The Lake Hillier is one of the natural wonder of Australia. It can only be seen from the sky since it is prohibited to walk on Middle Island in Western Australia. The reason for this permanent pink color remains undetermined but the best scientific hypothesis seems to linked to Dunaliella Salina, a green microalgae, and to halobacteria in the water. Lake Hillier is a lake on Middle Island, the largest of the islands and islets that make up the Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia. The most notable feature of the lake is its pink colour.
The lake is thought to have been first visited by the Flinders expedition in January 1802. Flinders observed the pink lake after ascending the island’s peak. John Thistle, the ship’s master, collected some of the lake’s water, which he found to be saturated with salt. The length of the lake is about 600 metres (2,000 ft). The lake is surrounded by a rim of sand and a dense woodland of paperbark and eucalyptus trees with a narrow strip of sand dunes covered by vegetation separating it to the north from the Southern Ocean.
The most notable feature of the lake is its pink colour. It is such a significant distinguishing feature of the archipelago that air passengers often take note of it. The colour is permanent, and does not alter when the water is taken in a container. Although the source of the pink colour has not been definitively proven in the case of Lake Hillier, the pink colour of other salt lakes (e.g., Pink Lake) in the region arises from a dye created by the organisms Dunaliella salina and Halobacteria. Another hypothesis is that the pink colour is due to red halophilic bacteria in the salt crusts. Despite the unusual hue, the lake exhibits no known adverse effects upon humans. From above, the lake appears a solid bubble gum pink, but from the shoreline it appears more of a clear pink hue. The shoreline is also covered in salt crust deposits.
Whatever the cause, the water does not appear to pose any danger to humans. Though high salt levels might not make for the most comfortable swim, visitors hoping to immerse themselves in Lake Hillier’s brilliant pink waters are perfectly safe to do so.
This paradise view may seem like an abandoned island but tourists are attracted to this, which looks like a yummy strawberry milkshake. Tourists usually book a helicopter which takes them past the lake so that they can watch the beauty from there. Also, now-a-days, tourists can come and explore these islands and wildlife of the Recherche Archipelago on a cruise.
This lake has been identifies by Bird life International as an Important Bird Area as it many unique native and migratory birds visit this lake. There are 7 pink lakes in the world other than Lake Hillier. Although they may not considered as bright pink like that of Lake hillier as it depends on the salt present in the water :
[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qmV68CnHA&channel=didyouknowclips”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrJhqxYRJBU&channel=ChennaiExp2013 [/su_youtube]
Pink Lake of Quairading, Australia | Pink Hutt Lagoon, Australia | Pink Lake of Salina de Torrevieja, Spain | Pink Lake, Australia (Goldfields-Esperance area) | Pink Lake Retba, Dakar Region, Senegal | Pink Masazir Lake or Masazirgol, Azerbaijan | Dusty Rose Lake, Canada
