These incredible pictures may look like stills from some bizarre space-themed film, but they actually show a landscape much nearer to home. These are pools of brightly coloured acid, deep in the heart of the Danakil Desert in East Africa.
They’ve been taken by Israeli photographer Neta Dekel, who says that the pools are one of the most extraordinary sights he’s ever seen.
“The acid pools were something out of this world,” he says.
“The acid is extremely dangerous since a drop of it can burn your flesh to the bone, and there were no trails or barricades that can protect the visitors.”
The pools lie close to the Erta Ale volcano and are surrounded by volcanic ash. And apparently, they stink to high heaven.
“The smell was horrible and it was difficult to breathe,” Neta explains.
The Danakil Desert stretches over 100,000 square kilometres across three different countries – northeast Ethiopia, southern Eritrea, and northwestern Dijoubti.
With live volcanos and blistering heat, it’s one of the hottest places on earth, with daytime temperatures often going above 50’C.
The Sun
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