Ink Sea. Unique ink lake in Algeria. Legends of local residents
In Algeria, near the town of Sidi Bel Abbes, is located. This reservoir has many names, but the most famous are " Ink Lake", "Devil's Eye", "Black Lake", "Inkwell".
The lake got its name due to the fact that instead of water, the lake is filled with real ink. Since the ink is poisonous, there are no fish or plants in the reservoir.
For a long time, scientists could not understand the nature of the occurrence Ink Lake, but thanks to the development of new technologies, this mystery of nature has been solved. The reason for the appearance of such an unusual substance for a reservoir was two rivers that flow into the lake. One river has a high concentration of iron salts. The other contains large amounts of various organic compounds that are washed out of peat bogs.
Flowing together into the lake, the streams enter into chemical reactions with each other, and thanks to constantly occurring interactions, the amount of ink does not decrease, but increases more and more.
Aborigines have different attitudes towards the strange body of water. Some believe that the lake is the creation of the devil, others believe that it is a source of income. Ink from the Black Lake can be found on the shelves of supply stores not only in Algeria, but also in other countries.
We all know from the school curriculum that lakes are bodies of fresh water, although, of course, there are also salt lakes. But not everyone knows about the fact that there are completely unique bodies of water in nature, for example, Ink Lake in Algeria.
Near the small Algerian village of Sidi Bel Abbes this fantastic lake is located, yes, with real ink with which you can write. It is a known fact that not a single microorganism lives in this ink, not to mention the fish and other living creatures of an ordinary lake.
For a long time, scientists could not find the reason for the formation of such a paradoxical filling of the Ink Lake. Today this mystery has finally been solved. It turned out that two rivers flow into the lake: one carries a huge amount of all kinds of salts, and the other is rich in organic matter from peat bogs. When these components are mixed, a certain chemical reaction occurs (we won’t get into chemistry) and the result is real ink, poisonous to all living things. Therefore, God forbid to swim in such a lake!
Local residents, of course, keep all sorts of legends that tell why this once beautiful lake suddenly became so poisonous and terrible. Along one of them, the Devil himself once passed by a reservoir, and he supposedly ran out of ink to sign contracts for the purchase of souls (such contracts are not signed in blood, as Western people think). So the Lord of Darkness turned the lake into a huge inkwell. Therefore, the aborigines are even afraid to approach the cursed lake and call it “The Eye of the Devil.” And they are doing the right thing, I must say, since even the evaporation from this reservoir is harmful to human health.
However, enterprising youth do not pay any attention to this; they widely use natural ink (by the way, very high quality) for its intended purpose, that is, they write with it. In addition, special pens, mascara (for paper, not for eyelashes), shoe polishes, excellent dyes and much more are made as souvenirs for tourists. And I must say, all this is being bought up by visitors with great pleasure...
This unique natural phenomenon is located near the city of Sidi Bel Abbes in Algeria. Fish do not live in it, plants do not grow. The ink that fills the lake instead of water is poisonous to living organisms and is only suitable for writing.
The phenomenon of the ink lake has long remained a mystery to scientists. Recently, it finally became clear how such an unusual substance ended up in the lake instead of water. It turns out that two rivers flow into this lake. One of them contains many iron salts in dissolved form. The second contains a variety of organic compounds borrowed from peat bogs. Interacting with each other, the waters of these rivers form ink as a result of chemical reactions.
There are legends about the lake among local residents. Some consider it an obsession of the devil and avoid it, while others, on the contrary, actively benefit from it. The wonderful lake has many names. The most popular of them are Inkwell, Eye of the Devil, Black Lake.
In northern Africa there is a unique natural site - Ink Lake. And it is named so for a reason; the water in it, both in color and chemical composition, resembles real ink. This body of water is located in Algeria near the city Sidi Bel Abbes, its depth does not exceed 50 meters, and its dimensions are approximately 160x460 m.
Many scientists have been trying to uncover the secret of ink water for a long time; many studies and experiments have been carried out, as a result of which it was possible to find out the reason for the appearance of this natural phenomenon. This is not pollution of the lake with waste or a man-made disaster; the reservoir was formed naturally. Two rivers flowing into the lake were to blame for everything: in the water of one of them there is a high concentration of iron salts, and in the water of the other a large number of organic compounds were found that came from nearby peat bogs. The substances of the two river streams, when combined together, enter into a chemical reaction, and the result of this process is the formation of ink. Nature itself played such an evil “joke”.
Local residents are wary and wary of this place; they consider the appearance of this reservoir to be the machinations of Satan himself. There is even a local legend about Ink Lake. In ancient times, the devil lived in these places, he tempted people, forcing them to sin, and then bought human souls. The agreement between Satan and the sinner was signed with special ink, which deprived the person of strength and health, and also took away her beauty from the woman. But one day this ink ran out, and then the devil decided to turn the water in the lake that was nearby into it. Because of this legend, locals believe that anyone who comes close to the Ink Lake will be cursed and lose their health forever. It’s not for nothing that this body of water has other names: Black Lake, Devil’s Eye, Inkwell.
But all the fears of the local residents cannot be considered unfounded, since the vapors emanating from the reservoir are indeed poisonous, emit an unpleasant odor and negatively affect a person’s well-being if he stays on the shore for a long time. No one lives or builds housing near the lake. In addition, there is absolutely no life in the waters of the lake: no fish, no animals, no plants. It is forbidden to swim in it, as this can cause significant damage to a person’s health and skin, and it will not be easy to wash off the ink.
But, despite all the tales and legends, there are no fewer people wanting to look at this unique body of water created by nature itself. Locals also try to capitalize on the proximity to such a phenomenal body of water - they fill their pens with amazing ink from the lake, and then sell them as souvenirs. Pens with this ink can be found not only in Algeria; they are sold in other African countries, as well as in the Mediterranean, Near and Middle East.
People started talking about the Algerian town of Sidi Bel Abbes after an unusual reservoir was discovered on its territory, the uniqueness of which lies in the fact that it is filled not with ordinary water, but with real ink, which can be safely used for writing. Of course, you won’t be able to fish here, because this place is unsightly even for plants, not to mention any living organisms.
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Scientists have been trying to solve the riddle for a long time, and just recently the answer was found. It turned out that the appearance of ink in the lake is the result of the confluence of two rivers in this particular reservoir, one of which is a source of huge amounts of iron salts, and the other of organic compounds found in peat bogs. Thanks to this “tandem”, a real natural inkwell appeared, the history of which is shrouded in a huge number of legends.
Local residents like to tell the story that once upon a time in their town dark forces bought living souls. And then one day, while signing a contract, they ran out of ink, so they decided to get out of their situation in such an unusual way.
People's opinions are divided regarding the origin of the strange lake, which they like to call Black or Ink. Some consider it the work of evil spirits and try not to even come close to it, but the more courageous, having managed to establish a business, are now making money from it. There are also those who would prefer to see ordinary water in this lake, because the climate in these places is very arid, so drinking water would not be a hindrance.
To be fair, it is worth noting that the quality of ink in this lake is quite high, which is why they are sold not only in Algeria, but also in many other countries. Tourists take great pleasure in accepting various souvenirs made from this natural raw material from local residents.
Nevertheless, scientists warn everyone who wants to see this miracle of nature that staying for a long time near such an unusual and interesting attraction can be dangerous to health, because there is a huge chance of getting seriously poisoned by caustic fumes.
