Altitude Mirage? After all, to reach this point, one had to climb to 4,278 meters in the Bolivian Altiplano, near the border with Chile. Surrounded by imposing volcanic cones, the laguna Colorada, a 60-square-kilometer hypersaline lake, reveals waters whose hues range from brick red to blood red.
The Cursed Lake
Some locals of the region (notably a branch of the Aymara people, the Lipes) have nicknamed this place “el lago maldito,” the cursed lake. According to legend, the devil would have poisoned these waters, dooming anyone who would dare to touch its lips. It is true that it is far saltier than seawater and also contains various borates and sulfates. But its color owes its hue to the presence of red sediments and microalgae, including Dunaliella salina. To protect itself from the UV rays, intense at this altitude, this alga produces several carotenoid molecules, the very ones found in carrots!
Pink on a Red Background
A setting somewhat harsh on human skin, but James’s flamingos and Andean flamingos are pink with joy there. Properly equipped with salt glands and efficient kidneys, they also have lamellate beaks acting as sieves, enabling them to filter the algae and small organisms on which they feed.
➤ Article paru dans le magazine GEO n°572, “Les Açores, neuf îles, neuf mondes à explorer”, d’octobre 2026.
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