00:00 Hmm, on the outside, the surface of this lake looks like the aftermath of a disaster.
00:06 Empty tree trunks spike out of the turquoise waters.
00:09 The lake is surrounded by mountains, making it a quiet but unsettling place.
00:14 But those who dare to swim under these dangerous waters will soon discover a whole new world.
00:20 This isn't the beginning of a fairy tale, it's the actual story of Kayendi Lake, located
00:25 in Satti, Kazakhstan.
00:27 Back in 1911, an earthquake caused a major landslide in this location.
00:32 The valley created eventually filled up with rainwater, practically submerging the forest.
00:37 The trees that are located above the waters might look very sad, but beneath the surface,
00:42 they remind you of an underwater forest.
00:46 Since the waters are crystal clear most of the time, you can still see this fascinating
00:50 view even from its shores.
00:52 The ice-cold water makes this lake so tricky and, at times, even dangerous.
00:57 And don't forget about all the algae, plants, and submerged trees that can rapidly become
01:02 risky obstacles.
01:04 Hey, I enjoy a steamy hot bath, but this boiling lake I'll tell you about now is really the
01:11 stuff of scary dreams.
01:13 It's located on the Caribbean island of Dominica, and its waters have temperatures between 180
01:19 and 197 degrees Fahrenheit.
01:22 And that's just around the edges, since no one has ever dared to reach the middle
01:26 of the lake to measure its core temperature.
01:29 It's true that the heat can go down from time to time, but you never know when these
01:33 waters may start to boil again.
01:36 The place is also dangerous because of the gases it releases, such as carbon dioxide.
01:41 It doesn't smell nice, trust me, but that's mostly because of the sulfur stuck in the
01:45 steamy air.
01:47 This seemingly calm lake also carries a dangerous surprise.
01:52 Lake Manan, located in West Province, Cameroon.
01:55 It's one of the few erupting lakes on the whole planet, similar to a volcano.
02:00 And most of the time, it does so without any warnings.
02:04 Its last eruption dates back to 1894, when it caused serious damage.
02:09 The chemical mechanism of such lakes works like a can of soda that you shake before opening.
02:15 There are risky gases on the bottom of the waters, so any disturbance on the surface
02:19 may trigger their eruption.
02:22 Natron Lake in Tanzania may be beautiful to watch because of its unique reddish coloring,
02:28 but it's definitely not a place you'd want to take a swim in.
02:31 While the water is extremely salty, it also combines with algae, which, by the way, are
02:37 responsible for the coloring.
02:39 And that's not even the riskiest thing about it.
02:42 Natron Lake has pH levels so high that they become corrosive.
02:47 If you dampen a piece of dyed material in this lake, it'll soon be stripped of its
02:51 color.
02:52 These high levels of acidity can also cause serious problems to the human skin.
02:56 It's not all bad for some creatures, as Lake Natron is the only home to over 2.5 million
03:02 small flamingos.
03:04 These acidic and brackish waters support their survival, so it's no wonder they like to
03:08 stick around.
03:10 Nicaragua's danger factor has less to do with chemistry and more to do with its inhabitants.
03:16 It's located on the border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua and is the largest freshwater
03:21 lake in Central America.
03:23 When you first look at it, you won't think it can be dangerous, but because of the bull
03:27 sharks inhabiting it, I wouldn't recommend taking a swim.
03:32 Sharks tend to be unpredictable and at times intimidating creatures.
03:36 Plus, they will eat everything if needed.
03:39 Scientists initially believed this species of shark was only found in this lake, but
03:44 they soon discovered that people had seen the same sharks in the Caribbean Sea.
03:48 These astonishing creatures not only cross a distance of over 120 miles to get here,
03:53 but can also adapt to freshwater, something not all fish can do.
03:58 Belize's Great Blue Hole may seem alluring to divers.
04:02 I mean, it has a gorgeous deep blue color and is pretty close to the mainland, about
04:06 62 miles.
04:08 The problem is that beneath the surface of these tranquil waters is a mixed-up series
04:13 of tunnels which contain many types of coral and other wildlife.
04:17 These caves are what makes diving through the Great Blue Hole tricky.
04:21 More so, specialists discovered that deeper into the waters, there are fewer and fewer
04:26 creatures.
04:27 Why?
04:28 Because of a hidden layer of hydrogen sulfide that spans over the whole width of the sinkhole.
04:34 Since there's no oxygen, no creature can ever survive this deep into the hole.
04:40 Lake Lanier is the largest lake in the state of Georgia.
04:43 It has a lot of visitors each year, about 11 million, so that's about the same number
04:47 as visiting the Louvre Museum in Paris.
04:50 Despite its popularity, a lot of accidents happen on this lake, and nobody knows for
04:55 sure why.
04:56 One of the explanations may lie beneath the surface of this mysterious lake.
05:01 There's a lot of debris and rubble in there, along with random objects that have been tossed
05:06 in, like boats, lawn chairs, and even fishing wire.
05:10 All this creates a tricky underwater obstacle course.
05:14 With the added low visibility on the surface of the lake, this place can become risky to
05:18 navigate.
05:20 Another one of those lakes that looks like someone might've overdone with editing is
05:24 the Grand Prismatic Spring, located in Yellowstone National Park, which stretches into the states
05:30 of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
05:34 Swimming here is completely prohibited.
05:35 Why?
05:36 It's 189°F in the center, almost close to boiling temperatures, and the outermost
05:42 ring reaches around 131°F, hence the colors.
05:46 Since the center of the water is way too hot for any life to make it, there's nothing
05:50 clouding the surface.
05:52 The lack of any living organisms here creates that vivid blue that looks almost painted
05:57 over.
05:59 On the small Mediterranean island of Cyprus, there's not a lot of rain during the summer.
06:04 That's why some bodies of water here become so dry that in certain areas, they get covered
06:09 in a layer of baked salt.
06:11 It's the case for the Larnaca Salt Lake.
06:14 Don't be fooled by the eerie landscape.
06:17 These lands can easily become a trap.
06:19 That's because it's easy to get confused about what's actually a dry surface and
06:24 what's just a thin layer of salt on top of water or mud.
06:28 Or so, underneath the crust are salt crystals, which can cause problems for people's skin.
06:34 Samesin Hole is one of the most dangerous places to swim in the whole of Thailand.
06:39 It's because it's very deep, reaching 280 ft and gets extremely dark.
06:46 At certain points, as divers get lower, they can even reach places with zero visibility.
06:51 No wonder a lot of people get confused and can't seem to find their way up anymore.
06:56 The largest lake in Africa, and the third largest lake in the entire world, is called
07:01 Lake Victoria.
07:03 Not all of its waters are unsafe for people, but some regions can rapidly cause problems.
07:08 Why?
07:09 Particularly because it has its own isolated weather system, and that makes the weather
07:14 really unreliable.
07:16 It can go from bright and sunny to terrible in a matter of seconds.
07:19 I mean, who'd want to get caught swimming in the middle of a storm, right?
07:24 Pustoyi Lake is located in Siberia, so I'm guessing I don't need to tell you the waters
07:30 here get extremely cold.
07:32 But if you look at the lake, there's nothing out of the ordinary with these waters.
07:37 Is that completely true?
07:39 Most likely not, and people tend to avoid swimming here at all costs, even if they can
07:44 resist the freezing cold waters.
07:46 So what makes Lake Pustoyi so mysterious and dangerous?
07:50 Well, nothing seems to want to live here, and scientists have yet to discover why.
07:56 They tried to fill the lake with many types of fish and various plant species to see if
08:00 they could survive in the waters, but the results were disappointing.
08:05 Since we don't know exactly what makes it so difficult to survive here, don't go running
08:09 for your swimming trunks just yet.
08:11 It's best if you stay away.
08:13 Hey, you don't have to tell me twice!
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