At all times, lakes have attracted people with their mystery, because water is a substance endowed with unusual properties. Legends about living and dead water excite human curiosity and consciousness to this day. Daredevils try to explore mysterious bodies of water on their own and, unfortunately, do not always return from there alive. Russia is densely dotted with mystical lakes that swallow thousands of innocent victims every year.

Lake Baikal

It is not for nothing that one of the largest lakes on our planet is called witchcraft, since the phenomena occurring on the territory of the reservoir are difficult to rationally explain. Eyewitnesses report sudden flashes of light or a bright glow over the water, which just as suddenly disappear. The capes of the Baikal region are called anomalous zones, since ships passing by them record a temporary failure of navigation instruments and disorientation in space. Cases of people disappearing without a trace are not uncommon on Lake Baikal. Recently, the famous lake has become a favorite object of ufologists.

Lake Labynkyr in Yakutia

Labynkyr is often compared to the Scottish Loch Ness. According to local fishermen, a creature that vaguely resembles a reptile often emerges from the surface of the water. Eyewitness accounts are striking in their accuracy: people identically describe the external features, size, eyes and behavior of the mysterious animal. Another evidence of the existence of a large animal in the lake, unknown to modern science, is the skulls of large fish found on the shores, crushed, apparently, by incredibly massive jaws. Locals are reluctant to visit the lake for fear of becoming a tasty morsel for the monster. Studies of the bottom of a strange reservoir showed the presence of deep-sea cave tunnels. It is amazing that in the harshest winters the water on the lake practically does not freeze.

Lovozero

Lovozero is located in Murmansk region and also overgrown mystical legends and superstitions. Near the lake, people often observed the manifestation of hysterical fits of their companions. Those thrown into a strange state followed orders like robots and carried out monotonous movements. The expedition that studied this phenomenon was unable to provide clear explanations for the reasons for the unusual behavior of people. Local old-timers claim the existence of a powerful deity on the islands of the lake, who is especially unfavorable to women. The fact remains inexplicable that on the territory of Lovozero weather change within a few seconds, and the waves on the water rise up to ten meters in height, which often causes the death of visitors to the lake.

Blue lakes in Kabardino-Balkaria

Blue lakes in the Caucasus are still credited with mystical properties. Researchers have not been able to study these reservoirs sufficiently, since it is impossible to accurately measure their depth - the waters of the lakes are so bottomless. Presumably, their depths reach at least 400 m. In some places you can see the bottom under a water thickness of 20-40 m. The most mysterious body of water in the family is Lake Nizhneye: it was in its waters that several divers died under mysterious circumstances. Nitrogen was found in their blood, despite working oxygen tanks. All year round the reservoir does not freeze - the water temperature in the lake does not leave +9°C, and the water level always remains the same. It is impossible that any river flows into the lake.

The depths of water attract with its uncertainty and mysticism, and people are increasingly becoming careless when trying to unravel the mysteries of nature. The eye can see a lake of amazing beauty surrounded by pristine nature, but perhaps at its bottom there are hidden eerie creatures unknown to modern science, waiting for the right moment to make themselves known to the whole world.

10 creepiest lakes on our planet

Thousands of lost lives, mysterious inhabitants, poisonous waters - this is all about the terrible reservoirs of our planet. Even nice-looking lakes with clear water sometimes pose a great threat to those who decide to swim in them or even settle with a tent on the shore. We have selected the ten most terrible lakes on our planet.

1. Nios (Cameroon)

Lake Nyos can be called a mass killer. It became known throughout the world because of the terrible event that occurred on August 21, 1985. A cloud of asphyxiating gas rose from the lake, killing 1,746 residents of neighboring villages. Along with people, all livestock, birds and even insects died. Scientists from all over the world who arrived at the scene of the tragedy found that the lake was located in the crater of a volcano, which everyone considered to be dormant. Carbon dioxide entered the water through cracks from the bottom. Having accumulated a maximum concentration, the gas began to break out to the surface in huge bubbles. The wind carried the cloud of gas to the settlements, where it destroyed all living things. Scientists say that carbon dioxide continues to flow into the lake and another release can be expected.

2. Blue Lake (Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia)

Blue karst abyss in Kabardino-Balkaria. From the outside, no river flows into the lake; it is fed by underground sources. The blue color of the lake is due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide in the water. What makes this lake creepy is the fact that no one has been able to figure out its depth. The fact is that the bottom consists of an extensive system of caves. Researchers have still not been able to figure out what the lowest point of this karst lake is. It is believed that under the Blue Lake is the largest system of underwater caves in the world.

3. Natron (Tanzania)

Lake Natron in Tanzania not only kills its inhabitants, but also mummifies their bodies. On the shores of the lake there are mummified flamingos, small birds, and bats. The creepiest thing is that the victims freeze in natural poses with their heads raised. It was as if they froze for a moment and remained that way forever. The water in the lake is bright red due to the microorganisms living in it, closer to the shore it is already orange, and in some places it is a normal color. The evaporation of the lake scares away large predators, and the absence of natural enemies attracts a huge number of birds and small animals. They live on the banks of the Natron, reproduce, and after death they are mummified. A large amount of hydrogen contained in water and increased alkalinity contribute to the release of soda, salt and lime. They prevent the remains of the inhabitants of the lake from decomposing.

4. Brosno (Tver region, Russia)

Not so far from Moscow, in the Tver region, there is Lake Brosno, in which, according to local residents, an ancient lizard lives. Like the famous Nessie, who gained worldwide fame. As in the case of the inhabitant of the Scottish lake, the Brosno monster was often seen, but no one managed to take a single clear photograph. Research into the reservoir did not lead to anything concrete. Scientists suggest that the reason for the emergence of legends about the ancient monster was the unusually large depth for a small lake and decomposition processes at the bottom, which sometimes lead to the formation of huge bubbles of hydrogen sulfide. The escaping gas can easily capsize a small boat, which can be mistaken for a monster attack.

5. Michigan (USA)

Lake Michigan is one of the five great lakes scattered across the United States and Canada. Few people know that this reservoir has destroyed hundreds of lives. No ancient monster was seen here, the water here is far from dead, but nevertheless the lake is very dangerous. It's all about unpredictable undercurrents. They pose a huge risk for those who come to swim on the shores of Michigan, and there are many of them in the warm season. Undercurrents carry people away from the shore, and if a person falls into its power, then it is almost impossible to cope with it. In autumn, the lake becomes especially dangerous. Due to spontaneously occurring currents, huge waves arise on the surface of the water, from which sailors primarily suffer.

6. Dead Lake (Kazakhstan)

A lake with a creepy name is located in Kazakhstan. Local residents have long tried to avoid it, considering the reservoir cursed. Here, anyone will tell you several scary stories about the mysterious disappearances of people, and not even necessarily in the lake itself. According to locals, there are countless drowned people at the bottom. Moreover, all the missing are visiting tourists who know nothing about the notoriety of the Dead Lake. By the way, this name does not come from mysterious disappearances, but because of the unusual properties of water. There is no life in the lake. No fish, no frogs, nothing. In addition, the water remains extremely cold even in the hot season, and the size of the lake does not decrease. And this is at a time when other reservoirs in this region are drying out almost twice as much due to the heat.

7. Lake of Death (Italy)

We know about Sicily thanks to the famous Sicilian mafia and Mount Etna, located on the island. But there is another (no less dangerous) attraction here - the Lake of Death, the water of which contains a high concentration of sulfuric acid. Life here is impossible by definition. Any organism that gets into local water dies within minutes. According to rumors, the Italian mafia used this lake to destroy unwanted people. The bodies of those who rejected the Offer That Cannot Be Refused now form part of the Lake of Death. No one can say whether this is true or not, because the water dissolved all the evidence.

8. Karachay (Russia)

Lake Karachay in the Urals is considered one of the most polluted in the world. Staying on the lake shore for a couple of hours is enough to receive hundreds of roentgens of radiation and die a painful death. The once living lake was destroyed in the fifties, when it began to be used as a storage facility for liquid radioactive waste. Now the water level has dropped significantly, revealing vast contaminated areas of the lake. The state annually allocates large amounts of funds to reduce the level of radiation in the reservoir. They plan to completely fill it up in the coming years, but this does not solve the problem of groundwater contamination.

100 great records of the elements [with illustrations] Nepomniachtchi Nikolai Nikolaevich

The most mysterious lakes

Oddly enough, in the folklore of the peoples of the world there is almost no mention of enchanted, enchanted or sacred streams and rivers, with the possible exception of the Jordan and the Ganges. But there are so many legends about mysterious and creepy, dangerous and downright evil lakes and ponds in oral folk art that it’s impossible to count.

THE MAGICAL WORLD OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

The belief in the existence of enchanted lakes and ponds has long been a subject of study by folklorists. However, there is no doubt about the widely known fact that there are indeed enough bodies of water in the world that have some incomprehensible natural properties and, thanks to them, become the focus or source of paranormal activity. In some lakes and near them, UFOs are allegedly often observed, in others strange creatures are found, and still others are considered strange without any specific real or imaginary reason.

Several such strange lakes are hidden in the mysterious and almost impenetrable Andes. Not everyone knows that this majestic mountain range has a younger brother, a much more modest and nondescript range called the Cordillera Azur (Blue Mountains). It runs parallel to the Andes and is replete with cold bodies of water - lakes and lagoons, around which the South American Indians who speak the Quechua language mainly live. These places are so beautiful that from time immemorial painters have come here for inspiration, and now photographers have joined them, although the Cordillera Azur still remains one of the most inaccessible mountainous countries planets.

There, at an almost transcendental height, in the wilderness and desolation, lies the “strange” Lake Gaipo. According to rumors, several years ago it was firmly favored by a wide variety of UFOs. Several researchers who ventured to this place forgotten by God and people found that the rumors were confirmed. Local Indians said that paranormal phenomena are observed here regularly, but they are most pronounced at six o'clock in the morning and from three to four o'clock in the afternoon. At this time of day, the Indians repeatedly saw certain luminous objects falling into the lake or, conversely, taking off from the water. The shape of these unknown luminous objects is strikingly varied: balls, ovals, rectangles, rings. They freely penetrate the surface of the water, hover and slowly move a few centimeters from it, and then either rush into the sky with lightning speed, or sedately and leisurely crawl up along the slopes of the mountains framing Gaipo. And since in my horizons local residents There is no place for such a concept as interplanetary or, especially, interstellar contacts; the Indians consider the observed phenomena to be the machinations of witches and sorcerers.

However, this kind of strange phenomena is observed not only in remote and hard-to-reach places. The attention of researchers is drawn, for example, to the Al Chichika lagoon, located near the city of Veracruz (Mexico). It is small - just over three kilometers across, but amazingly deep - more than six hundred meters. This body of water was reputed to be enchanted long before European conquerors appeared on its shores and gave shelter to the Mexican variety of water elves, known as “chanekwe”, and other evil spirits.

Researchers who visited those places noted various anomalies already on the approaches to the lagoon. The batteries in electrical appliances ran out, the video tape became unusable, and the reception of radio signals in the DV, SV, HF and VHF bands stopped. All this made it possible to put forward a hypothesis about certain electromagnetic disturbances created by unknown sources located in or near the lagoon.

In 1998, biologist Arturo del Moral decided to thoroughly explore the reservoir and faced the same obstacles as his predecessors. Moreover, members of the Moral expedition heard strange sounds made at night in the water column, and they got the impression that something was floating there.

Moral managed to talk to one of the residents of the nearby town of Pueblo del Seco, and he said that in March 1996, at about ten o’clock in the evening, he saw a dazzling yellow light emanating from the water. Not caring at all about his own safety, the fearless townsman ran to the very edge of the water and, to his surprise, saw “something huge and luminous. This thing came out of the water, hovered a meter or two above the lagoon, and then flew off into the night sky.”

Other local residents told Moral that light phenomena in the lagoon have a periodicity: in the spring they are observed more often, especially at night. Moral even managed to film these phenomena. They are very beautiful: luminous clumps hover over the surface of the lagoon near the shores and emit white or red flashes. This spectacle is breathtaking. No wonder the pioneer of ufology, Maurice Jessup, loved to visit the shores of the Al-Chichika lagoon. He even nicknamed it the Perste Crater, amazed by the similarity of the lagoon to craters on the Moon and the strange similarity of the terrain to the lunar surface.

In one of his books, Jessup described in detail the “transient light phenomena” observed in some lunar craters (for example, in the crater of Plato; during a full moon they can be seen through ordinary binoculars). Probably, the scientist believed that the lights in lunar craters could be explained by more deeply studying light phenomena in terrestrial craters.

KILLER LAKES

In October 1994, Americans were shocked by the news of a terrible crime. Susan Smith, a young mother from Union, North Carolina, intentionally allowed her car to roll off a boat dock and into John D. Long Lake. Susan's sons, strapped into the back seat, drowned. Their mother received a life prison sentence for premeditated murder. Almost two years later, another car crashed from the same pier into the same lake, in which three adults and four children were sitting. At the same time, the car spontaneously rolled between the monuments to Michael and Alex Smith, Susan's young sons. This sight was reminiscent of an episode from a horror film. All seven passengers of the jeep drowned; one of the eyewitnesses tried to save them, but choked and also died. The investigation found that the car was on the handbrake.

According to nearby residents, the misfortunes occurred for one single reason: Lake John D. Long is enchanted. Of course, the judicial authorities do not take such explanations seriously and are not going to reconsider the case of Susan Smith. But lakes in which people die under mysterious circumstances do exist, and a very extensive section of “magical” folklore and literature about the supernatural is devoted to them.

One of the most notorious killer lakes is called Whitney. It is located north of the town of Waco in the US state of Texas and seems to be more harmful than Lake John D. Long. For many years now, in Witney, all sorts of cars have been rolling off the docks every now and then, and the number of drowned people here has been steadily increasing. Police divers found dozens of cars on the muddy lake bottom, but never found human remains. Many of the cars lying in the lake simply shouldn't have rolled there: their parking brakes were on, as was the case with Susan Smith's car in North Carolina. Worthy of mention is the fact that during the “alien parade” (another massive UFO “invasion” observed throughout the world) in 1974–1975 in Calvert on the shores of Lake Whitney, two UFOs landed, leaving scorched bald spots on the ground.

The second largest country in the world, Canada, is also rich in bad places and, in particular, lakes, which are very notorious. In June 1966, an elderly couple and their teenage son went fishing at Lake Anion, located in an abandoned quarry thirty-three kilometers north of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Arriving at the place and not finding a single living soul there, the fishermen were happy at first, but soon they felt terrified. Suddenly there was pitch darkness. The frightening silence was only occasionally broken by a strange grinding sound, which, according to one of the few witnesses, was accompanied by “a sharp, suffocating smell of steel being sanded.” And then, to the horror of the parents, their fifteen-year-old son suddenly disappeared.

The father and mother called for the boy for a long time, but never received an answer. When the mysterious haze that had shrouded the lake in broad daylight cleared, the parents saw their son, who appeared out of nowhere and, terribly worried, reported that he had seen “some kind of round plane.” The boy ran to him, but did not remember what happened next. Soon, memory loss turned into a mental disorder, and the boy was placed in a mental hospital, but he could not be cured.

VELIKOOZERSK TRIANGLE

In addition to relatively small lakes, in the waters and surroundings of which all sorts of devilry happens, there are also huge lakes, more like the seas. Sometimes all sorts of things happen in them too. The clearest example of this is the American Great Lakes, giant freshwater bodies of water that separate the Canadian province of Ontario from the United States. Much has been written about the mysterious phenomena associated with them, and Jay Gourley devoted a separate book, “The Great Lakes Triangle,” to this topic.

Many of the amazing and mysterious events taking place here, according to Gourley, are explained by “the action of some destructive force, so powerful and swift that anyone who dares to penetrate here is destroyed mercilessly (however, this does not prevent the Great Lakes from being navigable, and navigation there very lively. – Note auto). And no one has yet offered an explanation for this power and swiftness.” Or maybe the power and swiftness of this mysterious force is somehow connected with UFOs?

In March 1998, the UFO Research Center closely investigated reports of unidentified flying objects near the Perry Nuclear Power Plant on the shores of one of the Great Lakes of Erie. On March 4, the woman, who did not want to give her name, was driving along the coast in Eastlake, Ohio. Suddenly she saw “an object similar to an airship, at both ends of which bright lights were burning.” This object made a pretzel shape in the air, rushed back and forth, as befits a classic UFO, and did not show the slightest desire to fly away.

Having reached home, the woman told her husband about what she had seen and persuaded him to go to the nearest beach to see the miracle. When they arrived on shore, the UFO was still maneuvering over the lake. It was winter. Erie was frozen, but the ice under the UFO cracked and broke. This time, eyewitnesses were able to determine the approximate size of the object. He was "more football field" Observers got the impression that the “airship” was waiting for the return of some small flying objects sent for reconnaissance.

Soon the guess was confirmed: the “airship” sank to frozen in ice surface of the lake and began to take these scouts on board, and then the object disappeared from sight. Perhaps he passed through the ice and sank to the bottom where the UFO base was located. Or maybe the crew was simply tired of the idle curiosity of earthly onlookers?

ASPHALT LAKE

The gods punish those who try to break the unwritten laws given from above. This, for example, happened to the Chaima Indians living on the island of Trinidad, which nestled in Atlantic Ocean off the northeastern coast South America. Once upon a time, an Indian village was located on the shores of crystal clear Peach Lake. Now...

One day, the gods of the forest gave the people of the Chaima tribe an unusual bird - a hummingbird. This tiny creature, whose motley plumage changes its hue depending on the angle of incidence of the sun's rays on it, was, according to the plans of the gods, to decorate people's lives, soften their hearts and cheer their souls. After all, it was not for nothing that the gods created the birds as beautiful as flowers that came to life. In addition, this bird, the size of a fly, was distinguished by amazing courage: with strong blows of its beak it could knock down a snake crawling towards its nest from a tree. Remembering the courage of this tiny creature defending its home from enemies, the Indians, if necessary, had to fearlessly engage in battle with the enemy.

However, it so happened that, by the will of evil spirits, black thoughts were born in the heads of the Chima. Watching the tiny bird hover over the flowers and feast on the nectar, they wondered: if this creature drinks the sweet essence of the flower, then what must it taste like? Well, wouldn't it be interesting to have a sacred bird baked in banana leaves for lunch? No sooner said than done. Having caught many birds with a net woven from grass, the Indians tried to arrange a feast. However, nothing came of this - their prey turned out to be too small and fragile, and the delicacy turned out to be worthless. And the gods, offended by this attitude towards their gift, decided to punish the Chima. The next morning after the shameful meal, people saw that blue waters their lakes turned to sticky brown mud.

This is the legend of the Chima Indians, who still live in the vicinity of Peach Lake. This lake, located on the island of Trinidad near the village of La Brea, is filled with... asphalt! The area of the pit with the semi-liquid black mass, which consists of 40 percent bitumen, 30 percent clay and 30 percent salt water, is 45 hectares. There are even small islands covered with vegetation on the lake. Rainwater accumulates in the depressions between the viscous asphalt waves, and bitumen oils shimmer on it with all the colors of the rainbow, vaguely reminiscent of the plumage of the hummingbird, from which it all supposedly began.

For a hundred years now, hundreds of tons of natural asphalt have been mined here annually, but it is not getting smaller.

Surface amazing lake in some places it is so hard that you can walk on it, but it is better not to do this, after all, the depth of the bubbling brown-black cauldron is 82 meters, and if something happens, it will be as difficult for a person to get out of it as for a fly caught in jam. True, after some time the drowned man, pulled to the bottom, will again find himself on the surface, since the asphalt is in constant slow motion. But, of course, this will make few people happy.

The legend about the origin of Peach Lake does not satisfy scientists; they are still arguing about where it came from. Many believe that the accumulation of natural asphalt formed in the crater of a dormant volcano. Oil, which gradually came from the bowels of the earth, mixed with volcanic ash and over time formed an asphalt cauldron.

According to another version, a lake of asphalt was once at the bottom of the sea, and about 50 million years ago the bodies of small marine animals sank to the bottom, turning into oil there, and then, under the influence of processes in the earth's crust, this oil was forced to the surface and thickened under the influence of sun.

Peach Lake is the largest, but not the only asphalt lake in the world. They are in California, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and other places.

SINNER LAKES

Probably many of you have met geographical map names that mention colors: Black, White, Yellow, Red Sea, Belukha Mountain and others. But there are especially many so-called colored lakes on our Earth. And these lakes really have a variety of unusual shades of water: red, crimson, blue-green, blue, yellow, white and even black. Moreover, they are scattered colorful lakes all over the globe!

There is, for example, in Carpathian mountains near the city of Svalyava, at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level, Lake Sinyak. Sulfur compounds dissolved in it give the water an intense blue color. Many similar lakes are also located in the Caucasus mountains, but the queen of blue lakes is Lake Gek-Gel (“ Blue Lake"), located in Azerbaijan in the Asgun Gorge, at an altitude of 1576 meters.

There are more White Lakes in the world. There are about twenty of them in Russia alone. At first glance, there is nothing unusual in such lakes. But as soon as the wind begins to whip up waves, the mirror-like surface of the water becomes covered with white caps. Perhaps that's where the name comes from.

But on the island of Kunashir - one of the Kuril Islands - there is a milky-white lake, and... boiling. It is filled with a solution of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids; hot volcanic gases rise all the time from its bottom, which heat the “water” to a boil.

IN Western Siberia and Central Asia there are many lakes with a purple-red color. During sunset, they change their color slightly and look like bowls filled with molten gold.

There are truly unique raspberry lakes near Astrakhan, which are named so not only for their color, but also... for their smell, which is very reminiscent of the smell of ripe raspberries. By the way, the salt extracted from these lakes retains a persistent aroma of raspberries or violets and was once very valued at the royal court.

Other Raspberry Lake, located in the south of Siberia in the Kulunda steppe, attracts not only with its beauty. In the water of this lake, saturated with magnesium salts and soda, stones are constantly forming and growing (to the joy of local population, which widely uses this extraordinary building material).

Lakes with red water are also found in Italian Alps, on the banks Mediterranean Sea, in Western Europe, Bolivia, Japan.

By the way, on Japanese island Kyushu has a unique two-color lake. One half of it became from sulfur impurities yellow color, and the other is pink due to iron oxides.

Three colored lakes lie in the crater of the Keli Mutu volcano on the island of Flores in Indonesia. Two of them are painted in different shades of green, and the third is black and red. The internal forces of the earth and... chemistry are to blame for this. The lakes were formed in different craters of the volcano, rich in various minerals. All three lakes have romantic names. Tivoe Ata Polo means “Lake of Enchanted People”. Tivoe Noea Moeri Kos Fai is translated as “Lake of Youths and Girls”, the third is Tivoe Ata Mboepoe – “Lake of Drowned Hopes”.

Many lakes bear the name Sarykul, which means “yellow lake”. The largest of them is located in Chelyabinsk region Russia. The color of the water in this lake resembles highly diluted coffee due to the fact that many particles of clay are dissolved in it as a result of the constant erosion of the shores.

There are many black lakes on Earth. The color of the water in them is explained not only by the presence of peat. For example, in the “very, very” black lake in the world - Lake Kakhinaidaakh, located in Yakutia, the water is a kind of solution of soot, ash and soot. The phenomenon is explained by the fact that this lake is located in a depression where a fire raged several thousand years ago (coal burned there for several years). Later the fire was flooded with water.

But in Algeria, not far from the city of Sidi Bel Abbes in the picturesque Atlas Mountains, the lake basin is filled not with water, but with the most real... ink. Two rivers flowing into the ink lake carry iron salts and the remains of various vegetation, which, mixing with each other, turn the lake into a huge inkwell.

BRONTIDES, OR SOUNDING LAKES

In the spring of 2002, a group of French researchers on inflatable boats examined one of the southern bays of the African Lake Victoria, where, according to local residents, a large animal unknown to science appeared.

Hydrophones lowered into the water recorded strange loud sounds, as if some giant was hitting a similarly gigantic anvil with a hammer. These sounds arose an hour or two after sunrise and stopped shortly before sunset, sometimes they stopped for a long time and appeared again after five to seven days.

However, the history of this phenomenon goes back several centuries, and the sounding lakes themselves are found on all continents. On the territory of Eurasia, the most famous “talking” lake is Ladoga. Often, fishermen who have gone 2-3 kilometers from the shore hear a mysterious rumble, booming, like the distant echo of a thunderstorm. When the sky is covered with clouds, these mysterious sounds (brontids) often attract newcomers to the lake - both “water motorists” and yachtsmen, who immediately direct their vessels to the shore.

By the way, distorted versions of this term can be found in various literary sources, but it directly goes back to the Italian word “brontidi”, meaning sounds that are observed in a number of coastal areas of the Mediterranean.

Much less frequently on Ladoga, another type of brontid is observed - a long sound, similar to the sound of a broken bass string. It is even rarer to hear two or three such sounds in a row. And some water tourists, who have settled down for the night in numerous skerries in the northwestern part of Ladoga, suddenly wake up from the sound of the wheels of a rapidly approaching train, although, of course, there is no train nearby.

At the beginning of 1890, American professor S.A. Forbes visited Lake Shoshone in Yellowstone National Park to study invertebrates. In his report, he made the following entry: “In this place, early on a quiet morning, we heard the mysterious sounds for which the lake is famous. They resembled the trembling of the strings of a harp, which someone touched at the top of the trees. It also sounded like the ringing of telegraph wires, and sometimes like quiet melodic voices talking high above us. The sound arose somewhere far away, getting closer and becoming louder, and then moved away and disappeared in another direction. Sometimes it seemed that he was wandering around us aimlessly. In each case, the phenomenon lasted from a few seconds to half a minute. These sounds can usually be heard on a calm, clear morning shortly before sunrise; at this time of day the sounds are louder and clearer. But one day I heard them at noon when the breeze was blowing.”

Forbes' colleague, Professor Edwin Linton, was working on nearby Yellowstone Lake and heard similar sounds. They resembled some kind of metallic vibrations that arose directly above our heads and then moved to the southwest. On average, this phenomenon was observed for about 30 seconds. Sometimes the sounds resembled the howling of the wind, although there was complete calm all around.

In the same place, researcher Hugh M. Smith in 1919 heard something similar to the distant hum of a huge bell, repeated at intervals of about ten minutes. It is curious that strange sounds, reminiscent of an organ, were also observed by Smith while the canoe in which the expedition members were moving.

In Australia, starting in 1870, Wilga's "weeping water hole" near Ruthven Station became famous. One day, two sheep shearers spent the night not far from her. However, they were unable to get enough sleep: in the middle of the night, a quiet cry was suddenly heard, which became louder and louder. Then it was replaced, according to witnesses, by devilish otherworldly sounds, “which are beyond the power of a human voice.” The sounds grew louder. It began to seem to the shearers that their eardrums were about to burst; wild fear literally shackled them, not allowing them to leave damn place. Then the howl became quieter and gradually turned into a quiet whine. When everything was quiet, the shearers jumped on their horses and galloped away.

Sounds similar to the Ladoga Brontids and reminiscent of distant thunderclaps are also observed on the coast North Sea, mostly on calm, foggy days. Local residents know them under the unpronounceable name “mistpoeferry”. The same booms in the Ganges delta are called “barisal cannons.” A similar phenomenon in the state of New York is consonantly called “Seneca Lake guns.”

Researcher Albert J. Ingalls writes about the mysterious sounds: “Their direction is indeterminable, and, like the beginning of a rainbow, they are always “somewhere else.”

In the Connecticut River Valley, this phenomenon is called the “rumble of Mudus” (after the name of the city), and in Haiti it is called “gouff-fre.” In the Philippines, local residents consider unusual sounds to be a peculiar voice of the distant sea and are sure that they are produced by waves hitting the shore or the walls of grottoes. They believe that these mysterious sounds are closely related to changes in weather and usually herald the arrival of a typhoon.

In 1870, correspondents for the journal Nature undertook an investigation into the so-called “Greytown sounds” that were heard in coastal lakes and on the coasts of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Trinidad. These were strange metallic vibrating musical sounds, and with a characteristic rhythm. Two additional, but not consistent, factors were also noted: sounds are more often heard on metal ships, but only at night. And researcher S. Kingsley heard the sounds “that a locomotive makes in the distance when it lets off steam” (that is, very similar to some Ladoga Brontids).

Despite all the extensive statistics of observations of such a phenomenon over the past two centuries, no acceptable explanation has been found for it, and those who speak out are sometimes simply naive. There is a whole field of science in geophysics called atmospheric acoustics. There are also ocean acoustics, but, alas, there are no lake acoustics. One story by an Armenian writer told how schoolchildren, together with their teacher, explored the mysterious sounds made by alpine lake and which the locals attributed to the roar of an underwater deity. So, the guys discovered a hole into which the waters of the lake periodically rushed, making frightening sounds. This is practically all that I have been able to read about research into the “voices of lakes”. By the way, approximately the same explanation for the “devilish sounds” of Wilg’s “water hole” is expressed for the Australian phenomenon.

A more or less acceptable explanation is given for the sounding lakes of Yellowstone national park. There is very high seismic activity there; geysers periodically operate nearby, connected to lakes, apparently by a common water layer. Apparently, these musical sounds arise when they work.

Well, as for the Ladoga brontids, the reader will have to be content with a very parsimonious assumption that, perhaps, they are associated with the peculiarity of underwater currents and the complex topography of the lake bottom.

BLOODY BAIT

Lake Tovel, located near Italian city Trento, because, according to ancient legend, the water in it can turn into blood.

According to legend, during one of the internecine wars of the Dark Middle Ages, a large detachment of knights from the Trezenya fortress was surrounded and defeated by an army from the neighboring city of Tueno. As the legend says, after a hot fight in the lake “there was more blood than water.” From then on, the water in it sometimes began to turn into blood. As a rule, this happened on the eve of another brutal internecine feud. The last time, however, something like this happened was in the dry summer of 1964 and was in no way connected with the war on the peninsula.

Indescribable horror then gripped people. Some in panic ran headlong away from the lake, others, on the contrary, threw themselves into the water and drowned, others lost their minds from fear... But the local peasants, embittered by the drought, were not going to drown themselves or go crazy. They almost completely drained the ominous lake, using the water to irrigate their plots and “bloody” all the nearby lands. This natural phenomenon was scientifically substantiated by a botanist from Trento, associate professor at the universities of Padua and Camerino, Vittorio Marchesoni. He found that the culprit was a single-celled algae containing a high concentration of carotenoids in its plasma. Under certain conditions, it is capable of rapidly multiplying - up to 4 thousand cells per 1 cubic meter. cm (the water turns red) and just as quickly die, sinking to the bottom and covering it with a thick purple carpet.

For several years now, a scientific team led by Alessandro dal Piazza, a leading employee of the Trent Museum of Natural History, has been trying to determine the most favorable conditions for the growth of algae. If scientists manage to solve this problem and it is possible to artificially induce the effect of a “bloody” lake, a real invasion of tourists will await these places. From the book 100 Great Elemental Records author Nepomnyashchiy Nikolai Nikolaevich

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“Mystery Prints” Fold a sheet of white paper in half, give it to the child and invite him to paint one half of the sheet with thick paint. Then ask him to fold a piece of paper in half along the fold and iron it with his hand. Then invite your child to unfold his sheet and

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These mysterious animals The ancient Egyptians believed that certain animals could embody cosmic and divine energies. The twelve animals of the Zodiac represent a closed cycle of energies. The symbolism of the beast is associated with the idea of kingdom, power and blind might.

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Where do the largest and most poisonous snakes live? There is a saying: “Fear has big eyes.” The same can be said about all the legends that exist about snakes. So, they say that somewhere there live huge snakes, up to 20 meters or more in length. But no one is really like that

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Which lakes are the best? All lakes are not alike. Each of them has its own peculiarity. One is incredibly beautiful, the other has a lot of fish, and the third is famous for something else. But there are lakes that differ from all others and are, for some reason,

The Great Lakes are the largest accumulation of fresh water on Earth (22.7 thousand sq. km). The system includes five bodies of water: Lake Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario. The Great Lakes have long been used as natural waterways, even though travel along them was fraught with danger.

Today, the bottom of the Great Lakes is literally covered with the skeletons of ships that were once shipwrecked in their waters. Among local diving enthusiasts, even a special trend has emerged - wreck diving, during which divers find and explore sunken ships.

We are accustomed to the fact that most shipwrecks occur in the ocean. Disasters are usually caused by storms, icebergs and coral reefs. However, those who live near the Great Lakes are no strangers to storms, mysterious waves, and even... their own “version” of the Flying Dutchman.

Storms on big lakes- a phenomenon of the same order as storms on small seas. But they are much less often reported in newspapers, and only a few, the most outstanding disasters make it into the news pages of major newspapers. According to the latest data provided by American divers, between six and ten thousand shipwrecked ships rest at the bottom of the Great Lakes. Every year this list is replenished with a dozen discovered ships. About every fifth person can be identified - water and time do not spare anyone logbooks, no buildings.

The story of one of these ships, lost during a storm in 1912 and discovered sixty years later, formed the basis of the musical “The Christmas Schooner.” The fact is that the main cargo of the ship was Christmas trees. In vain the residents eagerly awaited the arrival of the holiday cargo - the Christmas trees remained at the bottom of the lake, bringing no joy to anyone. For a long time, the schooner was listed as missing in action until it was discovered by scuba divers.

Another story is completely mystical. They readily tell it to tourists. On September 18, 1679, the ship "Griffon", owned by the French traveler Rene Robert, Chevalier de La Salle, was supposed to arrive in Niagara (New York). This ship was built here, and it was well known to local residents. When it became clear that the Griffon was delayed, at first no one attached much importance to it - ships were often several hours behind schedule. But since the ship did not appear either after a day or a week, it became clear that another shipwreck had occurred. There were no witnesses to the tragedy that took place on the Griffon; it simply disappeared without a trace. Its wreckage was discovered and identified only in 1955. But this is far from the strangest thing. Many strangers claim that on foggy nights the Griffon is often seen sailing silently across Lake Huron. At night it is impossible to see all the details of its equipment, but the outline of the vessel is easily recognizable.

The Great Lakes have become accustomed to such ghost ships. Mentions of them are found in chronicles dating back to the middle of the 17th century. For example, in New Haven (Connecticut) in 1648, many people simultaneously saw a ghost ship. Moreover, he not only sailed by, but showed the amazed spectators the scene of a shipwreck. This extraordinary event was interpreted as a sign sent by God, shedding light on the mystery of the death of one of the missing ships. However, those who have encountered ghost ships note that they quite often depict scenes of their crash, repeating them at every meeting with observers.

If in the distant 17th century. The appearance of ghosts and mysterious shipwrecks were explained by the play of supernatural forces; today scientists have taken on the solution to this phenomenon. There were plenty of hypotheses.

The most rational researchers explained what happened as storms of enormous force. They still happen today - for example, in 2003, a storm erupted over the Great Lakes, accompanied by snow and rain. The wind speed reached 100 km/h. The disaster destroyed hundreds of buildings and left more than one and a half million people without electricity. Of course, modern communications helped transmit the storm warning to everyone in the area, so only two people died. But two or three centuries ago, ship captains had to rely only on omens. Hurricanes and storms on the Great Lakes are many attributed to the influence of El Niño (El Nino in Spanish - “Christ the Child”). This is a warm seasonal surface current in the eastern part Pacific Ocean appears at intervals of two to seven years and has an adverse effect on the climate. Hurricanes, tornadoes and storms caused by El Niño are extremely powerful and unpredictable. However, not in all cases the loss of ships occurred due to a storm.

The Indians living on the coast of the Great Lakes have preserved many ancient legends, which are based on real facts. In particular, local tribes are well aware of one thing natural phenomenon, which has still remained almost unexplored - “Three Sisters”. “Three Sisters” are three huge waves that completely unexpectedly appear on the smooth surface of the lake and rush towards the shore, sweeping away everything in their path. The legends of the Chippeza tribe explain the appearance of the “Three Sisters” by the movement of a giant sturgeon, supposedly living in the Great Lakes. Modern Americans are also familiar with this phenomenon, but they call it “session,” which means “level fluctuations.” On June 26, 1954, the session hit coastline Lake Michigan between the cities of Whiting (Indiana) and Wakegen (Illinois), destroyed dozens of buildings and killed 50 people, of whom 8 drowned. Many of the fishermen sat calmly on the shore of the lake with their fishing rods. The weather was beautiful and the lake looked completely calm. Suddenly, a water shaft about three meters high collapsed onto the shore. It happened so unexpectedly that no one had time to escape.

A similar phenomenon was observed on Lake Superior. Jay Gawley, who wrote a book about the mysteries of the Great Lakes, described the disaster that occurred with the Sames E. Davidson cargo ship with a displacement of six thousand tons. If the disappearance of ships that plied the waters of the Great Lakes in the 17th century can be explained by their technical imperfections and the lack of meteorological service, then the death of a modern cargo ship seems inexplicable. The wave effortlessly destroyed a ship that could withstand an ocean storm. Its power must be colossal! The wind, no matter how strong, could not impart such energy to the wave. Where then do such waves on the Great Lakes come from? The most likely version seems to be that the “Three Sisters” and similar phenomena were caused by tremors. In this case, both the sudden formation of waves and their amazing energy are easily explained. But if this were really the case, then seismic stations in the USA and Canada would easily compare data on tremors with the frequency of occurrence of huge waves. The Great Lakes phenomenon would be explained, even predicted, based on seismic activity data. However, there is no direct correspondence between earthquakes and waves.

Even more mysterious, planes are disappearing over the Great Lakes. There was no way a three-meter wave could knock them down! But the fact remains that there are many more plane crashes over lakes than over the rest of the surrounding area. This area is gradually gaining fame anomalous zone, no less famous than the Bermuda Triangle.

Among the hypotheses explaining the “strange behavior” of lakes, there are the most incredible. In particular, ufologists are convinced that anomalous phenomena are either caused by aliens or are the object of their interest. According to Jay Gawley, observers over the Great Lakes have repeatedly noticed strange objects, capable of moving completely silently and possessing extreme maneuverability. In this regard, it was suggested that in the Great Lakes region there is a kind of “gate” through which aliens enter our world. Their use creates a disturbance in nature, as a result of which huge waves appear on the lake, and planes lose control and fall.

Scientists believe that the myth of flying saucers is of the same dubious value as the Indian legends about the giant sturgeon. In any case, attempts to explain the inexplicable should be based on facts, and not on blind faith in the existence of “brothers in mind.” However, we must admit that modern science is able to explain only part of the phenomena observed on the Great Lakes. In particular, according to experts, the main culprits of shipwrecks are not mythical aliens or even the “Three Sisters,” but the most common storm waves. The fact is that lakes, no matter how large they are, are still much smaller than the ocean. That's why the storm waves are different there. Long and relatively gentle waves are formed in the oceans, which only rock ships. Only those ships that find themselves in close proximity to the shore are at risk. They may wash up on rocks or reefs. It is no coincidence that captains, having received a storm warning, took their ships out to the open sea. In large lakes and small seas, a different effect is observed: the waves there are short and very steep. They are capable of not only rocking the ship, but also turning it over. This insidious property of storms on lakes is well known to everyone who sails on the Caspian Sea, Baikal and Lake Ladoga.

But the appearance of ghosts of sunken ships and the disappearance of planes so far has absolutely no scientific explanation. Perhaps these phenomena are somehow related to geological structure district. But it will still be a long time before the mystery of the Great Lakes is solved.

There are hundreds of mysterious lakes in the world that are associated with mysterious stories, anomalous phenomena, they are shrouded like a shroud in fascinating myths and legends.

The fear of local residents of such lakes, which enjoy a bad reputation, was expressed even in their names: Devil’s Lake, Dead Lake, Shaitan and others.

Let's do it short excursion according to some of them.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 28.02.2016 10:19

Lake Smerdyache is located in the Shatura district of the Moscow region. Once crystal clear, the water has a distinct red-brown color. The lake is an almost perfect circle with a diameter of approximately 250 meters. It was named for the characteristic smell of hydrogen sulfide, which suddenly disappeared about 25 years ago. But once upon a time this smell led to the fact that a person located next to a body of water could faint.

However, local old-timers explain the origin of the name differently: Smerdyache - not from the word “stink”, but from the phrase “death of a sexton”. According to local legends, there once stood a chapel on a rampart near the lake. One day the earth suddenly shook, and the chapel, in which the clerk was located, fell into the lake and immediately sank under water.

Another mystery is the sudden change in the depth of the reservoir. In 1985, its highest mark was 20 meters, and after 15 years, measurements showed the maximum distance from the surface to the bottom was 31 meters.

In 2002, a large scientific expedition was organized to Smerdyachye. Specialists from the Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry named after. IN AND. Vernadsky collected enough evidence to claim that the lake is of meteorite origin. The collected samples of coastal soil contained materials from local sedimentary rocks melted upon impact. At the same time, the time of the fall of the Shatura meteorite was determined - about 10,000 years ago.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 28.02.2016 10:21

Another mysterious body of water called Chertok(Devil's Lake) is located in the Shkeltovo parish of the Aglona region of Latvia. The lake is small and very deep. No people have ever lived near it; the nearest villages are two or three kilometers away. In the press, Chertok is called a “bottomless lake of horror,” because, according to local residents, it cannot be crossed without risking life, although from shore to shore it is only a few tens of meters. Moreover, according to popular belief, the Devil’s Lake has no bottom at all, so the bodies of drowned people are never found in it.

The water here, for no apparent reason, changes color from transparent blue to almost black - despite the fact that there are practically no clouds in the sky at this time, and the presence of algae in the reservoir is minimal. For this feature, the lake received a second name - Devil's Eye.

The President of the Latvian Academy of Parapsychology, Valery Paramonov, is convinced that the reservoir is an anomalous zone that affects the human psyche. According to him, a powerful energy beam shoots from the bottom of the lake, which can plunge a person who finds himself on the shore into horror.

Scientific research has established that the inert radioactive gas radon, which is seven times heavier than air and easily dissolves in water, accumulates at the bottom of Devil’s Lake. According to scientists, the lake was formed from the fall of a certain cosmic body.

This is confirmed by the research of several daredevil divers who saw melted rock in the depths. There is also a version that Chertok is connected underground with the rather distant Lake Aglona, so drowned people disappear into deep underground channels.

Devil's Lake is located next to the Aglona - Kraslava highway, and tourists often settle down to relax along its shores. However, after some time they leave, trying to get rid of the sudden fear. Many of them consulted a doctor after visiting the Devil’s Lake area. Because of this, in 2005 local authorities ordered to remove from the route a road sign with information about the presence of a reservoir nearby - so as not to attract undue attention to this natural object.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 28.02.2016 10:23

Near the village of Gerasimovka in the Taldykurgan region of Kazakhstan there is a small (100 meters long and 60 meters wide) Lake Dead.

For unknown reasons, even on a hot summer day the lake does not dry out, and the water in it remains icy. There are no algae growing in the reservoir, no fish, no aquatic insects, and no mosquitoes or flies on the shore.

You cannot stay in the water of the Dead Lake for long. A diver, even with a full air tank, can withstand the dive for no more than three minutes, after which, for some unknown reason, he begins to choke and is forced to urgently rise to the surface.

Every year people drown in the Dead - mostly visitors who do not listen to the advice of local residents or simply do not know anything about the mysterious properties of the lake. What is surprising: drowned people do not float to the surface after a few days, as is usually the case, but stand vertically at the bottom, like candles.

In addition, incredible events happen every now and then near the Dead Lake: people disappear and are later found. At the same time, they find themselves in unexpected places, sometimes quite far from the lake or their home. Some can't even remember their name.

There is an assumption that at the bottom of the lake there is a crevice from which a toxic gas is released, which is poison for all living things. But no scientific studies of the reservoir have yet been carried out.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 28.02.2016 10:25

IN Kirov region Russia, near the city of Urzhum, there is Lake Shaitan, having the shape of a regular oval, with an area of about two hectares. From time to time, the water in this lake boils, and fountains from four to ten meters high are thrown onto the surface. According to local beliefs, these are the tricks of an evil spirit living in the lake.

Scientific research explains the appearance of such fountains by the fact that the lake is of karst origin and is characterized by siphonic water circulation. Under its bottom there is a second aquifer containing pressurized artesian waters. There is a connection between these two horizons through vertical karst wells (ponors). The settling silt and peat create plugs in the pores, and the pressure of the artesian waters pushes them out, resulting in the formation of a fountain release of water.

The second unique feature of the lake is small floating islands overgrown with bushes and small trees. Such islands are formed when water is released and are detached sections of swampy shores. The largest of them can withstand the weight of three or four people. In normal times, up to twenty of them can be counted on the surface of the lake.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 28.02.2016 10:27

Another lake with the same name - Shaitan- located in Muromtsevo district Omsk region near the village of Okunevo. Its water is famous for its healing properties, even curing some forms of cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. Placed in a regular container, it can stand for years, while maintaining a fresh taste and smell.

Experts do not rule out that Lake Shaitan, as well as five other lakes next to it, appeared as a result of the fall of a huge meteorite. Hidden deep in the bowels of the earth, it still radiates colossal energy. Numerous anomalous phenomena occurring in these places speak in favor of the cosmic origin of Lake Shaitan - in particular, the regular appearance of luminous balls and rectangles above the surface of the water.

There is a popular legend among local residents that the temple of the Indian deity Hanuman, Satra, is hidden at the bottom of the lake. According to the legend described in the epic Ramayana, the giant Hanuman, the king of the monkeys, helped Rama fight the forces of evil and for this received the gift of the Siberian expanses, where he built his city - Aku-Nego. It is he who is now deep under water, hidden from the eyes of people by a layer of silt and sand.

The legend about the Hindu temple at the bottom of the lake is closely connected with another legend - about the cosmic crystal. It is believed that this relic, given to people by alien beings, was the main shrine of the Satra Temple and is still located there. According to legend, the crystal stores complete information about the entire history of earthly civilization and contains the key to the salvation of humanity.

Another feature of the anomalous zone is that huge, almost meter-long footprints have been found more than once near the lake. unknown creatures. There are even written testimonies of eyewitnesses who saw the huge inhabitants of the lake with their own eyes.

The lake is famous for the fact that people often get lost when trying to get to it; their compasses and navigation devices fail. There is a well-documented case when a group of pilgrims went to Lake Shaitan, strictly checking the compass. The upcoming journey should have taken no more than an hour. After three hours of travel, the pilgrims became worried. Finally, after seven hours, seeing no sign of the lake, they decided to return, went back the same way - and within 20 minutes they found themselves in the place where they started.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 28.02.2016 10:34