Blue Lake Nelson – the cleanest in the world (11 photos)

Blue Lake (Rotomairewhenua in Māori) is a small freshwater lake located in Nelson Lakes National Park, in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Scientific research conducted in 2011 by New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) found Blue Lake to be the clearest and brightest natural body of fresh water known to man.

According to NIWA research, visibility in the lake is 80 meters, meaning the water is optically clear, equivalent to distilled water.





Blue Lake was first discovered by a local tribe after the park opened in 1956. The tribe's indigenous inhabitants consider the lake sacred and carefully ensure that no one enters its waters. The only exception was Danish ecologist and photojournalist Klaus Thiemann, who was granted exclusive permission to photograph and study the lake.



The lake is fed by a spring from the neighboring glacial Lake Constance, but the water passes through landslide layers that form a dam between the two lakes. This natural dam filters the water, giving the lake its most intense natural violet-blue color.





Nelson National Park in the northern part of the South Island has become a popular fishing and recreation destination. The trail along the lake is a two-day hike from the park boundary. There are also observation decks, and helicopter flights are available to admire the natural beauty from a bird's eye view.



The lake is 1,200 meters above sea level. The water in Blue Lake is always cold, ranging from 5 to 8°C. C.







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