Located on Middle Island off the West Coast of Australia, Lake Hillier is a very famous tourist destination with its unique pink water. Tourists are overwhelmed by the strange color of the natural lake every time they have the opportunity to visit the Recherche Archipelago.
Many scientists around the world have flocked to this special lake to find out what makes it unique color. After many months of research, scientists found that the agent that creates the pink color of Lake Hillier is halophilic bacteria and a special type of algae called Dunaliella salina.
As amazing as it is, visiting Lake Hillier is not easy. There are only two ways to access the lake: by air or by sea.
By hiring a helicopter tour service, you will have the opportunity to observe the whole pink lake Hillier and capture this beautiful moment from the sky. The color of Lake Hillier will be especially prominent thanks to the contrast with the blue of the ocean. However, the downside is that this pristine island has no landing place so you can only admire it from afar.
If you want to see Lake Hillier with your own eyes, you can take a boat from Esperance town. The boat leaves early in the morning and will return to the dock in the evening. The cost of traveling by boat will not be as high as the helicopter service. However, the journey to explore this archipelago will be quite long, so tourists need to prepare their health before joining the trip.
Not only Lake Hillier, Australia also has other pink lakes in Murray Sunset National Park in Victoria. Unlike Lake Hillier, the lakes in the Park do not keep their pink color all year round but only shine in late summer. Local authorities advise people not to swim in the lake because of the high salt and bacteria content. In addition, tourists should also prepare plenty of filtered water because the lake water is not drinkable.
Although considered a tourist specialty of Australia, pink lakes are not only found here. It is estimated that there are 29 pink lakes discovered in the world, from Lake Retba in Senegal, Lake Salinas de Torrevieja in Spain, to Lake Pekelmeer in the Caribbean Islands.
