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This lovely bubblegum pink lake was "discovered" in Ras Al Khaimah by a travelling expat and an Emirati photographer.
19 January 2021
| Last updated on 14 February 2021
The pink lake in Ras Al Khaimah is about 100 metres off the sea coast.
While it's not the first time the Middle East saw pink-hued waters, as Oman boasts two pink lakes, Ras Al Khaimah's pink phenomenon is the first of its kind to go viral online in the UAE.
Located in the Saraya Islands, Ras Al Khaimah, this body of water was usually as green as they come.
What causes a lake to be pink
Dr. Saif Al Ghais, Director General of the Environment Protection and Development Authority in Ras Al Khaimah, told Al Khaleej: "The water discolouration and its transformation to pink is due to the proliferation of red algae which include more than 4,000 species."
The same changes have happened in the past in other countries, such as Mexico and Australia.
These algae normally appear and reproduce at the same time every year, thus changing the colour of the water. However, Dr. Al Ghais pointed out that they have yet to confirm this is 100 per cent the reason.
"We need to take a sample from the lake water, and then analyse and study it in a scientific way to explain the colour change," he added.
Expat travel blogger Maria (@worldwithmaria on Instagram) took a stunning shot of the pink lakes earlier in January, inspiring many in the UAE to seek out the location.
Later, Sharjah-based Emirati student Ammar Al Farsi captured the pink lake using a drone, then shared the images on his social media accounts, catapulting the internet's knowledge of the lake.
According to Al Farsi, he could see the layers of salt beneath the cotton candy-coloured water. The lake extends over an area that is 40 metres long and 10 metres wide.
"Some people did not believe it and thought I fabricated the images using Photoshop, but it really exists," he said in a Khaleej Times article.
Click here for the Google Maps location.
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