A pond at the Kealia National Wildlife Refuge on Maui turned bright pink after the salt content of the water spiked due to severe drought, reports The Guardian.
It is assumed that the water turned glamorous color due to the proliferation of halobacteria in a salty environment.
Waikapu Creek, which carries water from the West Maui mountains to Kelia Pond, flows through an area of severe drought. A deadly wildfire that consumed 90% of Maui County in August is causing drought.
The decrease in fresh water entering the pond has led to increased salt concentrations and has become a cozy home for purple halobacteria.
A pond in Hawaii is not the only body of water that has turned into a fabulous color. A year earlier, the salt lake Yuncheng, in the Chinese province of Shanxi, also turned deep pink thanks to minerals and microorganisms in the water.
