Cultural

The most dangerous waters in the world

At DACAR we are undeniably drawn to the sea. Since in addition to being the way in which we make a living, it is an environment in which we enjoy and we love to see you enjoy. For this reason, we wanted to bring you some curiosities related to water. And we are going to talk about the most dangerous waters in the world, in which bathing or navigating through them is practically impossible.

First we have the Lake Natron, in Tanzania. It is one of the most alkaline and salty lakes in the world. A red-tinged salt crust rests on its surface. Due to these characteristics and the fact that the temperature reaches 50ºC in some areas, there are only three species of fish that are capable of living in this hostile environment. The animals that die on its shores solidify and preserve due to the salt. Its appearance is due to its proximity to the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, since it is the cause of its waters having numerous chemical compounds, such as cyanobacteria that give it its reddish color.

Secondly we find the Dahab Blue Hole, in Egypt. Blue holes are underwater vertical caves. It is one of the most dangerous places to dive in the world. And it is that over 55 or 60 meters deep there is a passageway that connects with the open sea. It is known as the arc. And it is that due to the orientation of the cave, many divers are not able to find the exit. It is estimated that it is 130 meters deep, although there are no data to certify this information. Many diving experts have died in its waters and continue to die every year. Most due to nitrogen narcosis.

dahab blue hole dangerous waters
Image retrieved from wikipedia.org

Next we will talk about drake passage, is located between the South American continent and Antarctica. It is considered by many to be one of the largest ship graveyards in the world. And it is that prior to the construction of the famous Panama Canal, many ships were forced to navigate its dangerous waters. Among the dangers we find strong winds, merciless water currents, terrible visibility, a large amount of storms and icebergs. The large number of storms that take place in this area have helped it to be known worldwide for having the stormiest waters of all the oceans, creating waves up to 10 meters high. One of the peculiarities of this place is that there is no land in the surroundings, so the wind runs without restraint. For this reason, it is common for there to be winds ranging from 50 to 150 km/h.

We go on to talk about lake kivu, in Africa. This lake is located between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its danger lies in the layers of carbon dioxide it contains. This lake is located in the Great Rift Valley, an area known for its seismic activity, which causes its bed to house more than 55 million cubic meters of methane, a toxic and explosive gas, due to the high volcanic activity of area.

Lastly we will talk about Dominica Island Boiling Lake. In the center of the Morne Pitons National Park is this lake that reaches 92ºC. Its boiling waters emerge from the earth, even lava can come out. It is considered the second largest spring in the world. Produces a fumarole that can be seen from afar. Its access is complicated, you have to climb about eight hours to get there. It is located in a volcanic area, located in the very heart of the Morne Trois Piton National Park. This lake is often covered in a cloud of steam due to the high temperature of the water.

boiling lake on dominica island dangerous waters
Image retrieved from mergili.at

Image of the cover recovered from omniria.com

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