Colored lakes of Kelimutu. Colored lakes of Kelimutu volcano. Kelimutu National Park Kelimutu National Park

They say that the souls of the dead live in the colorful reservoirs of Kelimutu. Elderly people found peace in the first lake, those who died young found peace in the second, and sinners languished in the third. And the foggy haze swirling in the mornings and the often changing color of chameleon ponds with intoxicating fumes seem to confirm this theory. Nevertheless, the colored lakes still attract tourists.

Dormant half a century ago, the Kelimutu volcano, Indonesia, is located in the south of the small island of Florence, between its largest cities of Ende and Maumere, and is one of the volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which includes more than three hundred active volcanoes (out of five hundred and forty known). Mount Kelimutu has a height of one and a half thousand meters above sea level, and the last eruption occurred more than half a century ago.

The mountain became famous thanks to its unique crater lakes, which have no analogues in the whole world. Kelimutu is the only mountain on Earth where from one point you can see as many as three multi-colored reservoirs, and where tourists come from all over the world.

These are not just three lakes of different colors located almost right next to each other, but bodies of water that, like a chameleon, periodically change their color. No one (not even scientists) can predict exactly when this will happen. Each lake can be either turquoise, white, mustard, red, green, black and other tones.

The Kelimutu lakes are a kind of reservoir: since they are located in the crater of a volcano, they are almost not fed by groundwater, but are filled with numerous precipitation, which falls abundantly here during the rainy season, which lasts from November to March. The climate on Florence Island in Indonesia is subcontinental maritime monsoon, and there is plenty of water at this time.

The reservoirs are located quite deep below, the slopes of the volcano around them abruptly drop down, so getting close to them is practically impossible, and even deadly. So, a few years ago, a Danish tourist climbed over the fence to take a closer look at one of the reservoirs, slipped and fell down. His body was never found.

The color of reservoirs is extremely difficult to predict, therefore, when climbing Kelimuta, you can never tell what color they will be. Over the course of several years (with short periodicity), the same lake can be black, green, brown, white, bottle blue, turquoise, red. Although, of course, forecasts are made about exactly when the color may change.

For example, next to the reservoirs there is a table that indicates exactly when they changed their color, so you can try to make some calculations. But this is not always possible: you can come to look at this amazing natural phenomenon and see that two of the three lakes at that particular time turned out to be almost the same shade (a rare phenomenon here, but it does happen).

The best way to admire the lakes is from a specially equipped area, which is located at the top of the volcano. It is advisable to walk along the lakes along specially designed paths, and you must wear shoes with non-slip soles (volcanic stone is extremely slippery, and therefore walking on it is quite dangerous ). The fumes emanating from reservoirs can lead to fainting (unfortunately, there have been cases where tourists lost consciousness at the most inopportune moment - and fell down, which almost always ended in death for them).

It is advisable to come to this amazing place either early in the morning, at dawn, or during sunset. Here, such a time comes extremely quickly, and the lakes acquire extremely deep, bright and rich colors.

It is especially beautiful here at dawn, when the lakes are still shrouded in morning fog and give the landscape a touch of mystery and mysticism. The suddenly appearing Sun in the blink of an eye makes the sky extremely bright, itself transforming in a couple of seconds from a bright red disk into a dazzling white body.

It is not surprising that local aborigines believe that this is where the souls of dead people move, after which, having been purified, at dawn, according to one version, they rise to heaven. And color transitions, which often occur in bodies of water independently of each other (that is, lakes do not change color at the same time), only confirm their beliefs.

Legends of the Lio Tribe

According to their beliefs, Kelimut Lakes are untouchable and taboo for local residents. The aborigines of the Lio tribe are convinced that the souls of deceased people find their peace in the reservoirs of Kelimutu. To this day, every year they organize special ceremonies with dances, etc., especially for these spirits.

According to their beliefs, each body of water is intended for different categories of souls:

Tivu-Ata-Mbupu. The “Lake of Old Men” is home to the souls of people who not only died in old age, but also lived them with dignity. It is located at some distance from other bodies of water, which symbolizes the wisdom that comes to a person only with age.
Tivu Nua Muri Kooh Tai. This body of water is located between two other lakes. The souls of people who died at a young age settled here. Interestingly, it changes color most often - in a quarter of a century this happened more than twelve times. Its name is translated as “Lake of Young Souls.”
Tivu-Ata-Polo. Murderers, sinners, scoundrels and criminals, that is, those who lived their years unworthily and committed a lot of evil, settled forever in the “Enchanted Lake of Evil Spirits.” Moreover, it is noteworthy that it is separated from the central reservoir by a very narrow volcanic crater wall. Representatives of the Lio tribe are convinced that this symbolizes how thin and fragile the line between good and evil is.

Why do bodies of water change color?

Why the lakes in this amazing place constantly change color has not yet been fully studied. But there are versions, different and very interesting.

Version No. 1. Lio Tribe Theory

Local residents are sure that reservoirs change their color when souls are angry about something, so they must be appeased. For this purpose, they perform appropriate rituals on the top of Kelimutu. At the same time, the aborigines are convinced that their ancestors are answering them, since during the ceremonies (according to their belief) water boils in the reservoirs, and a blue fog appears over the surface.

Another theory of theirs says that a change in color signals the approach of major troubles (and not only for the island, but for all of Indonesia).

Version No. 2. Scientists' hypotheses

Scientists explain the phenomenon of this amazing place in their own way. They claim that reservoirs change their color depending on what kind of chemical reaction is currently occurring in the bowels of the earth and even on climatic conditions.

According to them, at the bottom of the lakes there are cracks through which volcanic gases rise, which, once in the reservoirs, enter into a chemical reaction with the minerals dissolved in it. In each lake, the minerals that are found on the bottom and walls of the volcano are different.

The presence of carbon dioxide contributes to the rise of deep waters to the surface of lakes, which are also enriched with minerals. The same process helps draw water down, which also affects the constant change in color of the lakes.

Lakes of Young Souls and Old Men

In the central reservoir (it is where the color change most often occurs) there is solfatara - when evaporations of sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrochloric acid and other substances are released from cracks in the walls and bottom of the crater.

The temperature of solfatara usually ranges from 100°C to 300°C, therefore it is a constantly smoking crack.

Once on the surface, hydrogen sulfide reacts with air and turns into sulfuric acid. In this reservoir, as well as in Lake Starikov, there is an extremely high concentration of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, which give them mainly green tones. Their shades change periodically - they can be bright green, turquoise, and dark green, deep blue, burgundy, white and black.

Lake of Evil Souls

Previously, the Lake of Evil Souls was a gorgeous, bright scarlet hue (it is quite possible that this is why it got its name). Now every year it becomes darker and darker. Now it has become almost black. This unusual color was caused by a high concentration of iron in the reservoir, as well as a higher level of acidity than in the reservoirs located near it. There are periods when it takes on more traditional lake colors, such as turquoise or green.

Trip to Flores

The island of Flores, Indonesia is worth a visit not only to look at the colorful lakes, but also at other attractions that are located quite compactly to each other: the island itself is small in size - about 350 km in length and 70 km in width .

For example, travelers all over the world will be interested to know that on this island the skeleton of a very small man was found (he was nicknamed a hobbit), whose age exceeds 18 thousand years and belongs to “Homo sapiens”.

19 species of animals, characteristic only for this area, live here. To see them, you will have to climb into the impenetrable jungle, but on the way to the reservoirs you can often see small monkeys living on the island, and at the observation deck they even independently run out to people for handouts.

On the way to unique reservoirs, you can admire flowering trees, beautiful mountain views and landscapes. The colorful lakes of Kelimutu themselves are surrounded by a small jungle (4.5 hectares), in which mahogany, pine, and casuarina trees grow, and the grass cover is decorated with edelweiss. There is also a protected forest, waterfalls and caves with stalactites and stalagmites.

In short, if possible, it’s definitely worth visiting near Kelimutu, Indonesia. You shouldn’t put off your trip: although the volcano is considered extinct, there are, in principle, no guarantees that it will not wake up. And after the eruption, it is not a fact that the reservoirs will remain in the same place or will exist. Indeed, recently the activity of the Ring of Fire volcanoes has increased significantly.

In the central part of the Indonesian island of Flores, on the territory of the National Park, the Kelimutu volcano rises. The volcano has been dormant for a long time. His last activity was in 1968. Then three multi-colored lakes were formed - an amazing miracle of nature.

The lakes are located at the very top of the mountain, in the depressions formed after the eruption. The lakes, like a chameleon, periodically change their colors from green, turquoise to brown, red and black.

This color change is explained by chemical reactions occurring in the water between gas and minerals. For example, rising levels of sulfuric and hydrochloric acid turn lakes a beautiful green hue, while the reaction between hydrogen sulfide and iron produces a red color.

Local residents explain this phenomenon by the fact that the souls of their dead ancestors live in the lakes. If the color in the lakes changes, it means that the souls are very angry. There is another version according to which the change of colors indicates upcoming tense events in.

The lake located on the western side is named Tivu Ata Mbulu. The name translates as “lake of old people.” The legend tells that the souls of good people found peace in the lake. Having lived their lives with dignity, they died at a ripe old age. The lake means wisdom, which appears only with more life experience.

In the center is the reservoir Tivu Nua Muri Kooh Tai or “lake of girls and boys”. It contains the souls of dead young, innocent people. The peculiarity of the reservoir is that in 26 years its color has changed 12 times.

The last lake is Tivu-Ata-Polo - “lake of evil souls”. The souls of evil people languish in its waters. These two lakes are separated by a thin wall of a volcanic crater. The partition has a symbolic meaning and clearly shows that good and evil are separated by a very thin line. It is almost impossible to predict what the color of the lake will be. Today, the lake of the “good” has changed from green to black. The lake of “young souls” turned bright green, and the lake of “evil” ones turned brown.

The best panorama of the most wonderful reservoirs opens from the top of Mount Kelimutu. For safety reasons, it is better to use the “point of inspiration”, which is the name of the observation deck. At sunrise or sunset, the lakes take on bright, rich colors. The thick fog gathering over the area creates an atmosphere of mystery and mysticism.

Volcano lakes are highly valued in Indonesia. In the past, their images were featured on Rs 5,000 notes. Kelimutu Park is protected by the World Heritage Convention. The views of chameleon lakes attract thousands of tourists from all over the world every year, eager to admire another masterpiece of nature.

Kelimutu Volcano - this mystical place is located on the island of Flores, lost in the ocean, which is rarely visited by tourists due to its remoteness and poorly developed tourist infrastructure. Even in the sky, flying over Flores, you can see a bright turquoise spot, which stands out sharply against the background of the dark greenery that covers the island. This is one of the three crater lakes of Kelimutu, with which the legends and beliefs of the local residents are closely intertwined.

Lakes Kelimutu are located in a volcano on the island of Flores (height 1639 m), which belongs to the Indonesian Eastern Lesser Sunda Islands. The volcano last erupted in 1968, after which it shows no signs of activity. After the eruption, depressions-colders were formed in the magma, in which water from atmospheric precipitation forms three lakes.

What is Lake Kelimutu famous for? Not even because they are colorful, but because the lakes constantly change color. For example, after a few years a black lake turns turquoise, then red, and then green. This variability is explained by the presence of dissolved minerals of various natures in water. Chemical reactions between them lead to the dynamic colors of Kelimutu. The green color is sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, the red is the result of the reaction of hydrogen sulfide with iron, although in recent years the water of the red lake has darkened and has now become almost black. As you can see from the photographs, the two lakes are located literally a few meters apart, and yet their depths contain different minerals, and accordingly they themselves are painted in different colors.

Representatives of the local Lio tribe tell the legend of Kelimutu. According to this legend, the souls of the dead are sent to the lakes. The souls of old people live in the red lake, the souls of those who died young live in the green lake, and the souls of children live in the white lake. According to another option, sinners and murderers end up in the red lake, young people in the green lake, old people and the righteous in the turquoise lake. It is difficult for Europeans to understand the philosophy of the Lio tribe, although they themselves distribute souls without any problems and even claim that the change in color indicates that the spirits living in the lakes are angry.

The official names of the lakes are as follows: in the west of the volcano (at a distance from the others) - Tivu-Ata-Mbupu (lake of old people), the other two - Tivu-Nua-Muri-Kooh-Tai (lake of boys and girls) and Tivu-Ata-Polo ( enchanted lake).

Residents of Flores believe that the souls of dead people end up in the lakes. The souls of old people who have lived their lives with dignity go into the lake, which has a calm and deep dark green color, it is called the Lake of Old People. The souls of innocent young people go into a lake of exciting bright turquoise color, which is called the Lake of Boys and Girls. And the souls of villains go into a dark brown lake, which is called the Lake of Evil Souls. The Lake of Youths and Girls and the Lake of Evil Souls share a crater wall that symbolizes the fine line between innocence and evil. Lake of the Old Men is located somewhat to the side and symbolizes the wisdom that comes with age. Local residents claim that if the living anger the souls of the dead, the lakes will change their color. The lake of Boys and Girls changes color especially often; they say that over the past twenty-five years the lake has changed its color twelve times.

Of course, scientists have their own explanation for the Kelimutu phenomenon; they claim that the lake is rich in special minerals that change their color depending on natural conditions and underground activity. But the residents of Flores still tend to adhere to their point of view and most travelers who come here share the beliefs of the residents. Here, indeed, there is a special mystical atmosphere and a feeling of absolute peace and silence, which makes you lower your voice, slow down and think about the eternal...

The best way to admire the magnificent views of the Kelimutu lakes is from the top of the Kelimutu volcano (1690 meters above sea level). The path to the top is not difficult and takes about 2 hours. The easiest way to get to the foot of Kelimutu is from the village of Moni, which is located just a few kilometers from the volcano. You can also go to Kelimut from Labuanbajo or Maumere. This trip will take the whole day and will cost at least $100, including transport, driver, guide and entrance fee to Kelimutu National Park.

There is such a site interpals.net, and this is not an advertisement, you just can’t remove the words from a song, and who knows, maybe it will be useful to someone. I found it useful. So, as you may have already understood from the name, this is a site where people from all over the world meet, make acquaintances, make friends, train their foreign language skills by communicating with native speakers through online messages, email or the so-called Snail Mail, that is, regular mail itself, they start love affairs and deceive gullible newcomers. In short, everyone has their own goals and methods for achieving them too. That's not the point. I came to this site purposefully in order to practice English and communicate with people from different countries. So, on this site I met a wonderful person, a kind and sympathetic young guy from Indonesia, with whom we have many common interests. His name is Sir Kalifatullah Ermaya, but like most people on the Internet, he has the nickname Kido Vatov, which I recognized before his name, and therefore for me he is now just Kido. I ask, as they say, to love and favor.

A simple and good person. But this story is not about him, but rather from him. As I already said, we have many common interests, from programming to travel and outlook on life. When he found out that I had started my own blog and wanted to cover various secrets of the planet Earth, including those of a natural nature, he volunteered to help me and write an article about the famous Kelimutu volcano, which is located in Indonesia, although very far from his native one city of Bandung. Unfortunately, he didn’t have his own photos of this mysterious and most beautiful place on Earth, so the photos were taken from the Internet, in particular from the blog http://masterok.livejournal.com/, may its author forgive me.

So, the mysterious and enigmatic Kelimutu through the eyes of an Indonesian.

Colored lakes of Kelimutu

When you stand alone in complete silence, broken only by the omnipresent wind, on the top of this mountain, and you see the steep walls of craters at your feet, when far below under your feet water of such an unusual color splashes and ripples in the sun, you are involuntarily covered by a wave of some mystical awe, as if you were standing in front of huge devilish cauldrons of acid or thick venous blood. You just have to take a step, and the hellish greenish, chlorine-colored liquid will swallow you up forever, dissolve you to the last cell, and only your soul will become the next inhabitant of these places of special, devilish beauty. In gaming terms, this is a very atmospheric place.
(photo from the Internet)

It will dissolve or not, but we do not recommend swimming in the lakes of Kelimutu volcano. Firstly, the composition of their waters contains a huge number of chemical elements and compounds, especially sulfuric ones, which turns them into solutions of acids and other compounds, and determines their color. Substances enter the lakes from the bowels of the Earth, since Kelimutu is an active volcano that last erupted in 1968. Secondly, they claim that the depth of the lakes reaches 1600 meters, which, in combination with the almost vertical walls of the crater bowls, creates the impression of bottomless wells.

The mountain itself has a height of about 1640 meters above sea level. At the top there are craters of volcanic origin, in the bowl of which the famous multi-colored lakes of Kelimutu are located. The color of the water in them is white, red and blue, and it can change over time, which is why these reservoirs are often called the chameleon lakes of the Kelimutu volcano.

In general, describing the color of these reservoirs is truly a thankless task, since due to volcanic activity, chemical reactions in the depths of the waters and the composition of the crater rocks, the color changes constantly and the color gradient is very large, from green and red to turquoise and black. Therefore, on your next visit you can see a completely different color of the same lakes, which also adds a mystical atmosphere to these places.

Kelimutu Volcano is located on the island of Flores, in Indonesia, the local name is Nusa Tenggara Timur (Nusa = island, Tenggara = southeast, Timur = east), it turns out something like “an island located in the south-southeast”. The volcano itself is located right in the village of Pemo, Kelimutu district, Ende regency, at a distance of 66 kilometers from the city of Ende.

The name Kelimutu consists of the words Keli - “mountain” and Mutu - “boil, boil”. It turns out something like a “boiling mountain”. Kelimutu has three lakes at the top. The total area of these lakes is about 1,052,000 square meters. m., and the total “displacement” is 1,292,000,000 cubic meters. m. Between two neighboring lakes a natural wall was erected by nature. And the third is located at a distance of about 1 km from its two brothers.

The locals gave a name to each of these mystical lakes. The red one is called “Tivu Ata Polo”, “enchanted lake”. According to legend, the souls of deceased local old people, sorcerers and others who committed various cruelties and other obscenities during their lifetime live there. The blue lake is called "Tivu Nuva Muri Koo Fai" - "lake of boys and girls", it is supposedly the refuge of the souls of people who died young. The third, “Tivu Ata Mbupu”, is where the souls of old people go.

The beauty of the colorful lakes of the Kelimutu volcano was first discovered to the world by a certain Dutchman named Van Zuch Thelen in 1915, and after another Dutchman, Buman described these beauties in 1929. On February 26, 1992, this area officially became a national park.

The best time to visit the lakes is in the morning before sunrise. But during the day, usually around 2 p.m. local time, you will see only fog and whiteout. Travelers can spend the night in the nearest inhabited village of Moni. The cost of an overnight stay varies from 40,000 to 75,000 local rupees per night (approximately 4 - 7.5 dollars per night). Moreover, for foreigners the cost automatically increases three or more times.

The distance from Moni to Kelimutu lakes is approximately 14 km and people usually get there by local residents' cars or trucks. After a 45-minute climb, travelers must walk another 20 minutes to the crater, but all the difficulties and hardships are more than compensated by the beauty of nature.

At different altitudes, the slopes of the mountain are covered with different vegetation. From Dipterokarp (as I understand it, oak forest), to heather growing above 1500 meters. In addition, pine trees, Schleicher tripair (Kesambi in the local language) and the famous edelweiss. Wildlife in the forests includes deer, wild boars, partridges and hawks. In general, the places are not only beautiful, but also rich.

On May 24, 2013, "Tivu Ata Polo", the red lake of Kelimutu, changed the color of its waters to red-brown, while "Tivu Nua Muri Koo Fai", previously greenish-blue, turned coffee-colored on June 3. Earthquakes often occur in this region, the smell of sulfur has become stronger and thick smoke is coming from one of the craters. Many wild animals, such as monkeys, have left their habitats near the lake/crater. From the point of view of local beliefs, it is the souls of the dead who are angry. But scientists and local authorities think differently, so the status of this mountain has been changed to “Caution”. Therefore, on June 6, 2013, the area was temporarily closed until the volcano's activity subsided. The local population was asked to leave the dangerous area, but the majority remained in their homes.

Perhaps the chameleon lakes of the Kelimutu volcano are not the most impressive place in Asia, much less on the entire planet, but they are certainly one of the most atmospheric. Here one is drawn to thoughts of the eternal, and peace and quiet are conducive to reflection and internal organization.

All of Indonesia is located on the Pacific Volcanic Ring of Fire. There are many volcanoes on the territory of the country, and one can say that each is remarkable in its own way.

Now we will move to the island of Flores. There is a most interesting place there. Kelimutu volcano is 1639 meters high. This is a complex combined volcano. That is, the appearance is significantly different from the classic volcano.

Kelimutu Volcano has several calderas. It is located in the middle part of the island in the Taman Nasional Kelimutu National Park.

Kelimutu Volcano on the map

Geographic coordinates (-8.766541, 121.812924)
The distance from the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, is approximately 1700 km in a straight line
The nearest airport is Ende (H. Hasan Aroeboesman Airport) 19 km southwest

What is most interesting is not the volcano itself, but the 3 colored lakes that fill its craters.

A large number of minerals are dissolved in the lakes, so the color of the water is quite exotic, and each lake has its own shade.

Kelimutu lakes are capable of completely changing their colors in a few years, for example from black to green, turquoise or even brick brown. Moreover, the change of colors occurs separately and independently in each lake.

Geologists attribute the color change to several factors. Firstly, the influence of certain pores or holes in the earth's crust, which periodically release gas and steam - sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen sulfide, as well as carbon dioxide. This creates an upwelling effect (the rise of deep layers of a reservoir to the surface), which lifts nutrient-rich (and therefore colored) water to the surface.

Secondly, the color of the lakes changes periodically due to adjustments in the redox state of the water in each lake, as well as taking into account the abundance of various chemical elements such as iron and manganese.

But locals are sure that the souls of dead people rest in these lakes. And when souls are angry, the color of the lakes changes.

Each lake has its own name. Lake of the Old Men is the westernmost one, located a little further from the other two. One of which is the lake of young souls or the lake of boys and girls. And the second is a mysterious, so-called enchanted lake. According to locals, this is a lake of evil spirits.

The lakes of the Kelimutu volcano were first discovered to the world by the Dutch military officer Suttelen in 1915. The first detailed description of colored lakes dates back to 1929.

Not far from Kelimutu there is the village of Moni, from which it is easiest to get to the lakes. Or walk to the top in 3 hours and see a multi-colored landmark, or ride along the serpentines in this type of car called a bemo.

Bemo

If you want to watch the sunrise on Kelimutu and just see the picturesque surroundings, get up early, take warm clothes with you and hit the road. After lunch, the volcano is often captured by fog.

In general, from the first days of the development of the local national park in the Kelimutu area, there were some disagreements with local residents regarding tourism activities. Since the lakes have a mystical significance for the locals, they did not really welcome the incursions of tourists. But park workers have worked to improve relations with neighboring villages, and now travelers can freely visit the colorful lakes of Kelimutu.

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