Lake Kaindy, the Sunken Forest
In the mountains of Kazakhstan, the bare trunks of a drowned spruce forest still stand upright in a turquoise lake.
What was reported
Lake Kaindy, high in the Tian Shan mountains, formed after an earthquake in 1911 set off a landslide that dammed a gorge. Water filled the valley, drowning a forest of tall spruce trees.
Their bare trunks still rise straight out of the clear turquoise water, while their branches are preserved below the surface, where divers can see them.
Explanations offered
The water stays close to freezing all year, which has slowed decay for more than a century. The lake is a popular stop in the Kolsai Lakes National Park.
- When
- Formed in 1911
- Where
- Lake Kaindy, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan
- Witnesses
- Visitors and divers
- Status
- Explained
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.