The world we live in is full of mystery and wonder. Few things on Earth combine those two emotions as much as lakes. These beautiful bodies of water can be the bluest of blue, or multi-colored seascapes of deep depths. They can be what dreams or made of while also keeping dark secrets underneath. One stunning lake is even hidden two miles beneath Antarctica’s frozen surface. These are the most mysterious and beautiful lakes in the world.
Lake Hillier In Australia
Anyone tired of seeing blue lakes will be happy to know that’s not the only color they come in. Lake Hillier, located in Western Australia, is colored cotton candy pink, and scientists think they know why.
At the bottom of the lake, there is a bacteria that has grown over time and gives off a pink hue. It is this dye effect that is believed to be the reason Lake Hillier is colored this way.
Five Flower Lake In China
A lake with varying shades of blue, Five Flower Lake is nestled in China’s Jiuzhaigou Valley Natural Reserve. Considered to be enchanted by locals, the rainbow-brushed lake landscape is also commonly referred to as “Fairyland.”
Fallen trees decorate the bottom of the lake, which creates a world of wonder just beneath the greenish-blue surface. The changing colors of the water are caused by a limestone lakebed and algae that live among the trees.
Jellyfish Lake In Palau
The aptly named Jellyfish Lake in Palau is filled to the brim with rare and harmless jellyfish. Tourists have flocked to the lake for years to take a dip with the mysterious sea creatures.
Even stranger, at one point in the recent history of the lake the jellyfish all disappeared. Scientists credited increased water temperature as a result from El Niño. When the water temperature began dropping in 2000, the jellyfish population began to return, and was declared stable in 2012.
Spotted Lake In British Columbia, Canada
This lake located in Osoyoos, in British Columbia, is named fairly literally. Known as Spotted Lake, it is littered with what look like giant spots to the naked eye. These spots are the results of large amounts of minerals in the lake that cause crystallization.
During the summer months, this turns into walkways all over the lake. Because of the phenomena, ancient people in the area believed it was supernatural and regarded Spotted Lake as sacred.
Lake Baikal In Russia
The largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Baikal is believed to be around 25 million years old. As a result of its age, it is visually unique with “cobwebs” of faunas and floras creating a creepy world under the ice during winter.
In 1996, Lake Baikal was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overall, it holds more water than the Great Lakes and is noted for being the world’s deepest natural lake.
Crater Lake In Oregon
While it can’t compare its depth to that of Lake Baikal, Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest lake in the United States. Not only is this stunning lake deep, but it is also very clear, and has some of the best visibility of any lake.
Isolated from other lakes, Crater Lake is one of the most well-preserved bodies of water, as well. The water that rests in the giant crater is naturally free from pollutants, making it nearly perfectly pure.
Plitvice Lakes In Croatia
A series of lakes formed through natural cascades, the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia is one of the most beautiful and idyllic tourist attractions in the world. The rushing water that fills these lakes has also eroded the surrounding limestone into natural dams separating the bodies of water.
Located in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, these waters are open to the public and are considered one of the area’s main attractions. Every year, more than one million visitors take in these scenic rushing waters.
Badain Jaran Desert Lakes In China And Mongolia
Normally, when exploring the desert you would expect to find a barren landscape devoid of water. In the Badain Jaran Desert, that’s not the case. The sandy landscape is home to several unique lakes that were formed from underground springs.
The Badain Jaran Desert lakes rest between the sand dunes of the harsh area and are replenished by the precipitation from nearby snow-topped mountains. Few lakes you’ll find are as mysterious as the ones that prove sometimes mirages are real.
Lake Ysyk In Kyrgyzstan
Located in a frigid alpine location, Lake Ysyk has a special trait – it never freezes. With a name that roughly translates to “hot lake,” the alpine wonder is home to so much geothermal activity and has such a high salinity that it is immune to its surroundings.
Resting at an elevation of 5,720 feet high and facing temperatures as low as negative 15 degrees Fahrenheit, Lake Ysyk has long been a hotbed for human activity thanks to its rich mineral resources.
Lake Nyasa In Africa
Bordering Mozambique and Tanzania, Lake Nyasa stretches more than 350 miles and is home to one of the most bio-diverse populations on the planet. Because of the amount of land it covers, along with the kinds of environments it stretches across, there are more than 1,000 species of fish in the lake.
In context, that huge quantity of fish is equal to 15 percent of all freshwater fish species known today. That’s a whole lot of fish!
Taal Lake In The Philippines
Housing a lake within a lake makes Taal Lake in the Philippines offers one of the most breathtaking views in the world. The third-largest lake in the Philippines, it was created through volcanic activity, which also led to the formation of Volcano Island.
Volcano Island is in the middle of the lake and has the second lake in its crater. Taal Volcano sits underneath it and is still considered an active volcano.
Lake Hévíz In Hungary
One of the most popular lakes in the world, Lake Hévíz is famous worldwide for its wondrous health benefits. It is the largest geothermal lake in the world with an average temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
The lake is surrounded by bathing sheds so that visitors can take advantage of the heat. Spending a day in the water can reportedly aid in relieving arthritic pain and inflammation along with other health benefits.
Loch Ness In Scotland
Perhaps the most famous mysterious lake of them all, Loch Ness has long held the attention of the world. Most well-known for the legend of the Loch Ness monster, the cold and deep lake is a mystery lover’s dream come true.
Those curious to go monster hunting can join cruises on the lake. Those feeling even braver can set out on their own to try and catch a glimpse of the elusive cryptid.
Lake Tahoe On The California/Nevada Border
Does Lake Tahoe hide a mystery greater than any lakes we’ve talked about so far? The crystal clear lake is a year-round tourist attraction in the mountains on the border of Northern California and Nevada. It might also be the resting place of many lost souls.
While nothing has ever been proven about what, or who, may lie on the bottom of the freezing lake, rumors run rampant. Like Loch Ness, there is also believed to by an unseen creature that swims the water, by the name of Tahoe Tessie.
Lake Yellowstone In Wyoming
Located in Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, Lake Yellowstone emits a noise that has baffled visitors since it was first reported in the 1870s. Paranormal investigators believe the sound is from ghosts, while others believe there must be a more natural reason for the ear-catching noises.
One possible explanation for the sounds are wind tunnels amplifying sounds through the lake and park. As of today, however, no proof has been found to concretely explain what causes the Yellowstone Lake “whispers.”
Great Slave Lake In Canada
Named after the Slavey Native Americans, Great Slave Lake in Canada is the deepest lake in all of North America. Frigid temperatures make the area nearly impossible place to live, although there are some inhabitants.
For those brave enough to tough out the temperatures there is one intriguing perk. When the surface of the lake freezes, it becomes thick and dense enough to support the weight of trucks and cars. During this time of year, the frozen lake is used as a shortcut between settlements.
Peyto Lake In Canada
Another uniquely-colored body of water, Peyto Lake is a top tourist destination buried within the Canadian Rockies. During the summer months, melted glacial rock flour pours into the lake, creating its special shade of blue. As winter creeps in, the water returns to a more natural color.
The highest peak to see the lake from is Bow Summit at the top of Icefield Parkway. It is here that most curious travelers can see the stunning lake in its aquamarine entirety.
Surprising Items Discovered At Construction Sites
Whether it involves building a new structure, fixing water lines, or doing any kind of construction that requires digging into the Earth, chances are, something out of the ordinary is going to be uncovered in the process. Although it isn’t always anything particularly special, at times these finds are unbelievable, such as the remains of a dead king or an entire mansion buried beneath a city. Take a look at some of the most incredible things discovered at work sites that make construction look more like archeology.
A Byzantine Church Found Beneath A Highway
When construction workers were performing routine maintenance on a modern highway, the remains of a 1,500-year-old Byzantine Church was discovered along what was once an ancient road. Located near Jerusalem, the church contained decorative white marble flooring and a crucifix-shaped pool for baptizing.
Other items were discovered as well, including oil lamps, pearl shells, glass jars, and more. Upon discovery, Netivei Israel, the National Transportation Infrastructure Company, halted work and has preserved the site for public viewing and historical study.
Dozens Of Coffins Beneath A Philadelphia Apartment Building
As crews were working on the foundation of an apartment complex in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they unearthed around two dozen fully intact bodies encapsulated in coffins. It is believed that the coffins were part of a burial ground nearby from the 18th century First Baptist Church.
Apparently, when the church was moved around 1860, workers were supposed to remove the bodies from the burial ground but failed to do so entirely. The bodies were examined, documented, and re-buried in Mount Moriah Cemetary.
60,000-Year-Old Wooly Mammoth Tusk Found Beneath A Residential Building
In the state of Washington, beneath a residential building in Seattle, a fossilized tusk of a Columbian Mammoth was found. The tusk beneath the structure measured in at over eight feet long and after being assessed by paleontologists, it was estimated that the fossil was at least 60,000 years old.
The company AMLI, which owned the land and building, halted work and called in experts for the mysterious find to be analyzed. The tusk now resides at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle.
Medieval Hospital Beneath Future Apple Store
When the bubonic plague ravaged Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries, hospitals became so overwhelmed with victims that many were abandoned after they ran out of physicians. In 2013, in Madrid, Spain, the foundation of one of these abandoned hospitals was found during the excavation for a new Apple Store.
The hospital dates back to the 15th century and was discovered to have been used to house those inflicted with the plague. Although it continued to be used well into the 18th century, it was torn down in the 1850s.
Dinosaur Eggs During A Road Repair In China
Over the years, people in the Chinese city of Heyuan have uncovered thousands of fossilized dinosaur eggs. Since 1996, more than 17,000 eggs have been discovered, by civilians more so than paleontologists. The first group of them to be found were by children playing in a construction site, and they initially mistook the eggs for stones.
Forty-six more eggs were discovered by construction workers repairing a road. They called in experts to investigate. A total of 19 of the 46 eggs were completely intact with the majority coming from oviraptorids, which roamed the earth 89 million years ago.
19th-Century Time Capsule Under A Scottish Bridge
In 2015, at the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland, a time capsule from 1894 was uncovered by construction workers while they performed maintenance on the Ruthven Road Bridge. The capsule was a metal box that contained a bottle of whiskey, a scroll, a newspaper from 1894, and several other small items.
The capsule was handed over to Highland Folk Museum for study, where it was deduced that it had been placed in the bridge during its construction.
Mummy Beneath A Chinese Road
In 2011, a preserved mummy of a woman was uncovered beneath a road in the city of Taizhou, in the Jiangsu Province of eastern China. After close analysis, it was revealed that the woman was a member of the Ming Dynasty.
Under five-feet-tall, the woman was dressed in fine clothing with her hair and eyebrows still preserved. It was further discovered by Wang Weiyin, the director of the Taizhou Museum, that the mummy was around 700 years old.
The Lost Remains Of A Medieval King
King Richard III was the King of England and the Lord of Ireland from 1483 until his death in 1485. He died at the Battle of Bosworth Field, and it was believed his body was taken by the enemy, although accounts of what happened to it afterward vary.
However, in 2012, researchers and archeologists discovered a skeleton beneath a parking lot in the city of Leicester. The remains were believed to belong to Richard III. After radiocarbon dating, radiological evidence, and DNA and bone analysis, it was confirmed that it was the former King of England. The remains were then taken and interred in Leicester Cathedral.
African Burial Ground Covered By Manhattan
In 1991, the goal to build a new federal building in lower Manhattan started with excavation near what is now Chinatown. During the process, a 17th-century burial ground was unearthed, containing the remains of slaves from the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam.
Construction was halted for the area to be excavated and the bodies were removed, with some of the remains determined to have living relatives. In 1993, the site was established as a national historic landmark and then as a national monument in 2006.
Mayan Sports Arena Discovered During Construction Of A Housing Project
During a housing project development in Yucatán, Mexico, in 2006, the remains of an ancient Mayan ballgame court were discovered. Initially unsure of what the finding was, the National Institute of Anthropology was called in.
Experts Fernando Acevedo and Donato Martin España learned that the ball court was over 2,500 years old and was massive, measuring in 82-feet long and 15-feet wide. With sports being such a prevalent aspect of Mayan culture, the site was saved and named as a historical location.
The Lost Temple Of Pharaoh Ptolemy IV
When construction workers were drilling a new sewage drain in Kom Shakau village in Tama township in northern Sohag in Egypt, the 2,200-year-old lost temple of Pharaoh Ptolemy IV was uncovered. On October 2, 2019, it was announced by the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, that construction had ceased.
After the team had discovered limestone inscriptions with Ptolemy IV’s name, it was determined that it was indeed the temple that was believed to have been lost.
Cemetery Found During The Excavation of A Pool
In New Orleans in 2011, Vincent Marcello was unsure of what he would find when he decided to build a swimming pool, so he hired archaeologist Ryan Gray to excavate the area beforehand. Turns out that Marcello was right in doing so, and Gray found 15 wooden coffins beneath where the swimming pool was supposed to go.
They were part of the Saint Peter Cemetery of New Orleans, with other bodies being discovered in a nearby location in the 1980s. The coffins were extracted and taken to Louisiana State University to be studied.
A Whale Skeleton Far From Water
When construction workers were digging a new railroad in Vermont in 1849, they discovered the skeleton of a white whale 250 miles inland from the nearest coast. Seeing that the unusual remains were over 20 feet long, they knew it was time to notify experts.
The experts brought in were beside themselves considering how far the marine mammal was from the ocean and how there were no waterways anywhere nearby. In the end, they concluded that the whale skeleton was over 11,000 years old and lived when that part of the land was underwater. The find is now referred to as the “Charlotte Whale.”
A Mass Grave Of Viking Remains
While working on a construction site on the side of the road in Dorset, UK, a burial pit of what appeared to be more than 50 executed Viking warriors was found. Archeologists found that there were two separate sections of the pit, with one containing skulls and the other the rest of the bodies.
Analysis by experts showed that the remains came from Scandinavian countries and that the victims had been executed sometime between 910 and 1030 AD.
Pablo Escobar’s Secret Safe
Around 29 years ago, the United States government seized one of cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar’s estates in Miami Beach, Florida. The property was eventually put back on the market and finally purchased. However, the new owner decided to tear down the structure, and in the process discovered something peculiar.
As the final parts of the house were being torn down, the workers discovered a hidden safe. Knowing Pablo Escobar, anything could have been in there. Unfortunately, details about its contents were never released to the public.
Please Save Us From These Tacky Kitchen Decor Mistakes
There are dozens of amazing kitchen designs ripe for the picking, but a giant ceramic chicken is not one of them. That’s an example of tacky kitchen decoration. Most people know a cringe-worthy kitchen when they see one–shelves of beer bottles, fake fruit bowls, cheesy wine slogans–and yet people still use that decor.
Some tacky kitchen designs are in-style, so no one questions how tasteless they really are. But we have. We’ve gathered the tackiest of all tacky kitchen decor, and we’re not afraid to call it like it is.
Obvious Room Labels
Yes, we already know where the KITCHEN is. That SINK and PANTRY are obviously a sink and pantry. Unless you have a young child who is learning to read, you don’t need room labels. It’s insulting to anyone who has been in a kitchen before.
Of course, jar labels can help a guest know which container holds COFFEE and which one has SUGAR. But the contents inside jars aren’t obvious. A KITCHEN is very obvious.
“What are the most tasteless of all dish collections?” you may ask. We have the answer lined up for you.
Kitchen Desks
You know that you’re living in an old house when the kitchen includes a desk. Who wants to work in a kitchen? On top of that, who would entrust the safety of their laptop or work documents in the area where food splatters everywhere? It’s just a bad idea all-around.
In a room with boiling pots, oven timers, and fryers, the cacophony will make any desk worker go mad in minutes. That’s why most kitchen desks end up neglected and covered with papers and sweaters.
Plastic Dishes
If you’re a poor college student or 20-something-year-old, you might use plastic kitchenware because it’s cheaper and you won’t be inviting anyone over. But if you can afford ceramic dishes, why settle for the plastic ones? They’re barely even useful.
Plastic dishes remind people of camping trips and broke college living. They’re a bundle of bad memories wrapped up in brittle, unnaturally-colored plates. Trust that you’ll feel ten times better about your life after throwing out the plastic dishware.
Coming up: why celebrating alcohol doesn’t have the charm that some people think it does.
Open Shelves
Open shelves tend to overlap with a Tuscan-style kitchen, but they deserve their own mention. Not only do they make your kitchen seem crowded and cluttered, but they’re also a hassle to clean. Imagine dusting around every single jar and pan that’s eight feet high.
When you use an open-shelf kitchen, you don’t have as much flexibility decorating, because your kitchen items are your decorations. You’d have to own a set of quality china to get away with open shelves, and even that can appear tacky.
