The greatest optical illusion of nature - a lake above the ocean
With the skillful position of the lens in the photos, it can look as if this lake rises several hundred meters above the ocean.
Sørvágsvatn is the name of the largest lake on the Faroe Islands. It has an area of approximately four kilometers, and it stretches on the volcanic island of Vagar between Scotland, Norway, and Iceland.
Although with the skillful position of the lens in the photos, it may look like it rises a few hundred meters above the ocean, and the real truth is that it is located at an altitude of about 30 meters.
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In tourist photos, lake Sørvágsvatn gives the impression of floating above the ocean, with huge cliffs hundreds of meters high. But in reality, these are less high than it appears, since they measure "only" 30 meters.
This optical illusion actually depends on where you stand when you capture this natural wonder. In short, this extraordinary place offers above all a panoramic view of the Arctic Ocean which surrounds it.
Coming in first place in National Geographic's Best of the World poll in 2015, the Faroe Islands (which could be translated as "sheep islands") would have been inhabited by monks, before being visited by the ancestors of the current population, the aptly named Vikings.
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The inhabitants of this archipelago can boast of its extraordinary landscapes, but they are also fighting over the ownership of Lake Sørvágsvatn. Indeed, the lake changes its name depending on whether you are on the west side or the east side (where it is called Leitisvatn).
Sørvágsvatn is one of the most unusual and fabulous lakes on the planet. Others, like it, are also in the middle of an island. This is particularly the case of Lake Taal in the Philippines, Retba in Senegal - more commonly known as "Pink Lake" - or even the acidic lake of Kawah Ijen on the island of Java.
To realize all the richness of our planet, you can admire these extraordinary sites from home… or take a trip!
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By: Sarah R.
