Melbourne Has A Temporary Bubblegum Pink Lake

Anyone driving over Melbourne’s Westgate Bridge the last few days would have had the pleasure of taking in a bit of eye candy – literally. The lake beneath the bridge in Westgate Park, Port Melbourne, has turned bubblegum pink.

No, it’s not a viral prank cooked up to promote a P!nk tour or to get you back on to Candy Crush – it’s actually a natural phenomenon, and it’s not the first time it’s happened.

The salt water lake has algae growing in its crust that produces a red pigment (beta carotene) in response to elevated salt levels, which are currently occurring due to high temperatures, plenty of sunlight and a lack of rainfall as Melbourne experiences a delayed arrival of autumn.

While the epically ‘grammable lake is great for photos, Parks Victoria advises against coming into contact with the water.

If you want to see Westgate Park’s pink lake you better get in quick; the water colour will return to normal as the city moves into winter and rainfall increases. Western Australia is also home to a similar pink lake, Lake Hillier.

(All images: Parks Victoria/Facebook)

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