Senegal's Pink Lake

Will you swim in a pink lake? Or even fish in it? That is the dilemma facing visitors to one of the most amazing bodies of water on the planet. Called Lake Retba or Lac Rose, the Pink Lake is not too far from Dakar, the capital of Senegal. Its blooming pink colour is one thing that tourists from all over the globe cannot just resist.

 The pinkish colouration of the water is due to the presence of the Dunaliella salina, which is a halophilic (salt-loving) green microalgae which is usually found in sea salt fields. This algae is known to produce large amounts of pigments (like carotenoids) which serve as a protective measure. Some cyanobacteria have also been identified in the water. 

Hauling salt from the lake. 

The pink colour is best observed during the dry season, and like the Dead Sea, the Pink Lake is also very salty and people can easily float on it. 

Workers from surrounding regions work there collecting salt. The intensity of the pink colour also depends on the light. 

Another spectacular feature of the lake is that it has the ability to change its colour, atimes from purple to scarlet rose, orange, or even turn dark.