Australia's famous pink Lake Hillier is a sight to behold. Discovered in 1802 by a Royal Navy explorer its strawberry milkshake color is awe-inspiring. Lake Hillier is situated in near the coast of Middle Island in the Recherche Archipelago to the south of Western Australia. Exactly what causes the lake in Australia to be pink
is up for debate but is probably to do with the microorganisms that make
Lake Hillier their home. It's best to view it from the air
in any case.
Why is Lake Hillier Pink?
The exact cause of Lake Hillier's distinctive bubblegum or
strawberry milkshake color is not known for sure. Most scientists do
agree it has probably something to do with the presence of a specific
species of microalgae - Dunaliella Salina. Dunaliella Salina is able to tolerate very high salt concentrations ranging from 0.2% to as much as 35%. These little critters produce the carotenoid pigments, beta-carotene (which are also found in carrots), that are thought to give rise to the bubblegum coloration of the lake's water.
There are also large amounts of halophilic bacteria and archaea in the salt crusts of the lake that could also be the cause for the lake's interesting appearance. These non-algal microorganisms also produce a similar carotenoid pigment within their cell membranes which is either the main cause or a contributing factor to the lake's overall coloration.
The Extreme Microbiome Project, part of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF), Metagenomics Research Group (MGRG), has been performed on the lake. The researchers used a metagenomic analysis on the lake to find Dunaliella as well as Salinibacter Ruber, Dechloromonas Aromatica, and a few species of the Archaea. Bacteria and Archaea tend to make up the bulk of the micro-ecology of hypersaline lakes like Hillier. For this reason, the lake's color is thought to be a combination of these factors. Lake Hillier isn't the only pink lake in the world, there is another famous one on the coast of Senegal called Lake Retba. This lake was the finish line for the Dakar Rally road race and is frequently used to harvest salt by local villagers.
Is it Safe to Swim in Lake Hillier?
According to the official site for the pink lake of Australia, it is perfectly safe to swim in the lake. Despite the coloration, the water is clear and will not cause any harm to you or your skin. The algae are completely harmless but drinking hypersaline water is a no-no. Despite this, the lake is very difficult to get to making it nye on impossible for regular tourists to actually visit on the ground. The lake is best appreciated from the air in any case where you can really see its vivid pink color in contrast with surrounding forests and the Indian Ocean. Travelers can, on occasion, be dropped off on Middle Island from helicopter rides and cruise ships but these tend to view the lake from the shore.
Is Lake Hillier Water Safe to Drink?
Like any salt water, it is not advisable to drink water from Lake Hillier. When you consume salty water it can cause serious damage to your body. High salt content in your bloodstream puts a serious strain on your body's natural ability to stabilize sodium and chloride levels. That's all before we even think about the plethora of microorganisms that inhabit the water. Although most are harmless, there is the potential for ingesting something very unpleasant.
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