There are miracles on the planet, looking at which you can say, “How is this even possible?” Yes, that’s how nature is – behind a beautiful picture there can be a terrifying secret hidden. So it is with this extraordinary lake. Just by looking at him, a person seems to fall into a trance. The lake shimmers with numerous bright colors. You won't find this anywhere else.
This unique lake death in Sicily is called so for good reason. Nothing grows here at all in the area, and there are not even small plankton in the reservoir itself. And where will they come from? Just take a closer look at the lake itself. No wonder they call him dead. After all, the waters of this lake contain a significant percentage of sulfuric acid. Anyone who falls into this body of water will die immediately. A person is able to dissolve in it in a matter of minutes. Therefore, do not even risk coming closer to the lake of death. In addition, from afar you can observe how a dangerous cloud of gases hangs over the reservoir. It can also cause harm to a person. By inhaling the vapors, you can get seriously poisoned.
According to local legends, the Lake of Death in Sicily is popular with criminal gangs. Here they bring their victims and drown them in this deadly reservoir. Only God knows how many lives this lake has claimed.
In any case, upon arriving on the island of Sicily, you should not be eager to visit this place. Nobody knows what the journey might turn out to be. In addition, health is more important, although from the outside the lake looks quite attractive and beautiful.
There are many such “scary” things on earth beautiful places, which can undermine a person’s health, or even completely destroy him. One of these is.
Lake Quilatoa is a water-filled caldera in the westernmost volcano of the Ecuadorian Andes, located in the province of Cotopaxi. The crater lake can be reached via a hiking trail that passes through several remote Andean villages in Ecuador. This route usually takes 3-4 days; you can get there faster by intercity bus.
Photo: Wikimedia
In 1991, Mount Pinatubo exploded, destroying its original summit. The result was an acidic lake, but heavy rains helped increase the volume of water and create a normal pH balance.
Photo: Love These Pics
Okama is a circular crater lake surrounded by three mountains of the Zao Range. The water in it has a high acid content. The color on the surface magically changes depending on the sunlight.
Photo: Trover
Inferno is a crater lake with signs of a geyser, the waters of which maintain a temperature of 35 to 80°C and high acidity to pH 2.2. The reservoir was formed by an explosion on the slope of Mount Hassard during the eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886.
Photo: Travel Tourism Blog
Keriz or Kerid is a volcanic lake located in the Grímsnes region in southern Iceland, on tourist route Golden ring. This is one of the most popular crater lakes in the region.
Photo: Guilhem DE COOMAN
Ljotipollur means “ugly puddle”, but beauty can be found even in the ugliest, right? This red lake is located in the southern Highlands of Iceland, in the southernmost crater of the Veïdivotn system.
Photo: Atlas of Wonders
Whakaari or White Island is an active andesite stratovolcano located 48 km from east coast North Island New Zealand. An eruption in 2000 led to the formation of a new crater, which turned into a lake.
Photo: MarliMillerPhoto
Crater Lake in Oregon is one of the most famous calderas in the world with clear, deep blue water. This is the main attraction of Crater Lake National Park and the most deep lake in the United States.
Photo: CRONICAS DE LA GUINEA ECUATORIAL
Lago de Moca is located at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level, 70 km from the capital Equatorial Guinea. This place received its name in honor of the former local ruler of the African Bubi people. It's currently popular tourist destination and part of the protected area of the Luba Crater Scientific Reserve.
Photo: Travel Pal
Lonar – drainless salt Lake in a meteorite crater, located a few hours drive from the Indian city of Aurangabad. Soda and salt deposits form on the shore of an alkaline reservoir. The smell is unforgettable, but it does not scare away tourists.
Photo:
Yugama is a crater lake at the top of Mount Kusatsu Shirane. It is known as the most acidic body of water in Japan.
Photo: Earth Observatory
The La Cumbre volcano is located on desert island Fernandina, which is known as an unspoiled island. It is unique in that there is not a single introduced mammal here.
Photo: Our Planet
Maly Semyachik is an active stratovolcano with the Troitsky crater, which is filled with a hot, acidic lake.
Photo: Wikipedia
Lake Deriba lies in the most high point mountains of Jebal Marra in a volcanic crater with high walls.
Photo: Volcano Cafe
Hnausapollur is one of two crater lakes (the first is No. 6 Ljótipollur) in the Veïdivotn system south of the Tyngnaau River.
Photo: Tan Yilmaz
Lake Rano Kau is easily recognized by its green thickets of grass. It is located at the bottom of the shield volcano Rano Kau, whose eruption played an important role in the emergence of Easter Island in the South Pacific.
Photo: Pinterest
Lake Eskjuvan is located in the crater of the Askja volcano in the northeastern part of the Vatnaekul glacier. It was formed after a powerful eruption in 1875. Eskjuvan is the second deepest lake in Iceland.
Photo: TravelCie
Lake Toba is located in the caldera of the extinct supervolcano of the same name. It lies on the site of a huge eruption, which became the largest explosion on Earth in the last 25 million years.
Photo: CopiPanas
Lake Segara Anak was formed in the caldera of Mount Rinjani and covers an area of about 11 square kilometers. This stunning blue body of water is located at an altitude of over 2000 meters above sea level.
Photo: Dieter Behrens
A walk through East Java lasting more than three kilometers leads to a surreal turquoise lake surrounded by sulfur. This is an unusual color for a landscape on top of a volcano. Ijen is the main source of livelihood for local residents who mine sulfur from the volcano.
Photo: Tan Yilmaz
Lake Quicocha is located in a three-kilometer caldera at the foot of the Cotacachi volcano in the Western Cordillera of the Andes. In the center of the lake lies an island in the shape of a pig, which is why it is called “Lago del Cuy” or Guinea Pig Lagoon.
Photo: Fine Art America
According to the legend of El Dorado, it was perhaps on Lake Guatavita that the Muisca Indians performed a ritual during which they dumped gold into the sacred waters. This circular body of water is one of the most popular ecotourism destinations in Colombia.
Photo:
The volcanic island of Oba is often hidden in the clouds. When it is still open for viewing from above, the attention is attracted by two lakes that resemble a pair of emerald or turquoise eyes. This island is considered the largest volcano in the Republic of Vanuatu.
Photo: Wikipedia
This crater lake has become a major local attraction. Blue Lake interesting for its ability to change shades of blue depending on the season. From the end of March it is dark blue, and then from the beginning of November it takes on a deep turquoise color.
Photo: Costa Rica Guide
Diego de la Haya is a lake in one of the craters of the Irazu volcano in the Central Cordillera. The depth of the reservoir is over 90 meters. Its waters are distinguished by high mineralization and the ability to change color from emerald green to dark red.
Photo.
In blogs, social networks, on various entertainment portals and even in the news in 2007, information began to appear about a certain Lake of Death in Sicily. There was similar information on different sites - they wrote that instead of water in this lake there is acid, and therefore nothing living can be found either in the lake itself or around it. Particularly bloodthirsty publications wrote that Sicilian mafiosi hid the bodies of enemies in this lake. Today we propose to figure out what actually hides the incredible phenomenon of an acidic dead lake.
Information from the World Wide Web
Today, a description of the Sicilian Lake of Death can be found on a hundred different portals. So, according to the information they provide, dead lake- this is an absolutely deserted place where not a single living organism can be found, and even unpretentious plants do not grow around it. The thing is that this lake is enriched with sulfuric acid, the concentration of which is simply prohibitive.
Location
One travel portal even talks about where the Lake of Death is located in Sicily: it is recommended to go to the province of Catania, to the municipality of Palagonia, which is located fifteen kilometers from the colony of Leontini.
There is also information about the size of the lake - its circumference does not exceed 480 feet (this is about 146 meters), and therefore in the summer this lake completely dries up. The tour operator who published the article recommends going in search of this lake in winter - this way the likelihood of finding it increases significantly. At the same time, the website says that local residents have not even heard of the dead lake and doubt that something like this can even exist.
Secret of the Lake
On various entertainment portals you can find out that this reservoir was discovered by certain scientific expeditions, which discovered two sources of sulfuric acid at its bottom. It is also said that some tests were even carried out (although what exactly and by whom was not indicated anywhere).
Interesting facts about Lake of Death in Sicily
Of course, a large number of legends and secrets could not help but appear around such a place. One of the legends says: Sicilian mafiosi dissolved the bodies of the people they killed here. It is impossible to know whether this is true or not, because a couple of hours after plunging into a dangerous lake (if it exists, of course), a person will not even have teeth left.
Investigation of Eduard Novikov
There is no mention of this place on Italian websites. Yes and not a single one local I haven't heard anything about him. Moreover, the study of photos of the mystical lake showed that the photo of Lake Death in Sicily absolutely coincides with the photos of the lake located in Yellowstone national park. In addition, these photographs clearly show vegetation that is completely inconsistent with what should grow in Sicily!
A truly impeccable investigation was carried out by Eduard Novikov, who had previously dispelled myths about ink lake in Algeria. He managed to find out what exactly became the prototype of the dangerous lake. He also learned how information about the reservoir with acid appeared in the first place. We bring to your attention his investigation!
Work done
Novikov began by carefully examining various maps. And to no avail. Even lists of all Sicilian lakes did not yield any results. True, Edward managed to find out that, most likely, the name of the lake is Laghetti di Naftia or Lago di Naftia.
The next stage was to search for the works of various scientists who might be familiar with the prototype of the Lake of Death in Sicily. It turned out that a lot of photographs of Lago di Naftia were taken by volcanologist Gaetano Ponte.
The researcher said that the seething of thermal waters in the lake was caused by emissions not of acid, but of carbon dioxide. The volcanologist’s photographs clearly show that there is vegetation both in the water itself and on the banks. This means that there can be no talk of any increased acidity. In 1897, Lago di Naftia began to shrink, turning into several small reservoirs. And by 1905, only small puddles remained on the site of the lake.
Professor Francesco Ferrara also studied the lake. He wrote the following about the lake: the shape of the lake resembles a circle with a diameter of 480 feet. Its depth is about 14 feet. The lake appeared due to volcanic phenomena. Methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide come to the surface of Lago di Naftia, so the water seems to be boiling. The color of the water is yellow-green. Oil spots appear on the surface of the lake from time to time.
Of course, if the lake were really acidic, scientists would hardly forget to mention it. So where are the roots of the story about the Lake of Death in Sicily?
Roots in a book
If you take a quote from an article about a dangerous lake regarding the victims of the mafia, you can find a book by Anatoly Paskhalov called “Amazing Etymology.” The year of publication of this book is 2007. Please note that it was then that mentions of the Lake of Death in Sicily first appeared on the Internet.
What does Paskhalov write? He claims that the most “dead” body of water in the world is not the Dead Sea, but a Sicilian lake, on the shores of which there is no vegetation. Eduard Novikov reviewed the list of literature used by Anatoly Pavlovich and found out that only Vartanyan’s work, called “History with Geography,” published in 1996, can be considered a potential source of information about the terrible reservoir. Novikov was unable to find this book - only its title is available on the World Wide Web, and it is also not available in online stores. However, there is the same book, albeit dated 1986. Only there is no information about the lake in it. It can be assumed that the 1996 edition was supplemented by a beautiful and unusual legend.
How often do you think about how hard your job is? How tired are you? Believe me, there are places in the world where people literally risk their lives and their own health in order to earn the most modest living.Officially, the work of sulfur miners on the Ijen volcano, located in the east of the Indonesian island of Java, is named one of the most difficult professions in the world. People here work amid highly toxic fumes at temperatures over 115°C, lifting 200-pound baskets and walking across crumbling precipices. For this, hard workers receive only $5 US per day, which is considered an extremely highly paid job here. No wonder their average lifespan is only 30 years!
At first glance, it seems that the views of Ijen are at least a photo from space or, in extreme cases, from a science fiction film, the local landscapes are so unusual to our eyes. This is because the volcano is truly the rarest place on Earth.
Volcano Ijen is an ancient extinct volcano, in the crater of which an acidic lake of extraordinary azure blue color formed, about one kilometer wide and 212 meters deep. It consists of sulfur formations and hydrochloric acid. The lake in the Ijen Crater is recognized as the most acidic volcanic lake in the world. The temperature on its surface is 50-60°C, in depth – more than 200°C.
The shores of the unusual lake shimmer with gold; these are pieces of sulfur, for which the workers descend here through the sulfur vapors that continually escape from the walls of the volcano. They are extremely dangerous to health, causing pain in the eyes and a severe dry cough; prolonged exposure threatens to destroy the lungs. When visiting the volcano, be sure to wear a mask and carry water and a handkerchief with you to protect yourself from harmful fumes. In 2003, on Ijen, one of the French tourists lost his life due to non-compliance with these safety measures.
Ijen is unique place of our planet, meet here regularly film crews who are trying to capture this rare miracle of nature.
The volcano is located in the national park of the same name, Ijen or Gunung Kawa Ijen. Just a two-hour drive away is the large Ketapang pier. This is where departures take place. sea vessels on Bali. Ijen can also be reached from Yogyakarta, located
A mysterious lake in Sicily has gained worldwide fame due to its ominous fame. Its shores are absolutely lifeless, and the waters of the lake bring death to all living things. Of course, there are no living creatures in it, no plants, not even plankton - the Lake of Death in Sicily is no less dangerous for living beings than the famous Sicilian mafia.
The Secret of the Lake of Death
The secret of the mystical lake was discovered by scientific expeditions that discovered two springs at the bottom of the lake... with concentrated sulfuric acid. It was then that the nature of the deadly effect of the lake’s waters became clear - it dissolves any organic matter literally in a matter of minutes. It is not surprising that the lake is lifeless, and there are no plants around it - even being near it is very dangerous. Previously it was believed that the waters of the lake erode rocks, which enrich the lake of death with acid. But the second, and correct version of scientists about the sources of sulfuric acid seems more plausible - in this lake there is not water, but practically acid of high concentration, as the analysis showed.
Legends of the Deadly Lake
Of course, such a place could not help but create legends, and the legends are truly in the Sicilian style. Once upon a time, Sicilian clans used this place to execute their enemies and dispose of corpses - the lake decomposed a person’s body without a trace in a few minutes. It is quite possible that this is only a legend, and it is not known for certain about the deaths of people in the lake, but... the mafia knows how to keep its secrets, and the Lake of Death will always remain silent about them.
