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Melbourne Has A Temporary Bubblegum Pink Lake

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.

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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.

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

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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.

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(All images: Parks Victoria/Facebook)

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