Fundudzi (9 photos)

A mysterious lake in Africa from which it is impossible to carry water. What is the phenomenon of this amazing place?





In the hottest point of South Africa, among the golden landscapes of the Limpopo province, there is a lake that locals call the "eye of the gods". Fundudzi is not just a reservoir. It is a natural paradox where science collides with mysticism, and reality seems to be torn from the pages of a fantasy novel.

Fundudzi seems miniature: only 3 km long and 1 km wide. But its depth of 27 meters hides mysteries that make limnologists lose sleep. Two rivers, Godoni and Mutale, generously fill the lake, but it has no outlet.

It is logical to assume that in the rainy season it would turn into a seething stream... but no. The water level remains unchanged even in drought. It is as if the lake itself decides how much liquid it needs. Scientists are still arguing: either a network of underground tunnels is hidden under the water, or the bottom has a unique porosity.

Local tribes believe that Fundudzi is a portal to the world of spirits. They tell how in 1955, Professor Henry Burnside, who decided to study the lake, encountered the inexplicable. Every night, his hermetically sealed flasks with water samples turned out to be empty.

“This is not water, but a living creature,” said the guide Thacker.

Modern skeptics see this as a metaphor: perhaps the researchers encountered an unknown chemical process or… their own carelessness. But the fact remains: not a single sample ever left the shores of Fundudzi.

The most terrifying legend says that Burnside and Thacker, desperate to understand the nature of the lake, took a chance to try its water. According to the tale, this decision turned out to be fatal for them: a few days later, both died under mysterious circumstances. Of course, there is no documentary evidence of this - most likely, this is a fiction designed to scare tourists.

For the tribes of the region, the water here is not just a liquid. According to their beliefs, the lake is associated with a spirit named Korabalabala, who punishes those who disturb its peace. Drinking the water means incurring the wrath of the deity: illness, failure, or even death. The locals used to live in peace with the spirit until one woman got scared by the sacred python living in the lake. After that, a drought began, and people realized: it is better not to disturb nature.

Scientists are also in no hurry to declare the lake normal. The water in it is brownish, and the shores are lifeless - possibly due to chromium compounds. There are other anomalies: water samples taken for analysis sometimes disappear from tightly sealed containers or turn into solids.

The water from Lake Fundudzi is dangerous for humans due to the high content of toxic chromium compounds. These substances can cause serious problems with the stomach and intestines, and in severe cases - even death. For example, Professor Burnside, who studied the lake in the 1950s, most likely, according to legend, experienced acute poisoning after contact with the water.

The water from this lake has an amazing feature: in closed containers it can freeze and crystallize even at temperatures above zero. When such water is poured into a vessel with a narrow neck and cooled, it gradually turns into ice or dense crystals. Because of this, the volume of water decreases, and the vessel itself sometimes makes a loud "bang" - this happens if the lid is not tightly closed, and air gets inside, causing a sharp change in pressure.

Locals have long believed that water cannot be taken away from the lake: people noticed how the liquid collected in buckets "disappeared", leaving only solid crystals at the bottom. The scientific explanation is related to the unique chemical composition of the water, which may contain substances that enhance crystallization. However, for the indigenous tribes, this is yet another confirmation of the mystical power of the lake - as if nature itself forbids taking its water

Is this really true? Or is it all about chemical reactions? There is no clear answer yet, but one thing is clear: Fundudzi continues to surprise even skeptics.

It used to be difficult to get to Fundudzi: surrounded by mountains, it was hidden in a remote area, and locals did not like tourists wandering around their sacred lake with cameras. But over the past 10 years, everything has changed.

Today, excursions are organized here, and the shores of Fundudzi are teeming with guests. Many of them, upon seeing the water for the first time, immediately begin a strange ritual: they turn their backs to the lake, bend over and look at it between their legs. This is ukodola - a local rite that, according to legend, every newcomer must perform. Tourists eager to “immerse themselves in the atmosphere” happily copy the ritual, turning it into part of the adventure.

What used to scare people away now attracts them: mystery, inaccessibility and the spirit of ancient traditions. Fundudzi is no longer a secret, but it has not lost its magic - now it is willingly shared with those who are ready to "play" a little with local beliefs.





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