The clearest lake in the world

The Nelson Tasman region of New Zealand’s South Island is home to the clearest lake in the world. Located in Nelson Lakes National Park, Blue Lake falls within a conservation area, which helps maintain the freshest, clearest water known to man.

Image by Klaus Thymann of Project Pressure and supported by New Zealand Department of Conservation, NIWA and New Zealand Tourism.

Visibility is so clear, you can see up to 76 metres, which is about as clear as looking into distilled water. In the Māori language, Blue Lake is known as Rotomairewhenua, and is considered sacred to the local Māori tribe, the Ngāti Apa.

To reach this body of water, you first need to hike there, and it is found off the Travers-Sabine multi-day hiking circuit. One of the reasons it remains so clear and clean is that visitors are not allowed to enter the lake or swim in it. Visitors to the park are able to overnight in hiking huts along the trail.

This lake, roughly 1,200 metres above sea level, is also fed by a lake a bit higher up within the 102,000-hectare national park. Apart from having fresh water flowing through it constantly, the upper lake is also above the treeline, and so free from falling debris from tree leaves and other foliage.

From time-to-time, the lake can get a bit murky, but this is usually after heavy rainfall, which sweeps organic debris and items into the waters. The lake water clears up soon enough thanks to the flow of water from above.

While off-limits to visitors, see for yourself how inviting these clear waters can be:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Blue lake…clearest natural fresh water in the world #teararoa #tamemories #bluelake #rotomairewhenua #nelsonlakesnationalpark

A post shared by Felicity Boaler (@felicityboaler) on Feb 23, 2018 at 10:03am PST

 

View this post on Instagram

 

God took His time to build the earth. He is the greatest artist there ever was. [ According to research results, visibility in this lake is up to 80 metres (262 ft) – meaning the water is considered almost as “optically clear” as distilled water ] #Rotomairewhenua #BlueLake #NelsonNationalPark #fteRoadToWhere #wppGreen

A post shared by Wen (@willy_fly) on Mar 12, 2016 at 4:20am PST

 

View this post on Instagram

 

#Rotomairewhenua è un piccolo lago nel Nelson Lakes National Park, a nord della #NuovaZelanda. E per quanto piccolo può vantare le acque più trasparenti del mondo. Il Lago Azzurro (#BlueLake), a 1200 metri, dalla forma che vagamente ricorda un boomerang, si estende a nord e nord-ovest con ciascun ramo lungo circa 200 metri e una profondità di 7 metri. Secondo uno studio del 2011, la visibilità è di oltre 80 metri. Nonostante le acque invitanti per la loro trasparenza, fare il bagno e immersioni è severamente vietato. Luogo sacro per i #Maori, il lago era tradizionalmente usato nelle cerimonie per purificare le ossa dei morti e rilasciarne lo spirito.

A post shared by la Repubblica (@larepubblica) on Sep 16, 2016 at 9:21am PDT

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kat (@kjanko77) on Jan 5, 2019 at 9:00pm PST

Image: Klaus Thymann/Project Pressure 

Related Posts

Rahiem Johnson: Why representation in travel matters

27 March 2023

Founded by Rahiem Johnson, Tray Table Seat Back is a Black-owned travel business that aims... read more

7 great spots to picnic near Cape Town

1 November 2022

Looking for somewhere to kick your feet up and embrace the warm days in Cape... read more

6 best beach campsites in SA

14 June 2022

From bucket-and-spade seaside spots to rugged and remote coastal coves, we’ve got your camping weekends covered.... read more