Tread carefully and avoid these 11 most dangerous lakes in the world. There are many things in this world that can be quite deceiving to the eye. A lot of nature’s wonders may also prove to be as deadly as they are beautiful. There are a lot of things that can catch us unaware and can even harm and kill us. A few bodies of water have earned themselves the title of dangerous as they’ve been known to threaten human lives in the past. It goes to show that you can’t just swim anywhere.
There could be a lot of different reasons behind why one lake is dangerous. It could be because of dangerous animals or chemicals that are masked under the serene blue water. There are also some lakes that are known to be highly polluted and carry dangerous bacteria. Other lakes have a geographical make-up that gives the water strong power and can easily drag people underneath. It’s good to know what lakes to avoid so that we are safe in future travels. Aside from the dangerous lakes, there are lakes that have proven to be safe and wondrous. You can see a few of them in the list of The 10 Largest Lakes in the World.
What lakes do you think make their way to this list? Some of these you might have not heard of yet. If you haven’t then you should stay away from these at all costs. Let’s find out more as we go through this list:
11. Lake of Death
Located in Sicily, Italy, this lake isn’t actually made of water but high a concentration of sulphuric acid. Any organic thing that is thrown into the lake will probably dissolve and you won’t help but notice the putrid smell that sulphur creates. There have been rumors that the mafia have been dumping bodies of victims in the lake to hide evidence.
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10. Jokulhlaup Lake
This lake in Iceland has a lot of water frozen and waiting. Any form of environmental disaster can cause these glaciers to break and release torrents of water. If melted, the water here is estimated to flow faster than anyone nearby can escape. The lake can potentially cause casualties and damage to property.
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9. Boiling Lake
As the lake is so profoundly named, it wouldn’t be advisable to take a dip. This lake in Dominica is considered a world heritage site and you’ll often find bubbling bluish-gray water. The lake is often surrounded by a cloud of steam and water vapor. Temperatures here can reach up to 197 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Horseshoe Lake
With this area in California having eruptions every 5000 years or so, Horseshoe Lake was considered harmless until people started to notice that the trees around it were dying. After scientists had tested the area, they found that the lake was exhuming high amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. People have almost been choked by Carbon Dioxide in the area.
7. Lake Karachay
Located in Russia, this lake was a former dumping site of the Soviet Union. The waste that was dumped here was nuclear and radioactive. This lake is considered one of the most polluted waters on earth and the material underwater is known to be a pure radioactive waste. Any exposure to humans exceeding one hour can prove deadly.
6. Lake Kivu
The eighteenth biggest lake in the world, Lake Kivu is situated in between Congo and Rwanda. It’s known to be full of dangerous chemical compositions like Carbon Dioxide and Methane. The lake is known to explode once in a while due to the water’s interaction with a nearby volcano. Kivu is also part of Africa’s Great Lakes.
There are more deadly bodies of water as we continue this list of 11 most dangerous lakes in the world.
5. Lake Michigan
Though the lake is a popular destination during the holidays for swimmers and water sports enthusiasts, Lake Michigan causes a few deaths a year to those unprepared to encounter the strong waves and undercurrents. The most dangerous time to go to the lake is during the fall where the waves are at its strongest.
4. Mono Lake
This lake in California is one of the oldest lakes in America and used to be a feeding paradise for birds. Mishandling and pollution however caused the lake to now be filled with toxic chemicals. Hundreds of dead birds literally litter the shore.
3. Lake Monoun
Once in a while this lake releases heavy amounts of Carbon Dioxide due to eruptions. This deadly release has known to kill a lot of people as the Carbon Dioxide quickly hugs to the ground and causes suffocation.
2. Lake Nyos
Much like Lake Monoun, Lake Nyos is a crater lake that is sitting on an inactive volcano. A pocket of magma underwater often causes releasing of heavy amounts of Carbon Dioxide known to kill humans and animals.
1. Lake of the Ozarks
Known as the deadliest lake in the United States and the third deadliest body of water in the world, the Lake of the Ozarks can kill you in a variety of ways. The lake has been known to kill through pollution and a high level of E-coli presence, electrocution, high speed boats and drowning.
This has been the list of the 11 most dangerous lakes in the world. It would be best to stay away from these lakes.
