decades.
Lake Manun
Located in the Oku Volcanic Field in Cameroon, Lake Monoun appears to be a completely normal body of water. But its appearance is deceiving, as it is one of the three explosive lakes on earth. In 1984, Monun exploded without warning, releasing a cloud of carbon dioxide and killing 37 people. Twelve of the dead were riding in a truck and stopped to look at the aftermath of the explosion. Just at that moment, lethal gas did its job.
Lake Nyos
In 1986, Lake Nyos, located just 100 kilometers from Lake Monoun, exploded after a magma eruption and released carbon dioxide, converting the water into carbonic acid. As a result of a powerful landslide, the lake abruptly emitted a giant cloud of carbon dioxide, killing thousands of people and animals in local cities and villages. The tragedy was the first known major asphyxiation caused by natural phenomenon. The lake continues to pose a threat because its natural wall is fragile and even the slightest earthquake can destroy it.
Lake of the Ozarks
Although the Lake of the Ozarks seems serene place for relaxing with cool breezes and chirping birds, in fact, just the opposite is true. Without any water protection, large racing boats and cruisers rush through the area at high speed, posing a deadly threat to smaller boats and bathers. Fatal accidents happen here every year. To make matters worse, colonies of E. coli have been found here, partly due to a local restaurant dumping sewage into the lake. The Lake of the Ozarks is ranked as the third most dangerous waterway in America, after Atlantic Ocean and the Colorado River.
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25.10.14 09:38
Rest on the shore of the lake, when you can fish, swim, enjoy the picturesque scenery or just dangle your feet in the crystal clear water, is so pleasant! But there are freshwater reservoirs, next to which you should not be.
The most dangerous lakes in the world: where you should not swim
Boiling point
Boiling Lake, located in the Dominican Republic, is one of these dangerous lakes. A very "talking" name, isn't it? The water in this natural reservoir really boils and can reach 80 degrees Celsius and even higher - and this is only at the edges (there were no daredevils to measure the temperature in the center of the lake). This is a hot spring (the second largest on the planet). There is a crack in the bottom of the lake through which red-hot lava enters the water. She boils water.
A romantic name - Horseshoe - received a Californian lake, located near the town of Mammoth Lakes. For a long time, no one suspected the threat posed by the reservoir. But two decades ago, it suffered greatly surrounding the lake flora: the grass withered, the trees withered. It turns out that the city was built almost on the very top of an active volcano, and the vegetation is suffocating from excess carbon dioxide oozing from underground chambers. A few years ago, three tourists found shelter in a cave near the lake and died from carbon dioxide poisoning.
Undercurrents and dashing racers
We have all heard about the Great Lakes, scattered across Canada and the United States. Of the five of these reservoirs real danger represents Michigan. And not because its water contains poisons, no, the water here is just very pleasant - in bathing season it attracts thousands of people who want to enjoy it. But bathers are very risky: the local undercurrents are not visible to the eye, but every year they sow death and numerous injuries. Changes in water temperature in October-November increase the strength of currents and their unpredictability.
Missouri has picturesque lake, a place of pilgrimage for wakeboarders. Racers of various sizes swarm the waters of the Ozarks all year round and are a danger to small boats and swimmers. And recently, E. coli was found in the lake - thanks for this you should say to the owners of a local restaurant that discharged its sewage into the Ozarks.
The work of human hands
Russia also has its own “terrible lake”. This is Karachaevo ( Chelyabinsk region). It looks beautiful, but more than half a century ago, radioactive substances were dumped into its waters. This waste is so poisonous that a five-minute stay near the lake is already dangerous, and if you sit on the shore for an hour, then death awaits you. The drought of 1961 turned out to be disastrous for the locals: the wind brought radioactive dust from the lake, and half a million people were exposed to radiation.
Until the early 1940s, Mono Lake (California) was not only beautiful, but also ecologically healthy. But growing at a frantic pace, Los Angeles ruined this island of purity: waste was poured into the lake. And so it went on for half a century. Only in 1990, the environmental services realized it. True, it was already too late: the salt level in Mono had doubled. Now it is filled with chlorides, carbonates, sulfates and other chemical muck.
Explosive reservoirs
Billions of cubic meters of methane lurking at the bottom of Lake Kivu make this natural wonder, located between the Congo and Rwanda, deadly. If an earthquake occurs here or a nearby volcano wakes up, an explosion will follow. But the Kivu Basin is home to almost 2 million people - all of them will be at risk.
In 1984, an unexpected eruption occurred on Lake Manun in Cameroon - an incredibly large cloud of carbon dioxide rose from the bottom. The victims of the killer lake were 37 tourists. 12 of them were just passing by and their truck stalled. They got out of the car and fell dead, suffocated by poisonous gas.
Near Manun there is another "surprise pool" called Nyos. A year before the catastrophe that occurred on Manun, carbon dioxide leaked here too. This was the result of a pocket of magma exploding. Almost two thousand people, local residents, died from poisoning. The catastrophe did not spare either animals or birds. And now Nyos is like a ticking time bomb. The slightest vibration of the ground can lead to a new, even more terrible, tragedy.
There is nothing more pleasant and soothing than watching a lake. You are standing on the shore next to the cool water, admiring new, or maybe long-familiar sensations, plunging into calm water.
There are many beautiful and seductive gifts of nature in the world, but there are lakes where swimming can lead to death. The reasons why you should avoid these places are gases or radiation, sometimes caused by human factors, but mostly created by mother nature.
The name speaks for itself. Located in Dominica, on the beautiful Caribbean island, this lake is the second largest natural hot spring on earth. "Cool" outer edges maintain temperatures between 180 and 197 degrees Fahrenheit. Not a single person has dared to measure the temperature in the center of the lake. Many photographs show boiling water. The fact is that at the bottom of the lake there is a crack through which volcanic gases escape, and sometimes even lava.
Located in the city of Mammoth Lakes (Mono County, California), Horseshoe Lake, as it is often called colloquially, is silent, insidious killer. The city of Mammoth Lakes was built on top of an active volcano, probably not the most the best place for construction. And Horseshoe Lake was considered safe for a long time. But, about 20 years ago, the trees around the lake abruptly began to dry out and die. After eliminating all possible diseases, the scientists decided that the trees were "suffocating" from the excess carbon dioxide that came out of the ground as a result of the cooling of the magma. In 2006, three people decided to spend the night in a cave near the lake and died from a large amount of carbon dioxide.
Nestled in the magnificent Ural Mountains Western Russia, the deep blue lake is one of the deadliest in the world. During a secret government project Russian government used it as a dumping ground for radioactive waste for many decades, starting in 1951. It is so toxic that five minutes will be enough for a person who is near it to receive a dose of radiation capable of killing him. A longer visit of about one hour guarantees a fatal outcome. During a drought in 1961, the wind carried radioactive dust from the bottom dry lake for all nearest settlements. As a result, 500,000 people suffered, a tragedy comparable to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Lake Kivu is located on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. At its bottom, among the volcanic rocks, in addition to layers of carbon dioxide, there are also 55 billion cubic meters of methane produced by bacteria at the bottom of the lake. This deadly combination makes Lake Kivu the deadliest in the world. If an earthquake or volcanic activity shakes the lake, it will put the two million people who live in the Lake Kivu basin in danger. They can die either from a methane explosion or from carbon dioxide poisoning.
Of the five Great Lakes on the Canada-United States border, Lake Michigan leads the way as the deadliest of the group. The warm, inviting lake is a popular spot with locals and tourists alike, despite having a bad reputation for strong underground currents that claim several lives a year. The shape of Lake Michigan makes it especially dangerous. The lake becomes most uncontrolled in October and November, when abrupt and significant changes in air and water temperatures increase the likelihood of spontaneous occurrence of currents and increase their strength.
Hailed as one of the most exceptional and prolific ecosystems in the world, Mono Lake, located in Mono County, California, is an ancient salt lake. There are no fish in it, but trillions of brine shrimp and alkaline flies live in its waters. Until 1941, this strikingly beautiful lake was more full-flowing. But when Los Angeles was just beginning to prosper, it depleted the Mono to provide its population with water. This is a scandalous treatment natural resources continued for almost 50 years and when it was finally stopped in 1990, Mono lost half its volume and its salinity doubled. It has turned into a toxic alkaline lake, with a high content of carbonate, chloride and sulfate. A special committee was set up to force Los Angeles to correct its mistakes, but the restoration project would take decades.
located in Volcanic Region Oku in Cameroon, Lake Manun seems normal. But its appearance is deceptive, since it is one of the three lakes on which a limnological catastrophe (carbon dioxide emission) occurred in 1984, which claimed the lives of 37 people. Twelve of them drove past the lake in a truck. The car stalled and when they got out to see what was wrong, the deadly gas killed them.
In 1986, Lake Nyos, located 62 miles from Lake Manun, had an explosion that released carbon dioxide, which was later converted to carbon dioxide. Ground movement, possibly caused by a landslide, abruptly emitted a giant cloud of carbon dioxide from the lake, killing thousands of people and animals in local towns and villages. Tragedy was the first known major disaster caused by a natural phenomenon. The lake continues to pose a threat because even a small earthquake can destroy it. If the water from Lake Nyos burst its banks, it could destroy many villages on the way to Nigeria.
Although the Lake of the Ozarks seems serene and cool, where chirping birds fly, it really isn't. Due to entertainment not controlled by the authorities, large boats and cruisers racing at great speed pose a deadly threat to smaller boats. just as dangerous big waves that are created by them. The matter is aggravated by the fact that not so long ago in the Lake of the Ozarks was found coli, which is partly caused by untreated sewage discharged into the lake local restaurant. It ranks third on the list of the most dangerous waterways in America (after the Colorado River and the Atlantic Ocean).
Like to swim on a hot day somewhere on the beach in hometown? Not everyone is lucky enough to live near the sea, so they have to be content with ordinary lakes. But did you know that there are lakes in the world that are considered dangerous and sinister? Your swim in their waters could be your last in this life, and for good reason.
Lake Natron, Tanzania
One of the most dangerous and creepy places Planets - Lake Natron in Tanzania. Its waters are often colored red, their temperature rises to 60 degrees Celsius. But its danger is far from color and temperature. The waters of the lake contain a huge concentration of alkali. The worst thing is that the lake kills animals and sometimes people who enter its waters. Because of great content calcium in the water, the corpses of animals are saturated with it and turn into real mummified statues at the surface. This composition is due to volcanic activity in the area.
Lake Kivu, Africa
On the African continent, between the Republic of the Congo and Uruguay, there is one of the most dangerous lakes in the world - Kivu. The thing is that this is practically a huge bomb and a gas chamber in one bottle. The layers below the lake contain a large number of carbon dioxide, and about 55 billion cubic meters of methane are concentrated in the cavities at the bottom. Any major volcanic activity or earthquake could set off an explosion of such magnitude that the bombing of Hiroshima would seem like child's play. More than two million people live in the area of the lake, who are constantly in fear for their lives.
Skeleton lake, Roopkund, Himalayas
On this moment, this lake is not so much dangerous as creepy. At its bottom and shores, divers discovered the remains of two hundred people who died a rather strange death. For several centuries, the bones lay in these places before scientists were able to determine the cause of the death of a large detachment: large holes were found in the skulls of the dead, and there are specific cracks in the bones. Everything suggests that people died from hail, or rather a rare phenomenon when ice flying from the sky has the size of an adult's fist. The ice floes, sharp and hard as a stone, did not leave a single chance for salvation.
Lake Michigan, USA
At first glance, Lake Michigan is no different from the rest and conquers with its calm surface, and beckons to swim. Local residents are well aware that appearances are deceiving, and therefore they are in no hurry to let their children frolic in the water. The fact is that spontaneous strong currents often arise under the water of Lake Michigan, which will carry a person away from the shore, no matter how good a swimmer he may be. In addition, this is one of the few lakes on the surface of which the real high waves like in the seas.
Lake Nyos, Cameroon
It began to be considered one of the most dangerous places in the world after in 1986 a deadly cloud of asphyxiating gas rose into the air from the depths of the lake, which began to rapidly spread throughout the territory. In a short period of time, the cloud killed almost 1800 people, leaving them no chance of salvation. The reason for this genocide was volcanic activity underground.
Boiling Lake, Dominican Republic
This is no joke, the waters of the lake really boil for real. You won’t be able to swim here even with a strong desire, because the water temperature is more than 90 ° C, and such a kind of bath will simply kill all living things. Boiling is supported by an active volcano located under the lake.
Acid Lake Kawah Ijen, Indonesia
Another lake that will be happy to kill the unfortunate tourist who decides to swim in its waters. The beautiful turquoise color of the water is deceptive, because at a depth there are geothermal springs heating water up to 245°C. Volcanic activity saturates the waters of the lake with toxic substances, exclude the possibility of life in this environment. Wherein locals they earn by collecting sulfur on the shores of the lake, risking suffering from explosions of methane, the deposits of which are at the bottom.
Lake Hillier, Australia
Not very dangerous, but extremely mesmerizing Lake Hillier in Australia is unlikely to make you want to swim in it. The unnatural pink color is due to the presence at the bottom of the lake of special algae called Dunaliella saline.
I want to quit everything in this stuffy city and go to warmer climes to the beach, closer to the water, but there is no way? We offer you to look at our selection - perhaps the desire will disappear.
1 Lake of Death, Italy
On the island of Sicily, famous for the destructive power of Mount Etna and no less frightening, although not exposed to the power of the mafia clans, there is one very dangerous attraction. The waters of the Lake of Death, which are essentially not water at all, but concentrated sulfuric acid, are so destructive that this place, according to rumors in Sicily, was used by Cosa Nostra to hide the corpses of their unfortunate enemies. In a matter of minutes, a deadly reservoir, fed by two underground sources with H2SO4, destroys any organic matter, leaving only lifeless space around.
2. River Rio Tinto, Spain
Red as blood, the waters of the Rio Tinto, which originates in Spanish province Huelva and flowing through Andalusia are unattractive not only externally. Due to the high concentration of metals coming from copper, silver and gold mines, this body of water has earned the reputation of one of the most acidic places on Earth. Water, the pH of which ranges from 1.7-2.5 and practically corresponds to the acidity of gastric juice, is dangerous for any living creature. The only inhabitants of the "Martian river" are the scientists' favorite aerobic bacteria extremophile, which feed on iron.
3. Black Hole Lake, Russia
A few years ago, according to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the swampy Black Hole Lake, located between Nizhny Novgorod and Dzerzhinsky, should have been covered with sand and razed to the ground. The reason for such a barbaric attitude to the reservoir is simple - this object of socialist heritage, saturated with waste from the Plexiglas plant, is recognized as one of the most polluted in the world. The stench emanating from the Black Hole is so strong that it interrupts even the fumes from fires that engulf Russia in hot weather. summer days, and the liquid that fills the lake resembles a caustic black resin that sucks in all living things.
4. Yangtze River, China
The third longest river in the world, second only to the Amazon and the Nile in length, surpasses them in another, not at all positive quality. Due to the fact that 17,000 Chinese settlements located along the banks of the Yangtze do not have purification systems, all their waste products are dumped into the reservoir without filtration. Do not add purity to the river and numerous chemical plants, steel and oil refineries, as well as regular transportation dangerous goods. According to the most conservative estimates, the volume of polluted water in China's main water artery reaches 34 billion tons and continues to grow.
5. Lake Karachay, Russia
Until recently, one hour spent on the shores of Lake Karachay in the Urals was enough to meet a painful death due to exposure to 600 roentgens. The explosion that occurred at the storage of fissile materials at the Mayak plant in 1957 and caused unprecedented pollution of the Techa River and its cascade of ponds is to blame. Although every year the company receives several million rubles to eliminate the consequences of the disaster, The groundwater continue to spread deadly radiation. Fortunately, according to recent studies, the situation in the Karachay Lake area is gradually improving.
6. Amazon River, South America
7. Boiling Lake, Dominican Republic
About a lake located near the Valley of Despair in the Dominican Republic national park Morne-Trois-Python, notorious. If you inadvertently plunge here during the dry season, you can easily boil yourself alive, repeating the path of the stubborn king from The Little Humpbacked Horse. The water temperature in the center of the Boiling Lake, shrouded in thick white steam, reaches 92 ° C and is only suitable for making tea. This reservoir has caused so many accidents that even during the rainy season, when the lake becomes relatively cool, swimming here is strictly prohibited.
8. Ganges River, India
The Indian epic Ramayana tells that the waters of the sacred river Ganges are endowed with the power to bring the dead back to life and rid them of ailments. Unfortunately, the reality is far from myths: the main river of India is included in the list of the most littered reservoirs in the world. Waste from numerous industries and feces from overcrowded cities flow here. Even bathing in the Ganges, the number of enterobacteria in which is 120 times higher than normal, leads to infectious diseases and causes thousands of deaths each year. The ritual burial of bodies in Varanasi is added to the problems that interfere with the purification of the sacred reservoir.
9. Lake Onondaga, USA
In the 19th century, Lake Onondaga, located near American Syracuse, was popular place for relax. A century later, the reservoir, which fell under the influence of technical "progress", was on the verge of an ecological disaster. In 1901, the water of Onondaga, saturated with nitrates, phosphates, mercury and pathogenic bacteria due to the discharge of industrial waste, was forbidden to be used in the food industry. Bathing was vetoed in 1940 and fishing was vetoed in 1970. After the ban on waste emissions, the installation of treatment facilities and the adoption of the law on clean water the situation with the lake is gradually getting better, but it will take a very long time to clear the reservoir.
10. Citarum River, Indonesia
With the advent of progressive technologies, more than five thousand factories have grown along the banks of the once picturesque, and now one of the most slagged rivers in nature, located on the island of Java. The reservoir, formerly a source of income for numerous anglers, has become a home for other hunters - scavengers. Dirty water, teeming with bacteria and invisible under a thick layer of household and industrial waste, is still used for drinking and irrigating fields. Scientists predict that in the coming years, the pollution of Citarum will reach a critical level and may lead to the shutdown of the largest hydroelectric power station in Java.
