A Russian Company Is Warning Instagrammers That This Beautiful Lake Is Actually Toxic
A turquoise lake in Siberia has become a sparkling background for Instagram photos, drawing so many people that a local company had to issue a reminder: It’s not a pristine oasis, it’s a chemical dump.
“You can not swim in the ash dump,” the Siberian Generating Company posted in a statement after its man-made lake became a “star of social networks.”
That, of course, hasn’t stopped people from trekking to the lake that some have dubbed the “poisoned Maldives” for its tropical appearance. Some people show up in swimsuits, one couple took wedding pictures there, and at least a handful have ventured into the dreamlike, but toxic, waters on paddle boards or pool floats.
Officially, the Siberian Generating Company refers to it as the waste site for Heating and Electrical Station No. 5.
The water is not poisonous, the company stressed in its statement on June 10, but it noted that “skin contact with such water may cause an allergic reaction.”
It also tried to dispel other false rumors, including that plants are dying near the water or that there is a blue sea gull that flies nearby.
Also, the company said, radiation level of the water is normal.
“Two INDEPENDENT laboratories concluded this,” the statement said.
It’s chemicals that give the lake its vibrant color. Calcium salts and other metals dissolve from coal ash that is dumped into the water through pipes coming from the heating and electrical station.
One person who recently posted a selfie there noted the water was “warm and tastes sweetish,” but didn’t recommend trying it to other visitors: “It’s better not to repeat.”
The lake has gotten so popular, that at least one Instagram account has sprouted to repost all the pictures from the toxic site.
With the growing popularity, the energy company is now trying to reach people to warn them of the risks.
“We ask that in the pursuit of the selfie, not to fall into the ash dump!” the company said. “That is the main danger.”
Other dangers are less obvious, the company added.
Ash dumped into the lake has made its floor extremely muddy and, according to the company, “getting out fo the reservoir alone is almost impossible.”
Still, some people have gotten wet to get that ‘gram.
“The next morning my feet are slightly turned red and itched for two days,” Instagram user tweezer_nsk posted with a picture of a man floating on the water in a black ski mask and inflatable unicorn. “Water tastes slightly sour, similar to chalk.”
Most visitors though have been cautious enough to stick to the shore.
One woman, posing with a wreath she sells online, wrote in Russian that she had recently read an article about the toxicity of the lake and “was horrified.”
“The color of the water is fascinating, the photos are beautiful,” she wrote. “The entrance is prohibited, but since this whole thing is not fenced, it means we can ?”
Salvador Hernandez is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles.
Contact Salvador Hernandez at [email protected].
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