The Boiling Lake
At the end of a long trail through the rainforest of Dominica lies a grey-blue lake, wrapped in steam, its centre bubbling and boiling.
What was reported
The Boiling Lake, in the mountains of Dominica, is a flooded fumarole, a hole in the ground where volcanic gases escape. It's about 60 metres across, filled with greyish-blue water, and covered in clouds of steam. Its centre bubbles violently, and the water near the edges is close to boiling.
Hikers reach it after a tough trek through the Valley of Desolation, a landscape of hot springs and bare, steaming ground. Occasionally the lake drains away completely, then fills up again.
Explanations offered
The water is heated by magma below and by hot gases rising through the lake bed. Its level changes with volcanic activity and rainfall. It's one of the largest boiling lakes in the world and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When
- Recorded since 1870
- Where
- Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica
- Witnesses
- Hikers and scientists
- Status
- A real place
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.