Deep in Forest: Mother Nature's Lake Kaindy

                Imagine a deep, wilderness valley, heavy with evergreen forest. Picture yourself strolling past an evergreen that towers above almost beyond sight, its heavy green branches sprawling out in all directions. You move down the slope on which the tree stands and take a few steps deeper into the woods. Dozens more trees begin to appear in the mist.

                Now imagine this entire beautiful place was completely submerged in water.

                It turns out Mother Nature has left some of her best stuff in some of the most unexpected parts of the world. This one happens to be in Kazakhstan. This is a fair-sized country sitting directly South of Russia, and not too far away from China.

                Nestled among the mountains and forests of that country is a most unusual lake. They call it Lake Kaindy, which translates into “Falling Rocks” or “Landslide Lake”. An unsettling name, yes, but there’s a reason for it.

                A little more than a hundred years ago, there was a wild valley, heavy with forest and alive with wild creatures and plant life and all that good forest-related stuff we all love so dearly. Then, one day, there came a rumble. Then a roaring, crashing and horrible tumult. It was a powerful and terrifying earthquake that destroyed most of the city of Almaty, which is about 80 miles (129 km) away from this tranquil little valley.

                But this wilderness did not escape the earthquake, either. The seismic activity caused a huge landslide, resulting in huge amounts of limestone tumbling down a nearby mountainside and into the valley, forming a kind of natural dam, blocking the river. Water pooled in the valley and, with time, it became a full-fledged, brand new lake. Not only was the tranquil little valley not so tranquil anymore, but it wasn’t even a valley!

                In spite of these rather formidable challenges, however, the trees made up their minds that they weren’t going anywhere. And there they stand to this day, exactly where they were a century ago, but now submerged in as much as 98 feet (30 meters) of water! Of course they’re quite deceased by now, so above water, all branches are long gone and all that remains are the dry, naked tree tops, looking like so many giant toothpicks sticking out of the water, and creating a bit of an obstacle course for a worthy canoeist.

                But if you happen to have some scuba gear, and if you are trained to safely and properly use that gear, you’re in for quite an experience. The view is quite different below the water line.

                The trees still stand spread around just as they were when the sun shone down on them and deer and rabbits wandered among them. Because they’re protected from the weather down there, the branches are still on the trees, reaching out in all directions. And the algae and lake plants draped over all the branches look startlingly like living, green needles! It’s as if the forest were as alive as ever!

                The entire effect is a little eerie and very unusual. It’s a forest, frozen in time, and completely submerged on the lake bed. Where grass once grew, it’s now all sand. Where birds once fluttered in the branches, fish may now peek out. But otherwise, it looks just like any other forest. It just happens to be underwater!

                It’s another one of Mother Nature’s amazing treasures.
 
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Comments

Anonymous said…
You find so many amazing places to.write about!