Usually lakes aren’t exactly the most exciting subject.  But these 10 lakes aren’t are average lake.  From strange colors to amazing formations, and even a deadly lake, here are the ten strangest lakes on planet Earth.

 

#10. Loch Ness, Scotland

Loch Ness is famous, and on this list, for only one reason – the famous Loch Ness Monster.  “Nessie”, as she is affectionately known, has been the greatest thing to ever happen to the lake, turning it into tourist hotspot.  This lake is by far the largest in Scotland, in terms of volume, in fact it contains more fresh water than all the lakes England and Wales combined.  Its water clarity is extremely low, due to a high peat content in the soil, which has helped fuel the legend of the mythical Loch Ness Monster.

 

#9. Lake Vostok

The largest of Antarctica’s sub-glacial lakes, Lake Vostok is literally untouched for millions of years, sealed off by ice.  Because of this, scientists estimate that there could be unusual species, possibly even a link to whether or not life exists of other planets.  If life can exist in the lake, maybe they can exist in equally inhospitable conditions of other planets.  Russian scientists extracted the longest ice core in history from the lake in early 2013, and the water samples will be tested to examine the fascinating sealed-off Lake Vostok.

 

#8. Taal Lake

Vulcan Point is a small island which is notable because of its rare location.  It is an island on a lake on an island on a lake on an island on the ocean.  That’s no typo, there’s an Inception feel to Taal Lake.  The lake is located on Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines.  On Taal Lake is an island called Volcano Island and that island contains a lake called Main Crater Lake, which has its own tiny island – Vulcan Point.  Taal Lake use to be connected to the sea, but several volcano eruptions closed this connection, and the water has slowly turned to freshwater.

 

#7. Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is not traditionally thought of as a lake, but it is actually a large salt lake.  Salt Sea, as it is also known, is bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel to the west.  It is over 9 times saltier than the ocean, meaning animals can’t survive, giving it the “Dead Sea” name.  While there are smaller lakes slightly more salty, none of these lake are regularly used, while the Dead Sea attracts tourists from across the world.  It was also the world’s first health resort, for Herod the Great, in about 50 BC, and biblically, was a place of refuge for King David.

 

#6. Lake Nyos

Cameroon’s Lake Nyos gained worldwide notice in 1986 after a horrific natural disaster.  On August 21st,  a landslide caused the lake to give off a cloud of carbon dioxide, as it disrupted pockets of magma which give off the poisonous gas.  The cloud suffocated 1,700 people in a local village.  To prevent a future disaster, a tube was installed to siphon off bottom levels of water, allowing carbon dioxide to escape.  Two further tubes were installed in 2011, further ensuring no further loss of life.

 

#5. Crater Lake

At 1,943 feet, Oregon’s Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US, and the 6th deepest in the world.  Due to a variety of factors, including a lack of tributaries and a low water temperature, it is known as the clearest lake in the world.  The lake has two islands with unique and fascinating names – Wizard Island and Phantom Ship Island.  Another point of interest in the lake is the “Old Man of the Lake”, a 30-foot tree stump that has bobbing around the lake for over a century.  The lake’s low temperature allows the wood to decompose extremely slowly.

 

#4. Jellyfish Lake

Jellyfish Lake is a marine lake located on Eli Malk island in the Pacific country of Palau.  The lake is one of the top snorkeling spots in the world, due to the millions of jellyfish that migrate across the lake daily.  These jellyfish are harmless, allowing tourists to swim amongst them.  The two jellyfish species that live in the lake are golden jellyfish and moon jellyfish.  These jellyfish do have stinging cells, however their poison is too weak to hurt humans.

 

#3. Spotted Lake

One of the most mineral-rich places in the world, the aptly named Spotted Lake is located near Osoyoos in British Columbia, Canada.  It is defined as a saline endorheic alkali lake.  As the lake evaporates over the summer, spots of mineral are left behind, giving the lake its spotted appearance.  The First Nations in Canada believed the lake had magical healing powers.  Today, the lake is fenced off to protect it, although it is clearly visible from the road, and tourists frequently stop to take photos.

 

#2. Lake Retba

Lake Retba, locally known as Lac Rose, is a pink-colored lake in Senegal.  The lake gets it unusual color from an algae (Dunaliella salina) that turns a reddish color as it creates energy from the sunlight, which turns the water pink.  The lake was famous for years as the finishing point of the Dakar Rally, before the event was moved to South America.  The lake also has a high salt content, almost equal to the Dead Sea.  A salt industry has formed, with workers rubbing a local shea butter oil over their skin to protect themselves from the salt.

#1. Dallol Volcano

Dallol, Ethiopia contains a volcano with numerous geyers and hot springs.  This area is not only the hottest place on Earth, with average temperatures year round of 96 degrees Fahrenheit, but also one of the most bizzarre.  The landscape is made up of a variety of colors, and can resemble an alien landscape.  The settlement of Dallol has become completely abandoned, adding another air of mystique to the fascinating area.