Lake Hillier
On an island off Western Australia lies a lake as pink as bubblegum, and it stays pink in a glass.
What was reported
Lake Hillier is a salt lake about 600 metres long on Middle Island, the largest island of the Recherche Archipelago off the south coast of Western Australia. From the air its bright pink water sits beside the deep blue sea, separated by a strip of white sand and green bush.
The explorer Matthew Flinders recorded it in 1802. Unlike some pink lakes, its colour doesn't change with the light, and the water stays pink in a bottle.
Explanations offered
A 2015 study found the colour comes from microorganisms that thrive in very salty water, especially the alga Dunaliella salina, which makes red pigments, along with salt-loving archaea and bacteria. The water is too salty for most life, but harmless to touch.
- When
- Recorded in 1802
- Where
- Middle Island, Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia, Australia
- Witnesses
- The explorer Matthew Flinders, and visitors from the air
- Status
- Explained
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