What's the strangest color you've seen in nature?

Today, your fact-finding friend Fin tells us about a lake in Australia that is pink. That's right, a pink lake!

Fin discusses the color of water and how we often see it as being blue, green or brown ... and sometimes pink.

Pop your brain today with Brain Pop in this super colorful episode.

Transcript

Welcome to Brain Pop! — where your brain goes boom with one mind-blowing fact every day!

I’m your host, Fin — your fact-finding friend who’s always ready to dive deep into the weirdest wonders of the world. And today, we’re talking about water. But not just any water. Oh no. This water is… bright pink.

Let’s get that brain popping — and splash into something spectacular!

Okay, quick quiz: What color is water?

Most people say clear. And they’re not wrong! Water itself is clear, like glass. But when we see lakes or oceans, the water often looks blue, right?

That’s because water absorbs all the colors of sunlight except blue — and blue light gets scattered around, so it’s what we see bouncing back.

But sometimes water looks green, like in a pond. That’s usually because of tiny plants and algae. Or it can look brown, like in rivers after a big rain, when dirt and mud get mixed in. Totally normal!

But pink? Hot pink?!

Yup — there’s a real lake in Australia called Lake Hillier, and it’s bright, bubblegum pink all year round. Even if you scoop it into a bottle — it stays pink! It’s not a trick of the light. It’s actually pink.

So… what’s going on?

Scientists believe the color comes from teeny-tiny organisms — like algae and bacteria — that live in salty water. One special type of algae, called Dunaliella salina, produces a reddish pigment when it gets a lot of sunlight and salt. Mix that with other microbes and a little science magic, and boom — pink lake!

The water is perfectly safe, though not usually open for swimming. But when seen from above — especially by drone or airplane — it looks like someone spilled strawberry milk all over the landscape!

And guess what? Lake Hillier isn’t the only pink lake. There are others in places like Senegal, Mexico, and even Western Australia. But Lake Hillier is one of the most famous — and most fabulously pink.

Whoa! That was un-pink-lievable!

Thanks for popping your brain with me, Fin, on today’s totally colorful episode of Brain Pop!

Be sure to join me again tomorrow for another eye-popping adventure. And here’s your color challenge for today:

What’s the strangest color YOU’VE ever seen in nature? Was it a purple carrot? A blue lizard? A rainbow in a puddle?

Tell someone in your family or draw it out — and don’t forget: every time you ask “why,” your brain gets just a little bit brighter.

See you next time on Brain Pop! — where curiosity is cool, facts are fun, and every day your brain goes BOOM!