Many Instagrammers and social media influencers have flocked to what seems like a beautiful lake in Siberia. The water is turquoise, the beach lined with lush green trees – frankly, it looks like a hidden Caribbean getaway.
They couldn’t be more wrong.
https://www.instagram.com/p/By9U15siffg/?utm_source=ig_embed
Translation: “…I want to see the opportunities that life gives us. Everyday. I want to see, hear, feel, speak. Have the strength, health and desire to take advantage of these opportunities and share them with others.”
Oh boy…
This picture is taken in front of a toxic dump. The beautiful water feature is actually a man-made lake for a local coal plant to store coal ash in. The influx of people visiting the water has become such an issue that the coal plant released a statement warning visitors: “It’s not a pristine oasis, it’s a chemical dump.”
Say cheese!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzvgZb0n4KR/
In the statement, the company alerts visitors that the lake is NOT poisonous and the levels of radiation are normal. However, the water is definitely not drinkable and can cause an allergic skin reaction if touched. Yikes.
Also, for anyone looking to take a dip in the dump? Forget it. For one, that’s gross. And two, the bottom gets extremely muddy. So much so that once you get in, “getting out of the reservoir alone is almost impossible.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzpLKR1nIg7/
This hasn’t halted the pics, though. People have dubbed this the “Novosibirsk Maldives” and folks have been shooting in swimsuits, wedding garb, and more.
I guess the allure of the water’s color is too beautiful to keep them away.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzXzcj0FBki/
The company explains the beautiful blue: Science, duh. The combination of “calcium salts and oxides of various metals are dissolved in the water…. and it has a high pH level of more than 8. If it were not for the combination of these reasons, there would be no such visual effect!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzPSpponlC9/
Regardless of the countless warnings, the beautiful sea of salt and carbon ash is too stunning to stay away from. *eye-roll*
