Mahoney Lake

Near Oliver, BC

There is an ecological reserve surrounding this lake, due to the lake's special properties. Do you see the slight purple tinge around the edge of the lake and in the deeper water? They tell us that there's a dense layer - about 8 meters down in the lake - of purple sulphur bacteria.

Below the layer of purple sulphur bacteria, the water is dark, anoxic and saltier than the sea. I would guess, by the look of the mud on the shore, that the surface layer is a little salty too.