Thousands of lives lost, mysterious inhabitants—poisonous lakes are just about the most mystical and eerie bodies of water of our planet. Even placid lakes with crystal-clear water
sometimes conceal deadly threats for those who decide plunge in for a swim or even set
up camp on the shore. Hello everyone, and welcome to channel “Top-5, Top-10”. Get ready for the top 10 most Horrifyingly
Mysterious Lakes in the World. Blue Lake (Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia). The blue lake is one of the most unusual lakes
in Russia. It doesn’t get its water from rivers or
streams. Instead, underground springs feed into the
lake below its surface. The blue color comes from the water’s hydrogen
sulphide content. The lake’s depth has been measured at 258
meters, deep enough to submerge the Seattle Space Needle with nearly 75 meters to spare. And due to erosion of the rock at it’s lowest
depth, it’s only getting deeper. Some scientists believe that Blue Lake hides
the world's largest system of underwater caves beneath its surface. Lake Natron (Tanzania). Not only does Lake Natron in Tanzania kill
its inhabitants, but it also mummifies their bodies. Mummified flamingos, small birds, and even
bats frequently wash up on the shores of the lake. Even more horrifying, the victims are preserved
in their final poses, as if trapped in a brief moment in time, forever. Countless microorganisms give the water on
the shore a bright orange color, slowly fading to a bright red hue moving toward the center
of the lake’s surface. Evaporation and fumes from the lake often
scare away large predators, attracting large numbers of birds and small animals seeking
refuge from their natural enemies. They live their lives on Natron’s shores,
reproduce, and mummify after death. Increased alkalinity, and a high concentration
of hydrogen in the water contributes to the regular discharge of soda, salt, and lime. As a result lake inhabitants don’t decompose
after death. Lake Michigan (USA). Lake Michigan is one of the five great lakes
shared between the borders of the U.S. and Canada. Few people know that this body of water destroyed
hundreds of lives. There aren’t any monsters, and the water
here is far from dead, but, nevertheless, that doesn’t exclude this massive lake from
being dangerous. It's all about unpredictable underwater currents
that cause rushing riptides. They’re a huge risk for swimmers on the
shores of Lake Michigan, claiming the lives of a surprising number of victims, especially
during the warm season. Riptides can suddenly suck people away from
the shore with incredible force, making escape virtually impossible in some cases. In autumn, it becomes especially dangerous
for boats and fishers as spontaneously rising currents on the surface of the water can cause
huge, life-threatening waves. Lake Nyos. Lake Nyos, in Cameroon, rested quietly for
centuries, providing water for many neighboring villages. But below the surface, there hid a cataclysmic
secret. The lake became known all over the world when
the seemingly peaceful waters realeased a deadly force of nature on August 21st, 1986. A thick cloud of suffocating gas rose from
the lake, leaving no survivors. People, livestock, birds, fish, and even insects
living near its shores all perished. 1,746 human lives were lost. Scientists from all over the world arrived
at the site of the tragedy. They discovered that the lake had been hiding
a volcanic crater, previously thought to be dormant. Vast stores of Carbon dioxide had suddenly
erupted through the cracks at the bottom of the lake into the water. Once the gas accumulated in a critically high
concentration, countless noxious bubbles broke on the water’s surface, releasing the lethal
gas onto the surrounding population. Carried by the wind, the invisible clouds
destroyed all living creatures nearby. Scientists say that carbon dioxide continues
to flow into the lake and people can expect another release. Dead Lake (Kazakhstan). This lake with a terrifying name is located
in Kazakhstan. The locals have long avoided it, believing
it to be cursed. Locals tell some chilling stories about mysterious
disappearances, and not even necessarily in the lake itself. According to their stories, many have drowned
leaving a vast number of corpses at the bottom of the lake. Allegedly, most of them were visiting tourists,
ignorant to the dangers. Despite what you may think, the name does
not originate from mysterious disappearances, but because of the unusual properties of water. The lake can’t sustain life, no fish, no
frogs, nothing. Apart from that, the water remains extremely
cold even during the warmest season, and the water doesn’t evaporate despite neighboring
bodies of water evaporating twice as fast. Lake of Death (Italy). We know about Sicily thanks to the famous
Sicilian Mafia and the volcano "Etna" rests on the island, but there is another equally
dangerous sight, The Lake of Death. The water contains a high concentration of
sulfuric acid. As a result, sustaining life is impossible. Any organism that enters the water dies in
a matter of minutes. It is rumored that the Italian mafia used
this lake to dissolve the bodies of their victims—the consequences for rejecting offers
that can’t be refused. It’s uncertain if the rumors are true...but
that must be because all the evidence was dissolved in the lake, right? Lake Brosno (Tver region, Russia). Lake Brosno is located near Moscow in the
Tver region where local residents believe it hides an ancient lizard. Much like Scottland’s infamous "Nessie",
sightings of the Brosno monster have often been reported, but clear photographic proof
has never surfaced. And Studies of the lake haven’t produced
any concrete evidence. Scientists suggest that local legends of an
ancient monster stem from the lake’s vast depth relative to its small surface area. The natural decomposition processes at the
bottom of the lake sometimes form large hydrogen sulfide bubbles. Once released, the gas could easily turn over
a small boat, leading locals to mistake these occurrences for a monster attack. Lake Karachay (Russia). Lake Karachay in the Urals is considered as
one of the most polluted in the world. A couple hours’ tan on the shore is basically
like sitting in an X-ray machine for hours without a lead-lined covering. Needless to say, the resulting death by radiation
poisoning would be slow and excruciatingly painful. Once a living lake, it was destroyed in the
50s when it was used as a storage facility for liquid radioactive waste. Now the water level has fallen sharply, revealing
much of the terrain below the surface. The Russian state allocates huge amounts of
money annually to reduce the radiation levels in the water. In the coming years, once the water is gone,
the lake is scheduled to be filled in. But burying the problem won’t solve the
continued groundwater contamination. Boiling Lake (Dominica). Aptly named, because the water literally boils. The water temperature reaches 92 degrees Celsius
(or 197 degrees farenheit). So, yeah, a quick swim could cook you like
a lobster. As a result, the surface is shrouded in thick
white steam and swimming is, of course, strictly forbidden. The lake is in the crater of the volcano and
is constantly getting hotter. Even when the temperatures decrease, jets
of hot air—or even lava—periodically belch from the bottom of the lake. Lake Pustoye (Russia). Lake Pustoye is located in Western Siberia. “Pustoye”—meaning “blank” or “empty”
in Russian—derives its name from the fact that it doesn’t support animal life. But, what else is new, right? There are plenty of waters that can’t sustain
life such as the Dead Sea, or many of the lakes in this list. However, the chemical composition of Lake
Pustoye isn’t much different from that of the surrounding bodies of water. It’s even safe for human consumption. Moreover, several pristine living rivers flow
into it. That said, wild fish never swim into the lake,
because they know the consequences. Local residents even tried to stock the lake
with crucian carp, but they all died soon after. Scientists have tried to study this strange
phenomenon, but results are still inconclusive. Do you know of any mysterious or rdangerous
bodies of water? Share them in the comments below. If you liked the video, hit that thumbs-up
to let us know. Goodbye everyone, we’ll catch you in the
next one!
