Lake Retba is a Bizarre, Naturally Occurring Pink Lake in Senegal

We're used to seeing lakes that are various shades of blue or even green, but this peculiar body of water in Senegal looks more like a massive Pepto-Bismol spill than any lake that we've ever seen! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Retba">Lake Retba</a> (also known as Lac Rose) is located on the north of Senegal's Cap Vert peninsula, and what's so unusual about this lake is that the waters have been dyed bright bubblegum-pink by a particular type of algae.

The bizarre color is caused by <em><a title="Dunaliella salina" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunaliella_salina">Dunaliella salina</a>, </em>a type of halophile green<a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/microalgae/"> micro-algae</a>, that is found in the water.

Usually found in sea salt fields, such as in Lake Retba, the micro-algae appears pink during the dry season.

At other times, though, the water has a rusty brown color.

Lake Retba also has unusual properties. <em>Dunaliella salina </em>is known for its anti-oxidant activity as it is able to create large amount of carotenoids. As a result, it is often found in cosmetics and dietary supplements.

In order to protect themselves, many salt collectors who work in the lake rub their skin with shea butter in order to avoid tissue damage. Image was captured by a camera suspended by a kite line. Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) 7' Rokkaku

As you'd expect, the high salt levels mean that few organisms can survive in the lake, so really it simply serves as a source of salt and a weird tourist attraction. As it is located near Dakar, the site is usually the finishing point for the epic car rally.