The most dangerous lakes for human life. Killer beauty: the most dangerous rivers and lakes on the planet The most terrible lakes in the world

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Most people cannot imagine a vacation without relaxing by the water, be it a lake, river, sea or even the ocean. However, on our planet there are a lot of bodies of water, recreation on which can be deadly.

website will tell you about several places on Earth that, despite their beauty, are hardly worth choosing for a quiet and serene pastime.

10. Great Blue Hole, Belize

During high tides, the Great Blue Hole turns into a giant funnel that sucks in everything that is on the surface of the water, and during low tides, huge jets of water sometimes erupt from it. Despite this, there are many who want to see this cave, because Jacques-Yves Cousteau himself called the Great Blue Hole one of the best diving places on Earth.

9. Jacob's Well, Texas, USA

A 10-meter natural well with absolutely clear water is one of the most... dangerous places for diving in the world. At the bottom of Jacob's well there are several entrances to an extensive system of caves, from which not everyone is able to get out onto land.

8. Lake Michigan, USA

Lake Michigan is almost as famous as Bermuda Triangle, since it was over it that one of the largest plane crashes on the North American continent occurred, the cause of which was never clarified.

However, mysticism aside, the lake poses a real danger due to currents that form suddenly and, according to some reports, claim several dozen lives every year.

7. Lake Natron, Tanzania

Covered with a crust of salt that periodically turns red, Lake Natron is one of the most saline and alkaline on Earth. In some places, the water temperature reaches 50 °C, which, coupled with high alkalinity, makes the lake practically uninhabitable: it is home to only three species of fish that have adapted to extreme conditions.

6. Blue Hole, Dahab

The Blue Hole is considered one of the most dangerous places for diving on our planet, because in this 130-meter karst cave Many divers died. However, experienced divers say that people with appropriate training and extensive diving experience can dive without fear, because the death of divers is usually caused by nitrogen narcosis and insufficient air supply during ascent.

5. Horseshoe Lake, USA

Carbon dioxide, which is released from cracks in the bottom of Horseshoe Lake, is dangerous for all living things. The lake was responsible for the death of 4 people, as well as trees growing on 40 hectares around it. Signs on all access roads warn about the danger that the lake poses.

4. Boiling Lake, Dominica

The temperature of this mountain lake, which takes up to 8 hours to climb, can rise above 92 °C. The reason for this is jets of hot air gushing from underground, which sometimes coexist with jets of lava. Swimming in this lake is strictly prohibited, even if the characteristic bubbles are not visible - boiling begins in a matter of seconds.

The world is 70% water, we drink it, swim in it, grow food with it, and simply exist thanks to it. But some bodies of water are very dangerous. We present to your attention a list of lakes and rivers that can cause serious harm or even kill a person.

Rio Tinto is one of the rivers with the most high level acidity, pH at best 2, which is approximately equal to the level of acidity in the human gastrointestinal tract. This is enough to kill any fish that dares to swim into this river. In all likelihood, the same thing threatens humans. Water is dangerous because of a special bacterium that lives in it. Similar substances have been found on Mars, leading scientists to speculate that perhaps the key to the mystery of the Red Planet lies in this river. While this is just a pipe dream, there is no doubt that you should be as wary of Rio Tinto as you are of an angry grizzly bear - after all, both the river and the animal are something that is pleasant to watch, but better not to touch.

Whoever came up with the name for this place did not have to think long: Boiling Lake fully lives up to its name. The lake was first discovered by two Englishmen in 1870. Five years later, it was possible to measure the temperature in the lake, which ranged from 82 to 91.5 degrees Celsius. This alone is enough to cause burns, but this is the temperature at the edges of the lake. In the center it is much higher - so much so that it cannot even be measured without the person measuring it being boiled alive.


300 meters of Lake Kivu is a ticking time bomb. About 250 cubic kilometers of carbon dioxide and 65 cubic kilometers of methane are hidden in the depths of this lake. It can flood all nearby settlements, claiming thousands of lives. So far, the gas is harmless, but one volcanic eruption is enough (and given that there are many of them located there, this could well happen) for the gas to rise to the surface, destroying everything around.


The Citarum is one of the most polluted rivers on earth. Due to the 500 factories located on the banks of the river, the lack of waste collection systems and a modern water supply system, the river is so filled with garbage that the water itself is almost invisible underneath. This river can take many lives, but only through our fault. And this is the most important waterway in that area! Locals use the water for drinking, bathing and even cooking! But, unfortunately, they have no other choice. They made their own bed and now they will have to sleep on it.


There is little pleasure in being infected coli, and now imagine that you are swimming in water that is teeming with them. This is the reality for many of Johannesburg's rivers South Africa, where levels of E. coli bacteria exceed the acceptable limit, in some places by 240 times. This problem will not go away because local government officials actively deny it. Although when health experts say that drinking from this river means risking your life mortal danger, then it would probably be worth listening to them...


Too much water is also no good. Ask any Virginian living near the Blewwater River, who has seen more flooding than anyone in the past few years. After 60 years of calm, the Blackwater River has flooded and inundated nearby towns about six times in the past 10 years. Fortunately, this has not yet resulted in the death of any of the residents, but it is only a matter of time if this continues. And, unfortunately, no one can say why Blackwater spills so often. But whatever the reason, the locals are determined to find out so they can finally stop worrying about everything they lived for being swept away by the river's turbulent flow again.


The Tualatin River in Oregon is not the most the best place, where you can go swimming with your pet: every year animals die in the river due to toxic blue-green algae. The algae, which is actually nothing more than deadly bacteria, grows rapidly, filling the water with a deceptively beautiful turquoise color. Those unfortunate people who plunged into this river will, at best, experience weakness and diarrhea, and at worst, paralysis and even death.


Like a supermodel with a bomb hidden under her dress, Lake Karachay in Russia is beautiful but deadly. This is the most radioactive body of water in the whole world. This has been the main disposal site for nuclear waste since the 90s. The lake is so toxic that you can die without even touching the water. Just by standing on the shore of the lake for about an hour you will receive radiation of 600 roentgens. By comparison, most people die from 500 roentgens of radiation. Now everything possible is being done to solve this problem and recently tests have shown either low level radiation, or its absence. Maybe in 500 years people will even be able to swim in this lake. May be….


The Belle Forche is not a boiling, not poisonous or radioactive river, but nevertheless poses a huge danger. It has already claimed several lives. In 2010, a father, his daughter and a friend drowned when fast rapids threw them from their boat. A few years later, another case was reported that nearly resulted in the death of a person, again due to the rapid current and dangerous rapids. Although this river rarely attracts the attention of the press, it can still be considered quite dangerous.


Although most people know this river only because Washington, D.C. is located on it, the legendary river has another feature - it often claims lives. From Great Falls to the Chain Bridge, the river forms a series of rapids and waterfalls that carry victims 1.5 km in a seething stream. Approximately 6 people a year die in the waters of the Potomac River and many more risk their lives simply by playing on the banks of the river. It is so dangerous that local authorities have launched a campaign to warn the public, using the clearest wording: “If you go into this river, you will die.”


When we hear the word “lake”, a picture appears in our imagination - a wonderful place to relax, where you can swim and fish. However, this is not always the case. Some lakes inspire fear and horror. And there are reasons for this.

Lake Pustoe (Russia)

Its location is the Kuznetsk Alatau region located in Western Siberia. Lake Pustoe is a fresh and environmentally friendly reservoir of continental origin, because it is completely free of chemicals. Many scientists have repeatedly conducted studies of water from the lake, which have never confirmed the presence of any toxic components in it.

The lake has clean water that is suitable for drinking and resembles champagne, as it is dominated by completely safe bubbles of natural gases. However, researchers were unable to determine the reason why there was no fish in the lake.

In the vicinity of Lake Empty there has never been environmental disasters and emergency technical incidents that pollute the reservoir. The chemical composition of its water does not differ from the nearest reservoirs of the reserve, which are distinguished by an abundance of fish resources. Moreover, the reservoir feeds several fresh, clean reservoirs in the vicinity; the fact that there is fish in them will add special mystery to what is happening in these dreams.

There have been several attempts to introduce unpretentious fish species such as pike, perch and crucian carp into the reservoir. Each of them ended in failure, the fish died, the aquatic plants rotted. And today there is no grass or birds on the banks of the reservoir, there are no fish or fry in the water, the lake guards its mysteries.

Why are there no fish in the lake?

Samples from the Kuznetsk reservoir were studied by chemists from the USA, Great Britain and Germany. However, no one was able to put forward a sensible version explaining the lack of fish in the reservoir. Scientists are not yet able to answer the questions of ordinary people about what is happening to the Kuznetsk reservoir.

However, scientists repeat attempts to explain the extraordinary phenomenon of Empty Lake with enviable frequency. Visit the shores unusual lake there are many people interested, tourists come here and stay overnight. Some of them dream of touching the mystery of nature and unraveling it.

Lake of Death (Italy)


Our world is amazing and beautiful, its nature can be endlessly admired and enjoyed. But besides this, there are places on our Earth that sometimes lead us to bewilderment. Among such places is the Lake of Death on the island of Sicily. This lake can be classified as a phenomenon and unique natural phenomenon. The name itself suggests that this lake is deadly for all living things. Any living organism that gets into this lake will inevitably die.

This lake is the most dangerous on our planet. The lake is absolutely lifeless and there are no living organisms in it. The shores of the lake are deserted and lifeless; nothing grows here. Everything is connected with the fact that any living creature that enters the aquatic environment immediately dies. If a person decides to swim in this lake, he will literally dissolve in the lake in a few minutes.

When information about this place appeared in the scientific world, a scientific expedition was immediately sent there to study this phenomenon. The lake revealed its secrets with great difficulty. Water analyzes showed that the lake’s aquatic environment contains a large amount of concentrated sulfuric acid. Scientists were not immediately able to figure out where the sulfuric acid comes from in the lake. Scientists have put forward several hypotheses about this.

The first hypothesis stated that at the bottom of the lake there are rocks that, when washed away by water, become enriched with acid. But further study of the lake showed that at the bottom of the lake there are two sources that release concentrated sulfuric acid into the lake’s water environment. This explains why any organic matter dissolves in the lake.

Dead Lake (Kazakhstan)


There is an anomalous lake in Kazakhstan that attracts the attention of many people. It is located in the Taldykurgan region, the village of Gerasimovka. Its dimensions are not large, only 100x60 meters. This body of water is called Dead. The fact is that there is nothing in the lake, neither algae nor fish. The water there is unusually icy.

Low water temperatures remain even when there is intense sunshine outside. People drown there all the time. For some unknown reason, scuba divers begin to choke after three minutes of diving. Locals do not advise anyone to go there, and they themselves bypass it anomalous place.

Blue Lake (Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia)


Blue karst abyss in Kabardino-Balkaria. Not a single river or stream flows into this lake, although it loses up to 70 million liters of water every day, but its volume and depth do not change at all. The blue color of the lake is due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide in the water. There are no fish here at all.

What makes this lake creepy is the fact that no one has been able to figure out its depth. The fact is that the bottom consists of an extensive system of caves. Researchers have still not been able to figure out what the lowest point of this karst lake is. It is believed that under Blue lake The world's largest underwater cave system.

Boiling Lake (Dominican Republic)


The name speaks for itself. Located in Dominica, the beautiful Caribbean, this lake is actually the second largest natural hot spring on the ground. The temperature of the water in the boiling lake reaches 90 degrees Celsius and there is hardly anyone who wants to test the temperature of the source on their own skin. Just look at the photographs and it becomes clear that the water here is practically boiling. The temperature cannot be regulated because it is the result of a crack in the bottom of the lake through which hot lava erupts.

Lake Powell (USA)


Despite its common name (Horseshoe), located near the town of Mammoth Lakes, Lake Powell is a terrifying killer. The city of Mammoth Lakes was built on top of active volcano, but this is not best location. However, for many years the lake was considered safe. But about 20 years ago, the trees around Horseshoe suddenly began to dry out and die.

After ruling out all possible diseases, scientists decided that the trees were being suffocated by excessive levels of carbon dioxide slowly seeping through the ground from underground chambers of cooling magma. In 2006, three tourists took refuge in a cave near the lake and suffocated from carbon dioxide.

Lake Karachay (Russia)


Located in beautiful Ural mountains Russia, this dark blue lake is one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world. During a secret government project, the lake was used as a dump site for radioactive waste for many years beginning in 1951.

This place is so toxic that a 5-minute visit can make a person sick, and a longer visit of an hour is guaranteed to be fatal. During a drought in 1961, the wind carried toxic dust that affected 500,000 people - a tragedy comparable to atomic bomb, dropped on Hiroshima. This is definitely one of the most polluted places on Earth.

Lake Kivu (Democratic Republic of Congo)


This lake is located on the border between Democratic Republic Congo and Rwanda, with large layers of carbon dioxide at the base of the volcanic rock, as well as 55 billion cubic meters of methane at the bottom. This explosive combination makes Lake Kivu the deadliest of the world's three explosive lakes. Any earthquake or volcanic activity could pose a lethal threat to the 2 million people living in this region. They can die from both methane explosions and carbon dioxide suffocation.

Lake Michigan (Canada)


Of the five Great Lakes on the border of Canada and the United States, Lake Michigan is the deadliest. Warm, attractive lake - popular place holiday for numerous tourists, despite its dangerous undercurrents, which claim at least several lives every year.

The shape of Lake Michigan makes it particularly susceptible to dangerous currents that arise spontaneously and abruptly. The lake becomes more dangerous in the fall, October and November, when sudden and significant changes in water and air temperatures occur. The height of the waves can reach several meters.

Mono Lake (USA)


One of the most developed ecosystems in the world, Mono Lake is located in the county of the same name in California. This ancient salt lake there are no fish, but trillions of bacteria and small algae thrive in it unique waters. Up until 1941 this is amazing beautiful lake was healthy and strong. But Los Angeles, which was just beginning its giant growth spurt, stepped in. The city drained the tributaries of the lake, which began to dry up.

This is a scandalous destruction natural resources continued for almost 50 years and when it was stopped in 1990, Mono Lake had already lost half its volume and its salinity had doubled. Mono has become a toxic alkaline lake filled with carbonates, chlorides and sulfates. Los Angeles has decided to correct its mistake, but the restoration project will take decades.

Lake Manoun (Cameroon)


Located in the Oku Volcanic Field in Cameroon, Lake Monoun appears to be a completely normal body of water. But its appearance is deceiving, as it is one of three explosive lakes on earth. In 1984, Monun exploded without warning, releasing a cloud of carbon dioxide and killing 37 people. Twelve of the dead were riding in a truck and stopped to watch the aftermath of the explosion. It was at this moment that the lethal gas did its job.

Lake Nyos (Cameroon)


In 1986, Lake Nyos, located just 100 kilometers from Lake Monun, exploded following a magma eruption and released carbon dioxide, converting the water into carbonic acid. As a result of a massive landslide, the lake abruptly released a giant cloud of carbon dioxide, killing thousands of people and animals in local cities and villages. The tragedy was the first known major suffocation caused by natural phenomenon. The lake continues to pose a threat because its natural wall is fragile and even the slightest earthquake can destroy it.

Natron (Tanzania)


Lake Natron in Tanzania not only kills its inhabitants, but also mummifies their bodies. On the shores of the lake there are mummified flamingos, small birds, and bats. The creepiest thing is that the victims freeze in natural poses with their heads raised. It was as if they froze for a moment and remained that way forever. The water in the lake is bright red due to the microorganisms living in it, closer to the shore it is already orange, and in some places it is a normal color.

The evaporation of the lake repels large predators, and the absence of natural enemies attracts a huge number of birds and small animals. They live on the banks of the Natron, reproduce, and after death they are mummified. A large amount of hydrogen contained in water and increased alkalinity contribute to the release of soda, salt and lime. They prevent the remains of the inhabitants of the lake from decomposing.

Exactly this scary lake on the planet. It was even given the appropriate name - the killer lake and the Lake of a Thousand Deaths. Once it claimed the lives of almost two thousand people. TravelAsk will tell you why this body of water is included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Scary place in Africa

This lake is located in Cameroon, in the crater of a volcano at an altitude of 1090 meters above sea level. It is called Nyos, but the locals gave it a more sonorous name - Lake of a Thousand Deaths. Scary?

The volcano itself died out a long time ago, and the reservoir is quite young: it was formed about 400 years ago, filling the maar with water. The lake is quite deep - 209 meters. Located at great depths rocks, and underneath is magma, which releases carbon dioxide into the water. This is his danger.

As you probably guessed, you should not swim in such a place. At first glance, Nyos is a calm and small body of water: the lake is 900 meters wide and 1,400 meters long.

Stay away, it's dangerous!

The lake became widely known because of the disaster that happened here in 1986. over it northern shores a cloud of asphyxiating gas passed. The gas spread over several tens of kilometers. As a result, almost all residents of several villages (1,746 people), as well as all domestic animals, birds and even insects, died. Everyone died just in an instant: corpses lay on the street, and birds fell dead from the trees.


Moreover, even the grass here turned black and shrunk, as if from the cold. And the trees twisted. Due to oxidation, the water in the lake turned red.


The territory of the villages was cordoned off by the military: this is not surprising, the world has never encountered anything like this. And about 30 thousand people from nearby settlements relocated until the reasons were clarified. And the dead were buried en masse, in mass graves.

Evil spirit of the lake

Locals they said that the evil spirit of the lake broke out. Well, why not an evil spirit?

And, of course, this story gave rise to other legends. Thus, paranormal experts tell various eyewitness accounts. So, during the disaster, televisions stopped showing, and an image of a lake from the past appeared on the screens. This picture was replaced by a lake, the water of which splashes out of the banks, exposes the bottom and hangs under the clouds. There were also witnesses who saw translucent spines. They made passages in the water, came out of it, devoured living creatures and maimed people.


Of course, this tragedy attracted researchers here. When scientists tried to go up to the lake to take water samples, the flasks simply exploded. All this was caused by high pressure and a high content of gases (carbon dioxide, as well as methane and helium).

As a result, scientists still managed to take samples. They conducted an analysis and found that the water after the disaster contained about 250 million cubic meters of carbon dioxide.

Causes of the tragedy

One of the assumptions put forward is that the volcano has come to life. And it is quite possible, because a small eruption could have occurred at the bottom, which raised poisoned water to the surface. This could also have been caused by rain or strong winds that would mix the layers of water. An evil spirit indeed!

Moreover, further research showed that gas enters the water regularly, about 5 million cubic meters annually. That is, gas accumulates in the waters, and it is quite possible that a similar tragedy will happen again. However, since it is located precisely at depth, there must be some kind of impact (wind, tremors) for the gas to rise to the surface and spread throughout the area. But in general it is retained by cold waters.


The 1986 tragedy itself caused a lot of controversy. Some survivors said they simultaneously smelled rotten eggs and heard the sound of an explosion. However, CO2 has no odor. Yes, both smell and sound travel at different speeds and, accordingly, with a large time difference.

About potential tragedies

Nyos feeds the Katsina River. On the northern side, the lake is fenced by a natural dam made of volcanic rocks, however, as they say, water wears away stones. So she “cut” her way into the river. But the danger is that the natural dam is gradually destroyed by water, which means it may simply collapse in the future. And then the waters of Nyos will come out and flood the surrounding areas. But in general, the lake’s waters are quite stable: the cold temperature keeps the gas from entering the atmosphere.

By the way, despite the fact that the tragedy claimed so many lives, people continue to live here. Although residents were evacuated after the incident, they still returned to their homes and their lands. They grow corn on the banks of the river, and they brought tilapia into the rivers, which is not susceptible to gas (it really makes you wonder how you can eat this fish...).


But there are still abandoned houses here, indicating that a tragedy happened in these villages.

How to stay safe

There is a whole project to degas the lake. It involves installing pipes at the bottom of Nyos. Through them, excess gas will have to come out, and not accumulate at the bottom in a huge number. Cameroon is also working on this project. A few years ago they even installed pipes at the bottom of the lake. Be that as it may, to some extent this will make it possible to secure the surrounding area.


By the way, it is believed that today the lake has accumulated twice as much gas as at the time of the 1986 tragedy. In general, according to some studies, emissions into the atmosphere can occur once every 10-30 years, and sometimes more often. And if the water breaks through the natural dam, the lake will flow into the river. And then carbon dioxide will poison everything around for many kilometers. And the dead will number in the thousands.

By the way, there are two more similar lakes in Africa: Lake Manun, 95 kilometers from Nyos, and Lake Kivu in Congo. A similar tragedy occurred on Manun in 1984. 37 people died here.

 

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