The world is 70% water, we drink it, bathe in it, grow food with it, and we just exist thanks to it. But some bodies of water are very dangerous. I present to your attention a list of lakes and rivers that can seriously harm or even kill a person.

The Rio Tinto is one of the rivers with the highest acidity, with a pH of 2 at best, which is roughly equal to the acidity in the human gastrointestinal tract. This is enough to kill any fish that dares to swim into this river. In all likelihood, the same thing threatens a person. Water is dangerous because of the special bacteria that live in it. Similar substances have been found on Mars, prompting scientists to wonder if the key to the Red Planet's mystery lies in this river. So far, this is just a pipe dream, but without a doubt you should be afraid of Rio Tinto as well as an angry grizzly, because both the river and the animal are those who are pleasant to watch, but it is better not to touch.

Boiling Lake, Dominican Republic
Whoever came up with the name for this place, he did not have to think for a long time: the Boiling Lake fully justifies its name. The lake was first discovered by two Englishmen in 1870. Five years later, it was possible to measure the temperature in the lake, which ranged from 82 to 91.5 degrees Celsius. That alone is enough to get you burned, but that's the temperature at the edge of the lake. In the center, it is much higher - so much so that it is even impossible to measure it without the measuring one being welded alive.

Lake Kivu, bordering Congo and Rwanda
300 meters of Lake Kivu is a time bomb. About 250 cubic kilometers of carbon dioxide and 65 cubic kilometers of methane are hidden in the depths of this lake. It can flood all nearby settlements, taking thousands of lives. So far, the gas is harmless, but one volcanic eruption is enough (and given that there are many of them there, this may well happen) for the gas to rise to the surface, destroying everything around.

Chitarum River, Java, Indonesia
Chitarum is one of the most polluted rivers on earth. Due to the 500 factories located on the river bank, the lack of waste collection systems and a modern plumbing system, the river is so filled with garbage that the water itself is almost invisible underneath. This river can take many lives, but only through our fault. And this is the most important waterway in that area! The locals use the water for drinking, bathing and even cooking! Unfortunately, they have no other choice. They made their own bed and now they will have to sleep on it.

Johannesburg Rivers, South Africa
It is not pleasant enough to become infected with E. coli, but now imagine that you are swimming in water that is teeming with them. This is the reality for many of Johannesburg's rivers in South Africa, where levels of E. coli exceed the legal limit, in some places up to 240 times. This problem will not go away, as local government officials actively deny it. Although when health experts say that drinking from this river means putting your life in mortal danger, then it might be worth listening to them ...

Blackwater River, Virginia, USA
Too much water is not good either. Ask any Virginia resident who lives near the Blaewater River who has seen more flooding than anyone in the past few years. After 60 years of quiet existence, the Blackwater River has overflowed and flooded nearby towns about six times in the past 10 years. Fortunately, so far this has not resulted in the death of any of the residents, but it is just a matter of time if this continues. And, unfortunately, no one can tell why Blackwater spills so often. Whatever the reason, the locals are determined to find out so that they can finally stop worrying about the fact that everything they lived with will be carried away by the torrent of the river again.

Tualatin River, Oregon, USA
The Tualatin River in Oregon is not the best place to go for a swim with your pet: every year animals die in the river due to poisonous blue-green algae. Algae, which is actually nothing more than a deadly bacterium, grows rapidly, filling the water with a deceptively beautiful turquoise color. Those unfortunate people who have plunged into this river will at best expect weakness and diarrhea, and at worst, paralysis and even death.

Lake Karachay, Russia
Like a supermodel with a bomb hidden under her dress, Lake Karachay in Russia is beautiful but deadly. It is the most radioactive body of water in the entire world. This is the main burial site for nuclear waste since the 90s. The lake is so toxic that you can die without even touching the water. Just by standing on the shore of the lake for about an hour you will receive 600 X-rays. By comparison, most people die from 500 X-ray radiation. Every effort is now being made to tackle this problem, and recently tests have shown either low or no radiation. Maybe in 500 years people will even be able to swim in this lake. May be....

Bel Forsh River, bordering South Dakota and Wyoming, USA
Bel Forsh is not a boiling, poisonous and not radioactive river, but nevertheless it poses a huge danger. She has already claimed several lives. In 2010, a father, along with his daughter and a friend, drowned when the rapid rapids threw them out of the boat. A few years later, another incident was reported, which almost attracted the death of a person, again due to the rushing current and dangerous rapids. Although this river rarely attracts the attention of the press, it can still be considered quite dangerous.

Potomac River, bordering Maryland and West Virginia, USA
Although most people know this river only for the fact that Washington, DC is located on it, the legendary river has another feature - it often takes lives. From Great Falls to Chain Bridge, the river forms a series of rapids and waterfalls that sweep the victims 1.5 km away in a bubbling stream. Roughly 6 people per year die in the waters of the Potomac River and even more people risk their lives simply by playing on the banks of the river. It is so dangerous that the local authorities launched a campaign to warn the public, using the most intelligible wording: "If you go into this river, you will die."

Nature is able to create truly beautiful and mysterious places. Previously, such places were given a mystical color. In the modern world, most "mystical" explanations have been destroyed by science. The online magazine Factinteres has collected for you 8 of the most dangerous bodies of water, which would be better to avoid.

Boiling Lake, Dominican Republic

This lake in the Dominican Republic could become a popular thermal resort. However, the water temperature is around 90 degrees Celsius. It becomes obvious why you can't swim here. Moreover, the authorities forbid even approaching this reservoir. The fact is that periodically a mixture of lava and boiling water escapes from the depths of the reservoir. It looks beautiful, but it is not recommended to be around.

Rio Tinto, Spain

The Rio Tinto River has a beautiful red water color. However, this beauty is dangerous to humans. The fact is that the redness of the water occurs due to the high concentration of iron and copper. The concentration is so high that not a single species of fish can be found in the river.

The appearance of the red tint of the water is due to mining near the river. Mining began in this area over 100 years ago. During this time, the river became very dirty, which is now forbidden even to approach it.

Citarium, Indonesia

The Chitarum River was an ordinary river. At one time, the river began to be used for industrial purposes, and in agriculture, and for water supply. All this brought the river to the point that it became a real garbage dump. Samples from this river make you wonder, because the pollution level is very high. By the way, more than 5 million people live in the riverbed.

Kivu, Africa

The Kifu River looks very beautiful. She's a lovely blue. However, this beauty is deceiving and represents a danger to humans. This is because there is a lot of carbon dioxide and methane under the water column. Everything would be fine if the lake was not in an area of \u200b\u200bvolcanic activity. This means that a very strong explosion can occur at any moment. A similar thing happened before, when, as a result of volcanic activity, the lake boiled and all the living creatures were simply boiled.

Karachay, Russia

This river was not initially dangerous. However, in October 1951, liquid radioactive waste was buried in this place. By now, a lot of waste has accumulated and the groundwater has become contaminated.

Potomac, USA

The Potomac River was dangerous to humans from the very beginning. The fact is that there are very strong underwater currents here. Every year, dozens of water sports enthusiasts who want to conquer this river become victims of the Potomac River.

Tualatin River, USA

This river is mesmerizing with its bright green color. However, this color comes from algae, which are deadly to animals. For humans, this river is a little less dangerous, but a fatal outcome is quite possible. At best, the person will feel weak and diarrhea will occur. In the worst case, paralysis or death. Hundreds of animals die in this river every year.

Jacob's Well, USA

Thousands of divers from all over the world come here every year. The cave's winding tunnels attract many divers who love extreme sports. However, these tunnels are not only beautiful but also very dangerous. About 10 people have already become victims of Jacob's Well.

This is the scariest lake on the planet. He was even given the appropriate name - Lake Killer and Lake of a Thousand Deaths. It once claimed the lives of nearly two thousand people. TravelAsk will tell you why this reservoir is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Scary place in Africa

This lake is located in Cameroon, in the crater of a volcano at an altitude of 1090 meters above sea level. It is called Nyos, but the locals gave it a more sonorous name - the Lake of a Thousand Deaths. Fearfully?

The volcano itself went out a long time ago, and the reservoir is quite young: it was formed about 400 years ago, filling the maar with water. The lake is deep enough - 209 meters. At great depths, rocks are located, and under them is magma, which releases carbon dioxide into the water. This is his danger.

As you might have guessed, you shouldn't swim in such a place. At first glance, Nyos is a calm and small body of water: the width of the lake is 900 meters, and the length is 1400 meters.

Do not approach, it is dangerous!

The lake became widely known because of the disaster that happened here in 1986. A cloud of choking gas passed over its northern shores. The gas spread over several tens of kilometers. As a result, almost all the inhabitants of several villages (1,746 people) died, as well as all domestic animals, birds and even insects. All died in an instant: corpses lay in the street, and birds fell dead from the trees.


Moreover, even the grass here turned black and shriveled, as if from the cold. And the trees curled up. Due to oxidation, the water in the lake turned red.


The territory of the villages was cordoned off by the military: this is not surprising, the world has not encountered this. And about 30 thousand people from nearby settlements were relocated pending clarification of the reasons. And the dead were buried in bulk, in mass graves.

Evil Spirit of the Lake

Locals said that the evil spirit of the lake had burst out. Well, why not an evil spirit?

And, of course, this story gave rise to other legends. So, experts on the paranormal tell various eyewitness accounts. So, during the disaster, TVs stopped showing, and an image of a lake from the past appeared on the screens. This picture was replaced by a lake, the water of which spills out from the banks, reveals the bottom and hangs under the clouds. And there were also witnesses who saw translucent thorns. They made passages in the water, came out of it, devoured living creatures and maimed people.


Of course, this tragedy has attracted researchers here. When scientists tried to climb to the lake to take water samples, the flasks simply exploded. All this was caused by high pressure and high content of gases (carbon dioxide, as well as methane and helium).

As a result, scientists still managed to take samples. They analyzed and found that the water after the disaster contained about 250 million cubic meters of carbon dioxide.

Causes of the tragedy

One of the assumptions put forward is that the volcano came to life. And it is quite possible, because a small eruption could have occurred at the bottom, which raised the poisoned water to the surface. It could also be facilitated by rain or strong winds, which will mix the layers of water. Indeed, an evil spirit!

Moreover, further studies have shown that gas is supplied to the water regularly, about 5 million cubic meters annually. That is, gas accumulates in the waters, and it is quite possible that a similar tragedy will occur again. However, since it is located exactly at a depth, there must be some kind of impact (wind, tremors) for the gas to rise to the surface and spread in the area. In general, cold waters hold it.


The tragedy of 1986 itself caused a lot of controversy. According to some survivors, they simultaneously smelled rotten eggs and heard the sounds of an explosion. However, CO2 is odorless. Both smell and sound propagate at different speeds and, accordingly, with a large difference in time.

About potential tragedies

Nyos feeds the Katsina River. On the north side, the lake is surrounded by a natural dam made of volcanic rocks, however, as they say, the water wears away the stone. So she "chipped" her way into the river. But the danger is that the natural dam is gradually destroyed under the influence of water, which means that it can simply collapse in the future. And then the waters of Nyos will come out and flood the surrounding areas. But in general, the waters of the lake are quite stable: the cold temperature keeps the gas from entering the atmosphere.

By the way, despite the fact that the tragedy claimed so many lives, people continue to live here. Although residents were evacuated after the incident, they still returned to their homes and their lands. They grow corn on the banks of the river, and they brought tilapia into the rivers, which is not susceptible to gas (it just makes you wonder how much you can eat this fish ...).


But there are still abandoned houses here, indicating that a tragedy has happened in these villages.

How to ensure safety

There is a whole project for degassing the lake. It includes the installation of pipes at the bottom of Nyos. Through them, excess gas will have to go outside, and not accumulate at the bottom in huge quantities. Cameroon is also working on this project. Several years ago, pipes were even installed at the bottom of the lake. Be that as it may, to some extent this will make it possible to secure the adjacent territory.


By the way, it is believed that today the lake has accumulated twice as much gas as at the time of the 1986 tragedy. In general, according to some studies, emissions into the atmosphere can occur once every 10-30 years, and sometimes more often. And if the water breaks through the natural dam, the lake will rush into the river. And then carbon dioxide will poison everything around for many kilometers. And the lost will be in the thousands.

By the way, there are two more similar lakes in Africa: Lake Manun, 95 kilometers from Nios and Lake Kivu in Congo. A similar tragedy struck Manoun in 1984. 37 people died here.

When we hear the word "lake", a picture appears in our imagination - beautiful place for recreation, where you can swim and fish. However, this is not always the case. Some lakes are fearful and terrifying. And there are reasons for this.

Lake Empty (Russia)

Its location is the Kuznetsk Alatau region located in Western Siberia. Lake Empty is a fresh and ecologically clean water body of continental origin, because it is completely free of chemicals. Many scientists have repeatedly conducted studies of the water from the lake, which have never yet confirmed the presence of any toxic components in it.

The lake has clean water, which is suitable for drinking, and resembles champagne, since it is dominated by perfectly safe bubbles of natural gases. However, researchers have not been able to determine the reason why there is no fish in the lake.

In the vicinity of Lake Empty, there have never been environmental disasters or extreme technical accidents that pollute the reservoir. In terms of chemical composition, its water does not differ from the nearest reservoirs of the reserve, which are distinguished by an abundance of fish resources. Moreover, the reservoir feeds several fresh, clean water bodies in the vicinity, the fact that there is fish in them will give a special mystery to what is happening in these dreams.

There have been several attempts to launch unpretentious fish species of pikes, perches and crucians into the reservoir. Each of them ended in failure, the fish died, the aquatic plants rotted. And today there are no grass and birds on the shores of the reservoir, there are neither fish nor fry in the water, the lake protects its mysteries.

Why are there no fish in the lake?

The samples from the Kuznetsk reservoir were studied by chemists from the USA, Great Britain and Germany. However, none of them was able to put forward a sensible version explaining the absence of fish in the reservoir. Scientists are not yet able to answer the questions of the inhabitants what is happening with the Kuznetsk reservoir.

However, scientists repeat attempts to explain the extraordinary phenomenon of the Empty Lake with enviable periodicity. Visit the shores unusual lake there are many who wish, tourists come here and stay for the night. Some of them dream of touching the mystery of nature and solving it.

Lake of Death (Italy)


Our world is amazing and beautiful, its nature can be endlessly admired and enjoyed. But besides this, there are places on our Earth that sometimes lead us to perplexity. Among such places is the Lake of Death on the island of Sicily. This lake can be classified as one of the phenomena and unique natural phenomena. The name itself suggests that this lake is deadly for all living things. Any living organism that got into this lake will inevitably die.

This lake is the most dangerous on our planet. The lake is absolutely lifeless and there are no living organisms in it. The shores of the lake are deserted and lifeless, nothing grows here. Everything is due to the fact that any living creature that enters the aquatic environment immediately dies. If a person decides to swim in this lake, he will dissolve in the lake in just a few minutes.

When information about this place appeared in the scientific world, a scientific expedition was immediately sent there to study this phenomenon. The lake discovered its secrets with great difficulty. The water analyzes carried out showed that the composition of the lake's aquatic environment contains a large amount of concentrated sulfuric acid. Scientists were not immediately able to figure out where the sulfuric acid comes from in the lake. Scientists have put forward several hypotheses on this matter.

The first hypothesis was that at the bottom of the lake there are rocks that, when washed out with water, are enriched with acid. But further study of the lake showed that there are two springs at the bottom of the lake, which release concentrated sulfuric acid into the water environment of the lake. This explains why any organic matter dissolves in the lake.

Dead Lake (Kazakhstan)


There is an anomalous lake in Kazakhstan that attracts the attention of many people. It is located in the Taldykurgan region, the village of Gerasimovka. Its dimensions are not large, only 100x60 meters. This body of water is called the Dead. The fact is that there is nothing in the lake, neither algae nor fish. Its water is unusually icy.

The water temperature remains low even when the sun is strong outside. People are constantly drowning there. Scuba divers, for some unknown reason, begin to choke after three minutes of diving. Locals do not advise anyone to go there, and they themselves bypass it abnormal place.

Blue Lake (Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia)


Blue karst abyss in Kabardino-Balkaria. Not a single river or stream flows into this lake, although every day it loses up to 70 million liters of water, but its volume and depth do not change at all. The blue color of the lake is due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide in the water. There are no fish here at all.

The fact that no one has been able to figure out its depth makes this lake creepy. The fact is that the bottom consists of an extensive system of caves. Researchers have not yet been able to figure out what the lower point of this karst lake is. It is believed that under the Blue Lake there is the largest system of underwater caves in the world.

Boiling Lake (Dominican Republic)


The name speaks for itself. Located in Dominica, the beautiful Caribbean, this lake is actually the second largest natural hot spring on earth. The temperature of the water in the boiling lake reaches 90 degrees Celsius and there are hardly anyone who wants to check the temperature of the source on their own skin. Just look at the photos and it becomes clear that the water is practically boiling here. The temperature cannot be controlled because it is the result of a crack in the bottom of the lake through which hot lava is erupting.

Lake Powell (USA)


Despite its common name (Horseshoe), Lake Powell near Mammoth Lakes is a fearsome killer. The city of Mammoth Lakes was built on top of an active volcano, which is not the best location. Nevertheless, the lake was considered safe for many years. But about 20 years ago, the trees around Horse's Horseshoe began to dry up and die abruptly.

After ruling out all possible diseases, scientists decided that the trees were choking on excessive levels of carbon dioxide slowly oozing through the ground from underground chambers of cooling magma. In 2006, three tourists took refuge in a cave near a lake and suffocated from carbon dioxide.

Lake Karachay (Russia)


Located in the beautiful Ural Mountains of Russia, this deep blue lake is one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world. During a secret government project, for many years, starting in 1951, the lake was used as a dumping ground for radioactive waste.

The place is so toxic that a 5 minute visit can make a person nauseous, and a longer visit of an hour is guaranteed to be fatal. During a drought in 1961, the wind carried toxic dust that affected 500,000 people - a tragedy comparable to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Definitely one of the most polluted places on Earth.

Lake Kivu (Democratic Republic of the Congo)


This lake is located on the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, with large layers of carbon dioxide at the base of the volcanic rock, as well as 55 billion cubic meters of methane at the bottom. This explosive combination makes Lake Kivu the deadliest of the three exploding lakes in the world. Any earthquake or volcanic activity can pose a lethal threat to the 2 million people living in this region. They can die both from methane explosions and from asphyxiation by carbon dioxide.

Lake Michigan (Canada)


Of the five Great Lakes on the border of Canada and the United States, Lake Michigan is the most deadly. The warm, attractive lake is a popular vacation spot for numerous tourists, despite its dangerous underwater currents that claim at least several lives every year.

The shape of Lake Michigan makes it particularly prone to dangerous currents that arise spontaneously and abruptly. The lake becomes more dangerous in the fall, October and November, when there are sudden and significant changes in water and air temperature. In this case, the wave height can reach several meters.

Lake Mono (USA)


One of the most developed ecosystems in the world, Mono Lake is located in the California District of the same name. This ancient salt lake has no fish, but trillions of bacteria and small algae thrive in its unique waters. Until 1941, this amazingly beautiful lake was healthy and strong. But Los Angeles intervened, which was just beginning its giant growth spurt. The city drained the tributaries of the lake, which began to dry up.

This scandalous destruction of natural resources continued for nearly 50 years, and when it was stopped in 1990, Lake Mono had already lost half its volume, and its salinity doubled. Mono has become a toxic alkaline lake, overflowing with carbonates, chlorides and sulfates. Los Angeles has decided to fix its mistake, but the restoration project will take decades.

Lake Manoun (Cameroon)


Located in the Ocu Volcanic Field in Cameroon, Monun Lake seems like an absolutely normal body of water. But its appearance is deceiving, as it is one of three explosive lakes on earth. In 1984, Monoon exploded without warning, throwing out a cloud of carbon dioxide and killing 37 people. Twelve of the victims were traveling in the truck and stopped to watch the aftermath of the explosion. Just at that moment, lethal gas did its job.

Lake Nyos (Cameroon)


In 1986, Lake Nyos, located just 100 kilometers from Lake Monun, exploded after an eruption of magma and released carbon dioxide, converting water to carbonic acid. As a result of a powerful landslide, the lake abruptly emitted a giant cloud of carbon dioxide, killing thousands of people and animals in local cities and villages. The tragedy was the first known major suffocation caused by a natural phenomenon. The lake continues to pose a threat because its natural wall is fragile, and even the slightest earthquake can destroy it.

Natron (Tanzania)


Lake Natron in Tanzania not only kills its inhabitants, but also mummifies their bodies. On the shores of the lake, there are mummified flamingos, small birds, bats. The worst thing is that the victims freeze in their natural poses with their heads raised. As if they froze for a moment and so remained forever. The water in the lake is bright red because of the microorganisms living in it, closer to the shore it is already orange, and in some places it is of a normal color.

Vapors from the lake scare off large predators, and the absence of natural enemies attracts a huge number of birds and small animals. They live on the banks of the Natron, reproduce, and after death they mummify. The large amount of hydrogen contained in the water and the increased alkalinity contribute to the release of soda, salt and lime. They do not allow the remains of the inhabitants of the lake to decompose.

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Most people can not imagine a vacation without rest by the water, whether it be a lake, river, sea or even the ocean. However, on our planet there are many bodies of water, recreation on which can be deadly.

website will tell you about several places on Earth that, despite their beauty, are hardly worth choosing for a quiet and serene pastime.

10. The Big Blue Hole, Belize

During high tides, the Great Blue Hole turns into a giant funnel that sucks in everything that appears on the surface of the water, and during low tides, huge jets of water sometimes erupt from it. Despite this, there are many people who want to see this cave, because Jacques-Yves Cousteau himself called the Great Blue Hole one of best places for diving on Earth.

9. Jacob's Well, Texas, USA

A 10-meter natural well with crystal clear water is one of the most dangerous diving sites in the world. At the bottom of Jacob’s well there are several entrances to the ramified system of caves, not everyone can get out of it to land.

8. Lake Michigan, USA

Lake Michigan has almost the same glory as Bermuda Triangle, because it was over it that one of the largest air crashes on the North American continent occurred, the cause of which was never found out.

However, if we ignore mysticism, the lake is a real danger due to currents that form suddenly and, according to some reports, annually claim several dozen lives.

7. Lake Natron, Tanzania

Crusted with salt that periodically turns red, Lake Natron is one of the most saline and alkaline on Earth. In some places, the water temperature reaches 50 ° C, which, coupled with high alkalinity, makes the lake practically unsuitable for life: it is home to only three species of fish that have adapted to extreme conditions.

6. The Blue Hole, Dahab

The blue hole is considered one of the most dangerous places for diving on our planet, as many divers died in this 130-meter karst cave. However, experienced divers say that people with the appropriate training and extensive experience in diving can dive without fear, because the cause of death of divers is usually nitrogen anesthesia and an insufficient supply of air upon ascent.

5. Horse Horseshoe Lake, USA

Carbon dioxide released from cracks in the bottom of Horse Horseshoe Lake is dangerous to all living things. The lake was responsible for the deaths of 4 people, as well as trees growing on 40 hectares around it. The danger that the lake is fraught with is signaled by signs on all access roads.

4. Boiling Lake, Dominica

The temperature of this mountain lake, which takes up to 8 hours to climb, can rise above 92 ° C. This is due to the jets of hot air gushing from the ground, which sometimes coexist with streams of lava. Swimming in this lake is strictly prohibited, even if the characteristic bubbles are not visible - boiling begins in a matter of seconds.