Everyone loves beating the heat by diving into a source of water. Nothing beats crystal water on a hot day. It could be a lake, a pool, or a beach. Unfortunately, there are some places that nobody should try swimming in.
In some cases, it's because of deadly animals like snakes or sharks. Other times it's because of the odds of drowning or falling. Here are some of the most dangerous and most beautiful sources of water on Earth.
1. The Boiling Lake
Within Dominica's borders, The Boiling Lake is a place we definitely wouldn't recommend swimming in. What makes it so dangerous is the magma swirling just below the surface of the ground. It's so hot that the water in the lake actually reaches boiling point!
Everyone knows what it's like to burn themselves with boiling water, it's very painful and unpleasant. Now imagine if you were submerged in boiling water. Rather stick to somewhere a bit colder if you want a swim.
2. Jacob’s Well
It may look pretty, but we'd recommend that you should avoid swimming here. The lake is in Texas and looks amazing, it has clear water to the point that you can see the bottom easily.
What makes it dangerous is the interconnected tunnels that are at the bottom of the lake. Many people may be tempted to explore them and only find out that it's a labyrinth once it's too late for them.
3. The Nile River
The Nile River is an obvious no go when it comes to swimming. If you still don't know why it's because of all the crocodiles that live in and around it. They may not be the most aggressive animals but they can definitely still be lethal if threatened.
According to statistics, there are around 100 crocodile attacks annually in the Nile. If you compare that to share attacks it's almost ten times the amount! If you like your limbs on your body, steer clear of the Nile.
4. Hanakapiai Beach
Hawaiian beaches are something to behold, their beauty captivates so many tourists and locals. But what makes some of them dangerous is their rip tides. Hanakapiai Beach is responsible for 80 deaths a year alone.
Don't be dumb and try to swim here. Trust us, no matter how good of a swimmer you are, once you're being pulled under, it'll be too late. Two children were rescued after helicopters were dispatched to their location but you may not be so lucky.
5. Bubbly Creek
Here's a location that isn't in an isolated area. You might actually pass it every day. Bubbly Creek is a part of the Chicago River and we don't recommend you try swimming in it. The main reason is all the runoff that finds its way into the river. This includes but is not limited to; fecal matter, discarded meat, and other nasty things.
With all the runoff decaying in the river, the river started to bubble. It's so bad that no life can live in it, not even the hardiest of fish. Please look for a beach if you want to swim, not this disgusting place.
6. Samaesan Hole
Thailand may be on a lot of people's bucket lists as it has some amazing beaches and great views. But there's one place that isn't worth the trouble - The Samaesan Hole.
It's a very deep place, one of the deepest in Thailand. What makes this dangerous is how dark it gets as you get deeper. You can easily get lost once you're deep enough. Losing your bearings can be fatal.
7. Lake Karachay
Here's a lake in Central Russia. It makes Chicago's Bubbling Lake look like a beauty. Russia's Government has been dumping toxic waste into the lake for decades before dumping was regulated like it is today. If you swim in the lake you could die in as little as an hour.
The government has taken steps to rectify the dumping by filling the lake with concrete. So soon the lake won't exist at all. This means that local wildlife won't suffer the lake's toxicity for much longer.
8. Eagle’s Nest Sink Hole
Eagle's Nest is a sinkhole in Florida. It's okay to swim on the surface but what makes it so dangerous is when someone wants to dive. The sinkhole is as deep as 300 feet and more than 10 people have died diving. For safety reasons the sinkhole has been closed.
The holes in the walls of the sinkhole are particularly dangerous. You can swim until you get to any of these signs, then you should take its advice and leave the way you came. You can easily drown if you get stuck in one of the holes.
9. Kipu Falls
Kipu Falls attracts a lot of tourists every year. But sadly, a lot of tourists have also drowned here. The government isn't sure why it's such a hotspot for drownings. It might be the waves while others have said it's due to wild folklore around an angry god.
What it the most likely explanation is also the simplest. Since there so many tourists that visit this place every year the volume of drownings recorded is higher. The more people going there, the better the chances of drowning.
10. The Amazon Basin
The reasons that the Amazon Basin in South America is dangerous are many. First off, there are so many predators in its waters that a light and breezy swim might lead to a horrible degeneration via getting eaten. A few of these unsavory predators include things like piranhas, barracudas, and all the little critters that attract them.
It is also the home to one of the most terrifying tiny fish that exists on planet Earth: the candiru. While it’s not certain that the fish will actually do what people claim it does (swim up the urinal tract to eat your genitals), many have claimed just the opposite. But we’ll let the fear of this possibility resonate in you for a moment.
11. Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the third largest lake in the entire world. Some parts of it, however, are not parts in which you would like to swim. One reason the lake is so dangerous is the number of deaths that occur in it per year. The number so far is around 5,000. That’s pretty high.
Part of what makes the lake so deadly is that it has its own isolated weather system. And because of this, the weather can change from bright and sunny to terrible and bleak in a matter of seconds. If you’re caught in the middle of a storm while swimming, then, you might have caught a little more than you bargained for.
12. Horseshoe Lake
Horseshoe Lake is one of the many lakes within the state of California. One thing terrifying about the lake is the drastically high presence of carbon dioxide that exists there. And where, you ask, did this carbon dioxide come from? Well, it came from a long series of earthquakes that destroyed the area.
As a result of the earthquakes, carbon dioxide was released from the ground. The result of this release was the death of all the nearby flora of the area. You will see, then, a large lot of dead trees on your way to the area. You’ll only see these, though, if you decide to ignore our list and swim in these places regardless.
13. Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto can be found in Spain. Unfortunately, the history of this area has led the waters that inhabit it to turn red with pollution. This is because the area was used as a mine, the runoff of which had greatly polluted the lake. This pollution, in turn, is grossly acidic. Avoid.
If you’re looking instead for a nice relaxing swim, this might not be the lake for you. Instead, you might want to take yourself somewhere where you won’t dissolve if you swim in it. The result would be, contra to the Rio Tinto, a delightful refresher.
14. The Ganges River
Industrialization has its benefits. It gives you more technology, a larger economy, and ultimately a more robust city life. But it also has a dark side. Pollution, carbon emissions, and many other foibles will result. And it’s because of this industrialization that the Ganges River in India has become of the most dangerous areas in which to swim.
Oftentimes, industrialization will occur so quickly that the regulations on that pollution will not catch up. As a result, bodies of water will often get polluted. This is what had happened with the Ganges: people had put into the water trash, plastic, and pretty much everything else they didn’t want to deal with. The result is the now toxic Ganges.
15. Gansbaai
Gansbaai is an area off the coast of South Africa. The place has, however, been named shark alley for its great presence of sharks. This is unfortunate, as sharks can induce a great amount of death in those who they attack. You do not, for the most part, want to be one of these people.
It isn’t just shark alley that possesses this reputation, however. Another island off the coast of North America bears the same reputation. While this latter island is a more popular destination for great white sharks and the like, there is a lower probability that one of these sharks will attack you. This is not the case in the South African region.
16. Hoover Dam
First off, swimming at the Hoover Dam is illegal. So, if you were to swim there, you would find yourself succinctly imprisoned. Secondly, the place dangerous—in part what makes it illegal to swim there. One of these dangers is the super strong currents that exist within.
There are many intakes along the dam, for instance, which allow for the water at the top to move down to the bottom at a controlled pace. These intakes have, ostensibly, taken the lives of many unsuspecting swimmers. The dam also has some things called a bell-mouth spillway, which are uncontrolled ways through which they transport water. Watch out for these, too.
17. Citarum River
Indonesia is one of the most beautiful places you can travel to. It’s also where a lot of us get our coffee. Anyways, the archipelago is home to some of the most beautiful shorefronts visible. But other than the beauty, its status as an archipelago has earned it a mass amount of biodiversity. The life there has adapted differently on each of the different islands.
But despite all of this beauty and natural splendor, it is sometimes a place you shouldn’t swim. The Citarum River is a gleaning example of this. The reasons it is so dangerous should be familiar: pollution. People have filled the place with so much garbage that it has since become uninhabitable by the local swimmer.
18. Blue Lagoon
In the UK you’ll find some bodies of water that are best left avoided. The Blue Lagoon is one such body. Because the lake has such a drastically high pH level (standing high at a staggering 11.3), the natural pool has an alkalinity comparable to that of ammonia or bleach.
And, in case you didn’t know, if ammonia leaks into a local lake or stream, it is quarantined because of the potential danger. The Buxton Derbyshire Blue Lagoon, then, should be avoided at all costs. So while you might want to take a dip in its pretty blue waters, it’d be better that you stay home and read a book. We could all do some more reading anyways.
19. The Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast off of the Southern United States is, let’s just say, a little different. While it’s home to abundant runoff from the farming practices of central North America, making its shores virtually uninhabitable for sea critters, it is also home to some of the deadliest animals imaginable. Some of these animals are snakes.
In case you were unaware, snakes can swim. So, if your intentions are to dip into the water and forget about the pains of the humid life on shore, don’t expect to be totally free of woes. The water itself will be hot—and sometimes it’ll even be full of snakes. Some of these snakes, even more disconcertingly, are rattlesnakes.
20. Reunion Island
Reunion Island is a small little island off the coast of Madagascar. Located succinctly in the Indian Ocean, the place has become the shark attack capital of the world. So forget about the dangers of South Africa, this place will have you bit and bit quick.
There have been, for instance, a record number of around 39 attacks on the small island. This number is still low considering the drastically high number of people who swim there each year. It is still something to take into account if you want to make the place one of your new favorite swimming locations.
21. The Strid
In the middle of Yorkshire, England you’ll find a body of water so dismal, so fantastically disturbing, and so deadly that to swim in it for over five seconds will lead to your immediate death. Okay, not really. But the place is extraordinarily dangerous.
In part what makes it so dangerous is the presence of small and hidden currents. These currents, for those who fall in, can quickly become deadly, sucking people down and in. The result, in case you didn’t know, was that you drown and face the bottom. Most often, the currents will drag you beneath rocks, which causes you to get trapped. This isn’t something you’d like on your nice, Yorkshire vacation.
22. Queensland, Australia
Queensland is the second largest territory in the Commonwealth of Australia. It’s also, however, one of the more deadly places to swim. The reasons for this are probably what you would expect—the place is home to an abundance of deadly and terrifying creatures.
The list of these beasts is just as long as it is terrifying. There are sharks, saltwater crocodiles, stonefish, and the exceptionally deadly blue-ringed octopi and box jellyfish. The box jellyfish is particularly deadly. One sting from this tiny creature can induce a cardiac arrest which can kill you almost instantly. Not so fun if you ask us.
23. Bolinas Beach, California
California is home to many of the most pleasant beaches on planet Earth. But it is also home to some of the most deadly. One of these is Bolinas Beach. Bolinas Beach, much to the chagrin of the locals, is a part of the infamous Red Triangle, an area in which great whites frequent to get their lunch.
You can tell why the area is so popular with sharks when you look at its great concentration of seals and the like. Because of these animals, sharks will often mistake nearby divers as food, resulting in an attack. While this doesn’t happen all too often (in fact it rarely happens at all), it will sometimes happen. And when it does, the results are often deadly.
24. New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Florida, like California, is home to some of the sandiest and beautiful beaches around. But, also like California, its beaches are bordering the sea. Unfortunately, this often makes it home to terrifying and deadly creatures like sharks. This is especially true in New Smyrna Beach.
New Smyrna Beach, like Reunion Island, has also been considered the shark attack capital of the world. Both islands, then, are not places you would like to go if you’re afraid of sharks. Instead, you’d probably like to go somewhere inland instead. The results will surely be a lower probability of death-by-shark. But you also won’t get to experience any warm, sandy beaches.
25. Victoria Falls
Some places you wouldn’t like to swim are not places most people would swim anyways. Victoria Falls in Zambia, however, is surprisingly not one of these locations. The place is home to one of the greatest series of waterfalls that exist. And because of this, the results of a nice refreshing swim could lead to a precipitous death-fall.
This is unfortunate considering the heat that those in Zambia will often feel. At the edge of the falls are these things called “The Devil’s Pools.” These little pools are little digs that accumulate water in which you can swim. Unfortunately, they are literally on the lip on the falls and extremely dangerous. We would not recommend that you swim in them.
26. Potomac River
Some of these dangerous places are not those that you would expect. Some, for instance, are in places like Maryland and West Virginia. In the Potomac River, for instance, you’ll find rapids that can easily pull you under. And through these, you can quickly find yourself at the bottom of the water.
Once at the bottom, having succumbed to these currents, you will not have a good time. The result, as you’ll notice, isn’t something that you’d like. Seeing as how you can’t breathe underwater, you’d probably rather spend your time on land. If this is the case, we’d recommend that you keep yourself out of these turbulent waters.
27. West End, Grand Bahama Islands
The Bahamas are one of those places that everyone should visit. Off the coast of Florida, they hold some of the most beautiful swimming conditions imaginable. But they also, as one might expect, hold lots of sea life that prove just a little more than dangerous. And again, this danger comes often from sharks.
On Tiger Beach, for instance, you will find a great abundance of tiger sharks. And tiger sharks, in case you were unaware, are one of the more vicious of shark species. You’re likely safe, however, if you decide to venture into these waters. The risk of shark attacks everywhere is vanishingly low. Just try not to look like a seal.
28. Lake Kivu
Rwanda has a sordid history. Having been split into competing groups by controlling powers in the early- and mid-19th century, the place has had its moments. But, it also has something else that many of us would consider sordid. This thing is Lake Kivu, one of the most dangerous lakes on planet Earth.
Here, we have another case of looks deceiving us into peril. The lake is considered an “exploding” lake, which means that, on occasion, it can erupt. This is due to the unstable ground afforded to it by a nearby volcano. Unfortunately, when this lake erupts it releases into the air bountiful carbon dioxide. And the C02 is, let’s just say, deadly.
29. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is just your regular, run-of-the-mill beach in South Carolina. On occasion, however, the beach can turn deadly. The primary reasons for this deadly timbre are the nature of its rip tides. These can, on some unfortunate days, induce trouble for those who are caught in them.
In tandem with these strong rip tides is the presence of warm-water cannonball jellyfish. These jellyfish are deadly and can paralyze those that they sting in the water. While neither is likely to kill on their own, when they combine they can create a constellation of danger. The result could be drowning.