Top 10 Unusual Lakes in the World

Actually lakes aren't exactly the most exciting subject quite often. But the lakes we have mentioned aren't average ones. This list consists of the top 10 most unusual, deadly and strangest lakes on this planet.

10. Lake Vostok

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Lake Vostok is the largest of all sub-glacial lakes in Antarctica. This lake was untouched for the millions of years and was sealed off by ice. According to scientists, there could unusual species. Scientists have even estimated that these unusual species can exist in equally inhospitable conditions of other planets. But recently, in early 2013, Russian scientists are able to extract the longest ice core in the history. They are still examining the water samples of Lake Vostok.

9. Tricolored Lakes in Indonesia

In the craters of Mount Kelimutu on the Indonesian island of Flores, there's one unique cluster of lakes called Tricolored Lakes. These lakes are named Lake of Old People (Tiwu Ata Mbupu), Lake of Young Men and Maidens (Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai), and Lake of Evil Spirits (Tiwu Ata Polo). Interestingly, these Lakes change colors from blue to bright green to dark brown or red. It's because of minor eruptions that change the chemical composition of the water. But the most interesting and weird thing about the three lakes on Flores is that they all belong to the same crater yet appear in three different colors.

8. Boiling Lake of Dominica

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Boiling Lake is a flooded fumarole and is situated on Dominica in the Caribbean. It's so hot that it actually boils the water. If you happened to slip inside accidently, you will be dead in the matter of few minutes. The temperature of the water in Boiling Lake is typically between 180 and 197 degrees Fahrenheit. It is said that the center of the lake is actively boiling.  

7. Lake Baikal

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Lake Baikal, the deepest and oldest lake in the world, is situated in the Southern Siberia in Russia. Lake Baikal is also known as the Blue Eye of Siberia. It is said that Lake Baikal is more than 25 million years old and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Lake Baikal is home to more than 1700 species of plants and animals. This lake is said to hold about the 20% of total freshwater in the world.

6. Lake Nyos

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Lake Nyos is situated at Cameroon. And this lake gained worldwide notice in 1986 after a horrific landslide which caused this lake to give off a cloud of carbon dioxide. It disrupted pockets of magma which give off poisonous gas. Around 1700 people in local villages were suffocated. To prevent future disaster, three more tubes are installed to the siphon off bottom levels of water allowing carbon dioxide to escape in.

5. Dead Sea

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Dead Sea is situated between Israel to the west and Jordan to the east. Dead Sea actually is a large salt lake. It is over nine times saltier. Dead Sea is so named because animals can't survive in this lake. Dead Sea is known as the lowest point in the earth. People can float in the Dead Sea.

4. Pitch Lake

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The Pitch Lake is considered to be the largest deposit of asphalt in the world. This lake is located at La Brea in the Southwest Trinidad. Pitch Lake covers about 40 hectare and said to be 75m deep. This lake was discovered by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1595. The exported asphalt from Pitch Lake was also used to pave the streets of some regions of New York.  

3. Spotted Lake

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Spotted Lake is located northwest of Osoyoos in British Columbia in Canada. This lake is very highly concentrated with numerous different minerals. It contains extremely high concentrations of magnesium sulfate, sodium and calcium sulfates along with eight other minerals. Most of the water in the lake evaporates over the summer. You can spot large spots of different colors on the lake depending on the minerals composition at the time.

2. Lake Retba

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Situated in Senegal, Lake Retba is locally known as Lac Rose. This lake is a pink-colored lake and it gets unusual color from algae that turn reddish, and as it creates energy from sunlight, it turns the water pink. Lake Retba is the finishing point of famous Dakar Rally. It also has a high salt content as much as in Dead Sea.

1. Dallol Volcano

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Ethiopia contains a volcano with numerous geysers and hot springs called Dallol. Dallol area is the hottest place on the earth with the average temperatures of 96 degrees Fahrenheit. The landscape is made up of a variety of colors and can resemble alien landscape. Dallol Volcano is one of the weirdest places in the world.