Out of This World: The 25 Most Surreal Landscapes on the Planet

Best seen from above, Lake Helier on Middle Island in Western Australia appears in a bubble-gum pink hue in stark contrast to the blue water of the Pacific Ocean beside it. In 2016, researchers finally solved the mystery surrounding the lake’s color, attributing it to different microbes (including Dunaliella salina) which create pigment compounds called carotenoids to absorb sunlight. These compounds are thought to cause the algae to turn pink. Unlike other pink lakes worldwide, the water doesn’t change colour when filled into a container.