On a site Victoria’s Chief Conservation Scientist, Dr Mark Norman is asked to find out how these lakes get their colour.
"What you’ll find about these lakes is that they are very salty. This makes them the perfect habitat for a single-celled algae that is super adapted to live only in extremely salty conditions" explains Dr Norman.
"When the weather and water conditions are just right, the algae produces pink or red cartenoids (basically a filter, like a pair of sunglasses, to protect their chlorophyll cells and help photosynthesis) which give the lake its pink colour."
adapted from: https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/news/2022/04/20/23/15/everything-you-need-to-know-about-victorias-pink-lakes