These Are The World Most Dangerous Waters Where You Should Avoid Going For A Swim

By Sughra Hafeez in Nature On 21st January 2018

Our planet has such beautiful, fascinating and mysterious bodies of water. However, despite their enchanting wonders, some of them can seriously bring harm to anyone. From the mysterious Bermuda Triangle where ships go missing or sink to the Blue Hole in Belize, a dangerous diving spot for tourists, here are 10 places to avoid going for a swim.

Great Blue Hole, Belize

The Great Blue Hole is a giant submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 km (43 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, 318 m (1,043 ft) across and 124 m (407 ft) deep. This is a popular spot among recreational scuba divers who are lured by the opportunity to dive in sometimes crystal-clear water and meet several species of fish, including Midnight Parrotfish, Caribbean reef shark, and other juvenile fish species. Other species of sharks, such as the bull shark and hammerheads, have been reported there, but are not regularly sighted. Usually, day trips to the Great Blue Hole are full-day trips from the coastal tourist communities in Belize. On-shore caves of similar formation, as largely collapsed sinkholes, are well known in Belize and in the Yucatán Peninsula, where they are known as cenotes. Unlike the mainland cenotes which often link to underwater cave systems, there is little evidence of horizontal development in the Blue Hole. Even though the Great Blue Hole is considered a bucket-list dive, one should be aware that it is not for divers of all skill levels – a prerequisite is logging more than 24 dives. It is also not a 'colorful dive', instead, divers witness a dark cave with impressive stalactites.

Jacob’s Well, Texas, USA

Jacob's Well is a perennial karstic spring in the Texas Hill Country flowing from the bed of Cypress Creek, located northwest of Wimberley, Texas. This 30-foot deep natural well with crystal clear water is one of the most dangerous diving places in the world. At the bottom of Jacob’s Well, there are several entrances to a broad network of caves that many are unable to leave. The cave is also an attraction for open-water divers, some of whom are inexperienced with the specialized techniques and equipment used in cave diving, which has resulted in eight fatalities at this site between 1964 and 1984 (seven men and one woman).

Lake Michigan, USA

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. The word "Michigan" originally referred to the lake itself, and is believed to come from the Ojibwe word Michi-game meaning "great water". Lake Michigan is almost as notorious as the Bermuda Triangle because it’s over this lake that one of the most horrible air crashes in North America occurred for no logical reasons. The lake is really dangerous due to its suddenly forming currents that, according to some sources, take several dozens of lives each year.

Lake Natron, Tanzania

Lake Natron is a salt and soda lake in the Arusha Region in northern Tanzania. The lake is close to the Kenyan border and is in the Gregory Rift, which is the eastern branch of the East African Rift. The lake is within the Lake Natron Basin, a Ramsar Site wetland of international significance. Lake Natron is one of the saltiest and most alkaline lakes on Earth, covered with a salt crust that’s sometimes colored red. The water temperature reaches 120°F (50°C) in certain places, which makes it, along with alkalinity, almost unfit for life. Most animals find the lake's high temperature (up to 50 °C) and its high and variable salt content inhospitable. Nonetheless, Lake Natron is home to some endemic algae, invertebrates, and birds. In the slightly less salty water around its margins, some fish can also survive. Two endemic fish species, the alkaline tilapias Alcolapia latilabris and A. ndalalani, also thrive in the waters at the edges of the hot spring inlets. A. alcalica is also present in the lake but is not endemic.

Blue Hole, Sinai

The Blue Hole is a diving location on the southeast Sinai, a few kilometers north of Dahab, Egypt on the coast of the Red Sea. The Blue Hole is a submarine sinkhole, with a maximum depth within the hole of just over 100 m (328 feet). The Blue Hole is a hot spot for freediving because of the depth directly accessible from shore and the lack of current. There is a local legend that the Blue Hole is cursed by the ghost of a girl who drowned herself there to escape from an arranged marriage. The Blue Hole at Dahab is believed to be by far the most dangerous and deadliest dive site in the world, with Egyptian authorities reporting 40 deaths, and others suggesting it has claimed the lives of 130 to 200[ divers in recent years. The cause of death is usually nitrogen narcosis or insufficient air capacity upon ascent. Though experienced divers say that properly trained people with experience can actually dive without fear.

Horseshoe Lake (Madison County, Illinois)

Horseshoe Lake, a National Natural Landmark, is located in the American Bottom of Illinois within the greater St. Louis metropolitan area, is 2,400 acres (10 km2) in size, and is the second-largest natural lake in Illinois after Lake Michigan. The lake is very shallow, about three feet (1 m) deep throughout most the lake, but there is one deep spot, about 54.5 feet (16 m) deep, due to dredging for sand in years past. The carbon dioxide emitted from the fissures in the bottom of Horseshoe Lake is deadly for everything. The danger is announced by signs all around.

Heard Island Beach, Australia

Although this island is technically Australia, it’s actually closer to Antarctica. This small yet beautiful island is home to Penguins and not humans, so they rule the roost. The harsh climate and dangerous Antarctic ocean make this island deadly. This island is home to a scientific research facility and more scientists have died trying to get on and off the island than are currently stationed there.

Bikini Atoll Beach, Marshall Islands

This beautiful deserted beach sits almost exactly on the equator but it remains empty. That’s because in the 40s and 50s the United States dropped more than 23 nuclear bombs on the island to test out the new technology. The island is still extremely contaminated with nuclear waste and radiation some 60 plus years later.

Boiling Lake, Dominica

The Boiling Lake is situated in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica's World Heritage site. It is a flooded fumarole 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east of Roseau. It is filled with bubbling greyish-blue water that is usually enveloped in a cloud of vapor. The lake is approximately 200 feet (61 m) to 250 feet (76 m) across. Dominica's Boiling Lake is the second-largest hot lake in the world. The largest is Frying Pan Lake, located in Waimangu Valley near Rotorua, New Zealand. Swimming is strictly prohibited even if it seems normal because boiling can start in just a matter of seconds.

Rio Tinto, Spain

The Río Tinto is a river in southwestern Spain that rises in the Sierra Morena mountains of Andalusia. It flows generally south-southwest, reaching the Gulf of Cádiz at Huelva. Since ancient times, a site along the river has been mined for copper, silver, gold, and other minerals. The Río Tinto is notable for being very acidic (pH 2) and its deep reddish hue is due to iron dissolved in the water. Acid mine drainage from the mines leads to severe environmental problems due to the heavy metal concentrations in the river. In 1873, the Rio Tinto Company was formed to operate the mines; by the end of the 20th century it had become one of the world's largest multinational mining companies, although it no longer controls the Río Tinto mines; these are now owned by EMED Mining. However, even in such conditions, the river has its own ecosystem that includes bacteria that oxidize metals and make the water bright red.