Spooky creatures, nuclear graveyards, famous shipwrecks… 5 Spooky Lakes Around the World

TikTok creator Geo Rutherford releases a video series every October called “Spooky Lake Month.” His account has received 70 million likes and 1.7 million followers. He recently published a book called “Spooky Lakes.”

However, I am not chasing ghosts or monsters that live in the lake. Rutherford studies lakes that are contaminated with harmful chemicals, have unusual geology, or contain well-preserved human remains. “The lake preserves things that rivers and other bodies of water do not. “, said Rutherford. (Reference article: “Science reveals the secret of the Salt Sea, where human feet still wash ashore”)

“The natural world is strange in itself,” Rutherford says. Just in time for Halloween, National Geographic asked Rutherford to share his five spooky lakes. (Reference article: “Here’s the Origin of Halloween: Ireland’s Devil’s Cave”)

Lake Natron, Tanzania

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Lake Natron in Tanzania. It is covered with alkaline salts colored red by blue-green algae. It is also a breeding ground for the endangered lesser flamingo. (PHOTOGRAPH BY NATURE PHOTOGRAPH LIBRARY, ALAMY)

The nature of this lake is very interesting. Creatures that fall into the lake become scaly. The process involves completely drying (calcifying) living things, just as the ancient Egyptians used to dry bodies.

The ancient Egyptians used natron (when making mummies). This lake is actually a pool of natron (mineral carbonate). In other words, it is the opposite of acidic, alkaline. There is a volcano right next to Lake Natron, which causes a special type of lava to flow into the lake, adding to the strange chemistry.

But that does not mean that there are no creatures in the lake. Millions of flamingos come to the lake to breed and feed on the algae. (Reference article: “Science reveals mysterious phenomena in wetlands, such as fireballs and ‘fairy rings’)

Next page: The oldest and deepest lake in the world