The river that DID run red: Residents of Chinese city left baffled after Yangtze turns scarlet
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED:13:38 GMT, 7 September 2012| UPDATED:13:39 GMT, 7 September 2012
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- It is the last thing the residents of Chongqing would have expected to see.
But the Yangtze river, which runs through the city in south-western China, turned a bright shade of orange-red yesterday.
The waterway where the Yangtze met the Jialin River provided a fascinating contrast as the red started to filter into the other river.
Meeting point: A ship sails across the junction of the polluted Yangtze River (left) and the Jialin River in Chongqing, China, yesterday
Shock: The Yangtze river, which runs through the city in south-western China, turned a bright shade of orange-red yesterday
Dirty/clean: A ship sails across the junction of the Yangtze River and the Jialin River at the exact spot where the dyed river starts to bleed into the Jialin
In the thick of it: A fisherman goes about his daily business
While officials investigate the cause of the colouring, one fisherman went about his daily business as if nothing had happened.
Others were so amazed that they collected samples in water bottles.
Although the cause is yet to be determined, this is not the first time a river has turned red in China.
Last December, the Jian River in the city of Luoyang, in the north Henan province, turned red after becoming polluted by a powerful dye.
The dye was being dumped into the city's storm drain network by two illegal dye workshops.
Officials raided the factories to shut them down, and then disassembled their machinery.
According to chapter 16, verse 4 of the Bible's book of Revelations, one of the signs that Armageddon is near will be an angel pouring a bowl into the rivers, turning them into blood.
Bizarre: The red river gave Chongqing an apocalyptic appearance yesterday
Check it out! Some residents were so amazed that they collected samples in water bottles
Close-up: Whatever it was that dyed the river was almost orange in colour
Irregular occurrence: A couple make the most of the rare opportunity to get up close to a red river
Thick dye: The Yangtze river washes up on and stains a tiled floor
Read more:
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The crimson tide: Tourists in Australia flee as Bondi Beach turns into the 'Red Sea' because of rare algae bloom
- Beaches closed over health fears but some swimmers are braving the water
- Phenomenon caused when tiny plants flourish due to unusual conditions
- They can appear in various colours often with spectacular results
- Algae is high in ammonia which can cause skin rashes and eye irritation
- Large numbers of fish are believed to have perished
By Daniel Miller and Richard Shears
PUBLISHED:09:47 GMT, 27 November 2012| UPDATED:13:02 GMT, 27 November 2012
Tourists heading for world-famous Bondi Beach were left high and dry today after a rare natural phenomenon turned the water blood red.
Bondi was among several popular beaches in and around Sydney, Australia, which had to be closed after a huge algae bloom transformed the sea into something resembling a scene from a Jaws movie.
But despite the warnings a number of intrepid beachgoers were seen venturing into the water and swimming through the red surface, Ten News Sydney reported.
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Bloodbath: An intrepid swimmer heads towards a patch of red algae bloom off the coast of Sydney, Australia, where the rare natural phenomenon has turned the water the colour of blood
Closed: A red wave breaks off Sydney's Bondi Beach, one of several around Sydney which had to be closed due to the rare algae bloom
The natural phenomenon is caused when algae, a plant-like organism flourishes and large groups of the miniscule plants, which can appear in various colours, gather together often with spectacular results.
Known as Nocturnal Scintillans or sea sparkle it has no toxic effects but people are still advised to avoid swimming in areas with discoloured water because the algae, which can be high in ammonia, can cause skin irritation.
British tourists were among large groups of visitors who were told by lifeguards not to enter the water until the all-clear was given because the algae can irritate the skin and cause other health problems.
Ken Roberts, 23, from Birmingham, England said: ‘Perhaps I’m just in the wrong country – I thought the Red Sea was somewhere in Asia.’
A mother and her child look out over the 'Red Sea' of Sydney's Clovelly beach. Despite health warnings a number of defiant swimmers were seen venturing into the water
High and dry: Several popular beaches around Sydney including Bondi and Clovelly (pictured) had to be shut after the algae, known as Nocturnal Scintillans or sea sparkle, flourished
Tomato soup: While the red algae has no toxic effects people are still advised to avoid swimming in areas with because it can be high in ammonia which can cause skin irritation
Tourists and locals are hoping that the algae will have dissipated by the weekend, when temperatures are expected to reach 40c
Local lifeguard Bruce Hopkins said: 'It has quite a fishy smell to it.
'It makes the water look like it has a coating of tomato-sauce coloured oil.’
The algae has already disappointing thousands who had headed to the coast to cool off as the summer Down Under finally gets under way of a prolonged cold period.
The New South Wales (NSW) Office of Water has been carrying out a series of tests to discover what caused the bloom.
One theory is that it was caused by an upwelling of colder nutrient-rich water.
A gull stands in the discoloured water of Clovelly Beach. Large numbers of fish are believed to have perished from the effects of the algae
A swimmer sticks to the safety of a pool after the algae transformed the surrounding sea. Tests are underway to find out what caused the phenomenon
A spokesman said that the blooms, sometime referred to as 'red tides', are more common around spring and autumn when the water temperature is higher and there are greater movements in ocean currents.
Large numbers of fish are believed to have perished from the effects of the algae.
A spokesman for the local council said red algae could be dangerous to some humans exposed to it.
‘There are some possible risks to human health including skin rashes and eye irritation and for this reason the beach will remain closed until the algae dissipates,’ he said.
Tourists and locals are hoping that the algae will have dissipated by the weekend, when temperatures are expected to reach 40c.
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2239040/Crimson-tides-Tourists-flee-Bondi-Beach-Red-Sea-rare-algae-bloom-turns-water-colour-blood.html#ixzz2EiWEsWo0