Kaindy Lake

The beautiful Kaindy Lake is famous for its unearthly, limestone-blue water and submerged forest that pokes out from the water’s surface. The Lake is located south of Kazakhstan within Koisai Lakes National Park, about 81 miles east of Almaty.

Lake Kaindy is 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, about 400 meters long and reaching depths of nearly 30 meters. The lake was formed after an earthquake in 1911, which triggered a massive landslide, effectively creating a natural dam. It blocked the gorge and was filled by mountain river water. Over time, rainwater filled the valley, created the lake and covered the trees that grew there.

Often referred to as a ‘sunken forest’, the dead and bleached spruce trees that stick out of the water are remnants of the trees that were flooded when the lake was formed. The cold water helps preserve the tree trunks, which are overgrown with algae and various other water plants. The trees, with the improbable turquoise water of the lake, make an incredibly scenic sight.

Underwater, the imagery is even more stunning, as the trees have not decomposed and create the surreal vision of an underwater forest. Lake Kaindy is known for ice diving and trout fishing in the winter season and has become a popular tourist destination.