A Gallery of Stunning Lakes

In Living Color: Multihued Lakes Credit: leonid_tit | shutterstockBlue is so yesterday … that is, for lakes. Good thing our planet is filled with a rainbow of ponds. From deep-black to scarlet and even purple-tinted, these stunning images of serene, picturesque lakes come in all the colors of the rainbow. 

Perito Moreno Glacier Credit: Nivers | DreamstimeThis breathtaking photo shows a view of the Perito Moreno Glacier as it looms above the surface of Lake Argentino, or "Lago Argentino," in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The glacier is part of the Los Glaciares National Park, located in the south west of Santa Cruz province. 

Emerald LakeCredit: raluca teodorescu | shutterstockThis green-colored lake is located deep in the lush forests of Austria. 

Peyto LakeCredit: DreamstimePeyto Lake, located in the Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, is famous for its turquoise waters. Many factors can influence a lake's color, including type and amount of algae growth, water temperature and mineral runoff from surrounding mountains. For example, in glacial regions such as the Canadian Rockies, finely ground rock particles can turn some lakes an unusually beautiful azure color, according to scientists Janet Fischer and Mark Olson of Franklin & Marshall College, Penn. 

Simbad LakeCredit: Paul De La Cour | DreamstimeThe Atacama Desert of Northern Chile borders Bolivia and is the driest desert in the world, according to NASA. Located within the Atacama Desert, the otherworldly Simbad Lake is surrounded by amber-colored sand. The sand's red hue is due to its algae and mineral content, and its water can turn scarlet too — its floating algae produces bright red pigments in order to that protect themselves from the hot desert sun's damaging UV radiation. 

A Shock of GreenCredit: Jorg Hackemann | shutterstockThe crystal clear water of this lake, nestled by the Dolomites mountain range of north-eastern Italy, allows for the electric-green algae at its shallow bottom to show through to the surface. 

Black LakeCredit: javarman | shutterstockThis black lake is located in a volcano crater in Flores, Indonesia. Its water fills the old cone of the still-active Kelimutu volcano, and the lake gets its mysterious, onyx appearance from volcanic ash particles that seep into the water from below. 

Lake TekapoCredit: Pichugin Dmitry | shutterstockThe surreal, pastel hue of Lake Tekapo is the result of finely ground rock particles coming from the waters of melted glaciers. Located in the South Island of New Zealand, the lake's name derives from the Maori words "Taka," which translates to "sleeping mat," and "Po," which means "night." 

Reflection LakeCredit: mlwinphoto | shutterstockThis beautiful photo of Reflection Lake was taken at dawn as the early morning mist floated over the water, casting a purple haze. The lake is located in Mount Rainier National Park in west-central Washington. 

Gem Green LakeCredit: Sam DCruz | shutterstockTongariro, New Zealand's oldest national park, boasts an emerald-green lake. Located near the volcanic sites of New Zealand's central North Island, the lake gets its unique color from ash and rock particles that have seeped into its water. 

Mono LakeCredit: Arvind Balaraman | shutterstockThe unusual rock formations that jut out of Mono Lake in California's Eastern Sierra are called tufa. The greatest concentration of these unique "towers," which occur naturally and are made of limestone, is located at the south end of Mono Lake. In the photo above, the moon rises over the dark ivory tower. 

Lake Atitlan Credit: AISPIX | shutterstockLocated in the Guatemalan Highlands, Lake Atitlan is believed to be the deepest lake in Central America, with an estimated maximum depth of up to 1,115 feet (340 meters). The picturesque lake fills a massive caldera that formed during a volcanic eruption about 85,000 years ago. 

Alpine LakeCredit: Brykaylo Yuriy | shutterstockTucked away near the small Austrian village of Altausseer, this alpine lake is a popular tourist attraction with its pristine, jade-hued water. 

Painted Hills LakeCredit: Gregory Johnston | shutterstockThis peaceful, purple-tinted lake is located near the Painted Hills of Wheeler County, Ore. The mauve shades of the lake's shores come from iron oxides and other mineral particles that have trickled down into the water from the colorful hills. 

Croatian LakeCredit: CCat82 | shutterstockThis stunning lake rests in the Croatian forest of Plitvice. It is part of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, which also contains breathtaking waterfalls and is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe.