Open waters is a fantastic place for swimmers to escape from the hot sunburnt life on dry land. However, the seemingly quiet retreat may hold some unwelcome dwellers: unnamed predators, hidden holes, toxic pollutants, and more. Read on for the list of the 20 most dangerous places you'd better never swim in.
20. The Samaesan Hole, Thailand
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Thailand is a paradise for swimmers with its picturesque beaches. However, green hands should avoid the Samaesan Hole, which is the deepest area to dive in Thailand. The hole is pitch dark, leading to almost zero visibility in places. Some divers have lost their way and never come back to the surface.
19. The Nile River, North Africa
The Nile River is called the cradle of humanity, but it can also take a human's life in seconds. Why? The North African river sees about 100 crocodile attacks every year. The cases are nearly five times more common than shark attacks in the region. For the sake of your life, do not try swimming in the beasts' home.
18. The Eagle's Nest Sinkhole, US
This Florida sinkhole is safe to swim in but not so for diving. You can hardly imagine the hole can reach depths of 300 feet, and it was so for the ten people who lost their lives there. Even some experienced scuba instructors have become stuck in the caves. As a result, the hole has been closed indefinitely.
17. The Amazon Basin, South America
The Amazon Basin in South America is where you can experience the marvels and cruelty of nature simultaneously. Innocent swimmers can become an appetizer for various predators such as piranhas, barracudas, and even candirus, the most deadly tiny fishes on the planet. A few adventurers claim that the creatures will swim into any holes they can find on your body.
16. New Smyrna Beach, US
New Smyrna Beach borders the sea, so any human blood can induce the deadly sharks that sniff around hungrily. This place has been infamous as the shark attack capital of the world. Maybe you should go somewhere inland instead.
15. The 'Glory Hole,' US
Lake Berryessa's 'Glory Hole' should have acted as a lifesaver but can become a portal to certain death in some cases. It is a spillway that measures about 72 feet wide and 245 feet long, and serves as a drain for the Monticello Dam in Napa Valley, California. Anyone who swims near it is likely to be sucked in and plunge around 2,000 feet. It happened once in 1997.
14. The Gulf Coast, US
Because of the local farming practices, The Gulf Coast off of the Southern U.S. is home to ample runoff and some of the world's scariest creatures. Swimmers might intend to jump into the water to escape from their humid onshore lives but have no idea that countless snakes are waiting for a chance to attack them in the dark.
13. The Ganges River, India
Industrialization led to a more robust economy and even more severe pollution issues in India. The local regulations haven't caught up, and people dump all household and industrial waste into the river. Indian traditional funerals also take place on the river, worsening the water quality.
12. The Berkeley Pit, US
The Berkeley Pit in Butte Montana looks like a serene place in the photo, but the reality is quite the opposite. It was initially a copper mine but later filled with water after laying dormant for a long time. The mine's chemical composition has made the water extraordinarily toxic. Even taking a dip for a few seconds will harm your health.
11. Lake Victoria, Africa
Lake Victoria attracts worldwide tourists as the largest lake in Africa and the third-largest lake globally. However, it also stuns the world for its staggering death rate, about 5,000 per year. Why? Its isolated weather system is hard to predict. You may come there on a bright and sunny day but suddenly encounter a deadly storm.
10. Nyiragongo, Congo
Nyiragongo lies in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa and should be the last place you will ever think of as a swimming location. Why? It's the largest lava pit in the world. Both the hot lava and the carbon dioxide there can take your life easily. I guess only Beelzebub will feel refreshed after swimming in it.
9. Mono Lake, US
Mono Lake sits next to Lake Tahoe, but they are two opposite extremes in water quality. They do share some geological similarities, so Mono Lake has attracted some tourists on their way to Lake Tahoe. Unfortunately, nearby towns like Los Angeles have drained vital resources in the lake, leaving its toxicity unbalanced.
8. The Laguna Caliente, Costa Rica
The Laguna Caliente means "hot lagoon" in English. The lake sits in the center of a stratovolcano in Costa Rica and can surprise any people nearby with sudden volcanic eruptions. Its longest eruption took about two years to finish. However, the gas the eruption released is still toxic to humans today.
7. Victoria Falls, Zambia
Some bodies of water are worth admiring from afar but are dangerous to swim in. Victoria Falls in Zambia is one of them. You can see one of the most remarkable series of waterfalls in the world there. But watch out for "The Devil's Pools" on the lip on the falls. To swim in the digs may end in a precipitous death-fall.
6. Lake Chagan, Kazakhstan
The ice lake looks wild but is a result of an unnatural disaster. Its other name, the Nuclear Lake, reveals its history. The lake appeared due to the detonation of an underground Russian nuclear bomb. Its radioactivity can induce cellular mutations and the water itself is caustic. I bet no one wants to go even near it.
5. Hanakapiai Beach, US
Hawai never lacks sunny beaches and coral reefs, but you should avoid swimming in a few particular places, such as Hanakapiai beach. Its violent rip tides can pull you directly to the bottom of the sea, and it has caused 80 deaths. Don't ever show off your bravery in the fatal waves.
4. Rio Tinto, Spain
Rio Tinto's waters appear yellowish-red because the nearby mine has polluted the lake significantly. As a result, the waters are grossly acidic. Anything that dips in them for too long will dissolve in the end.
3. Bubbly Creek, US
Bubbly Creek is not a good place to swim in the Chicago River. The runoff that flows into the lake brings discarded meat, fecal matter, and other loathsome things. These disgusting things have seriously polluted the water, thus killing most species in it.
2. The Strid, UK
The Strid is located in Yorkshire, England, and seems full of natural beauty, but it has more to it than meets the eye. Numerous small and hidden currents can suck the wide-eyed swimmers down in seconds or trap them beneath rocks, making the place unusually dangerous.
1. The Boiling Lake, Dominica
The Boiling Lake in Dominica is also dangerous for its unusual temperature. The scalding magma induces the water to reach boiling point. So be careful! It's not a comfortable thermal spring but a lake of boiling water.
