pink lakes of the world

Watermelon snow also called snow algae red snow or blood snow is Chlamydomonas nivalis a species of green algae containing a secondary red carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) in addition to chlorophyll. Unlike most species of fresh water algae it is cryophilic (cold loving) and thrives in freezing water.[1] Its specific epithet nivalis is from Latin and refers to snow.

This type of snow is common during the summer in alpine and coastal polar regions worldwide such as the Sierra Nevada of California. Here at altitudes of 10 000 to 12 000 feet (3 000

Harbour Island in the Bahamas is renowned for its pink beaches caused by the presence of microscopic shelled animals known as Foraminifera.

At Crane Beach you ll enjoy one of the finest beaches and outdoor recreation destinations on the East Coast. With its clean inviting water miles of shoreline and mesmerizing views Crane Beach has been a favorite with the ocean loving public for generations. Whether you intend to take a refreshing plunge play in the sand or just soak up the sun this unparalleled seaside experience is sure to provide lots of fun and great memories too.

The sands of Elafonisi beach in Crete are said to be caused by the breaking down of coral into minuscule particles.

This stunning lake in Torrevieja Spain might look like it has been touched up with a photo filter but its dusky pink hues are 100 percent natural. Its caused by a microscopic algae called Dunaliella salina that thrives in waters with high salt content. Click through or swipe for more photos of pink lakes and beaches.

Lake Retba in Senegal West Africa another beautiful pink lake owes its colour to the presence of high concentrations (385gm/l) of Desulfohalobium retbaense a halophilic (salt loving) bacterium.

In south eastern Spain in the Alicante area two salt seeps the Salina de Torrevieja and La Mata de La Salina are the largest salt lakes in Europe. Here the commercial exploitation of the lakes to extract salt has been replaced by tourism.

Lake Masazir (or Masazirgol) overlooking the Caspian Sea is another pink lake located not far from the Qarada? district of Baku the capital of Azerbaijan.

The Dusty Rose Lake in British Columbia Canada has a different story: the pink color comes from the surrounding pink purplish rocks which during the warm season are carried as particles by the melting glaciers directly into the lake.

Saline di Cervia where the extraction of salt which started even before the Romans survives today alongside a natural park of exceptional beauty and in Sardinia we should mention the Molentargius Saline where the vast expanses of pink are not actually due to the water but to another peculiar seasonal gift from Nature: the invasion of thousands of pink flamingos that meet here to nest.