Lake Hillier, the Pink Lake - Scott

 Lake Hillier, the Pink Lake

by Scott

Did you know that there are pink lakes all over the world? Lake Hillier in Australia is one of them! But Lake Hillier has some specialities that set it apart from other pink lakes. For one, Lake Hillier is the only known pink lake that keeps its pink color in a cup. Another fact is that it is relatively untouched by humans and is on an uninhabited island.  Lake Hillier is a relatively small pink lake, untouched by humans, and home to very few animals. 

Lake Hillier is a small pink lake in sharp contrast to the surrounding (forest and ocean) that makes its pink color stand out even more. It’s a rather small pink lake measuring only “600 meters long and less than 250 meters wide” (Hillier Lake). It is shaped like a footprint (Tourism Western Australia); like a giant stepped on Australia's main island in the Recherche Archipelago (Fadden). 

The reason why the lake is pink is still a mystery but some scientists think that the lake is pink because of the bacteria in the lake. “Dunaliella as well as Salinibacter Ruber, Dechloromonas Aromatica, and a few species of the Archaea. There are NO macro-organisms (ie fish)” (Fadden) live in Lake Hillier. The saltiness of the lake may also be the cause of the pink hue. The bacteria produce “carotenoid pigments, beta-carotene (which are also found in carrots),” which may be the main cause of the pink hue. Even if you scope the water into a glass it stays pink, a feature unknown to other pinkish lakes (Hillier Lake). Because scientists do not know the reason the lake is pink, people are very curious.

Lake Hillier is void of plants and animals because it is a hypersaline lake. Hypersaline means that the lake is very salty and that is why animals and plants can not live there. The only things that inhabit Lake Hillier are bacteria, algae, and archaea. Even though Lake Hillier is devoid of life Middle Island is full of life in its lush paperbark and eucalyptus tree forest. Examples include “the Recherché Cape Barren Goose, the New Holland Honeyeater, Silver Gull, Little Penguin, Skinks, Marbled Gecko, and Ash Grey Mouse (“Lake Hillier”). The marble gecko is commonly found on the granite rocks or the shore line so if you plan to visit, which you won’t because it is a nature preserve, try to find the gecko hiding in the rocks. There are no animals in Lake Hillier because it is hypersaline and nothing can really live there but there are animals that live around it on Middle Island. 

Lake Hillier is untouched by humans because it is in a nature preserve. People do not go there but people can charter helicopter flights to see the lake. “Helicopter flights operate daily during the October–April period” (Atlas Obsura).  “Part of the allure of Lake Hillier, attracting visitors far and wide, is in the mystery itself; as this natural phenomenon has no current proven scientific explanation to why its water is pink” (Solespire Media Inc). Because people are not allowed on Middle Island, Lake Hillier is devoid of some of the problems other lakes face: pollution, salt harvesting, and construction. This allows its pink hue to remain pink and not polluted. Because it is in a nature preserve this lets the lake keep its magnificent hue.

The mystery of why Lake Hillier is pink is still unsolved, but scientists do have a few leads. It might be bacteria, or maybe the salt is the cause of the pink hue. If you want to see an amazing pink lake that is untouched by humans, that is relatively small, and home to almost no animals you should visit Lake Hillier. 

Works Cited

Atlas Obscura. “Lake Hillier.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 14 June 2013, www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-hillier. Accessed 1 Sept. 2021.

Gautam, Shikha. “The Startlingly Pink Water of Australia’s Lake Hillier Would Take Your Breath Away.” Times of India Travel, 11 Apr. 2020, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/the-startlingly-pink-water-of-australias-lake-hillier-would-take-your-breath-away/as75078782.cms. Accessed 29 Sept. 2021.

Hillier Lake the Pink Lake of Australia. “Lake Hillier – the Pink Lake Hillier of Australia.” Lake Hillier, Lake Hillier, 2021, hillierlake.com. Accessed 1 Sept. 2021.

McFadden, Christopher. “Lake Hillier: Australia’s Pink Lake and the Story behind It.” Interestingengineering.com, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2018, interestingengineering.com/lake-hillier-australias-pink-lake-and-the-story-behind-it. Accessed 1 Sept. 2021.

“Lake Hillier.” Australia’s Physical Environments, australianphysicalenvironments.weebly.com/lake-hillier.html. Accessed 15 Sept. 2021.

Solespire Media Inc. “The Remarkable Pink Lake Hillier – Western Australia’s Untouched Natural Wonder.” The Pinnacle List, 2021, www.thepinnaclelist.com/articles/remarkable-pink-lake-hillier-western-australia-untouched-natural-wonder/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2021.

Tourism Western Australia. “Attraction - Lake Hillier.” www.westernaustralia.com, Tourism WA Corporate Site, 2021,