Enchanting forests, spectacular mountain ranges, and beaches with waters so blue that they can make you forget all your problems. Yes, our planet is full of lush places. But not everything that glitters is gold.
And even the most beautiful landscapes can quickly turn into a disturbing experience. I'm Donato de Paula, narrator of Mistérios do Mundo, and here are 8 places that seem like they came out of a nightmare. If you like the video, don't forget to like, subscribe to Mistérios do Mundo and turn on notifications.
Underwater cemetery The Chuuk lagoon is located on the coast of Micronesia and, beneath crystal-clear and paradisiacal tropical waters, hides one of the largest cemeteries in the world. In the middle of World War II, Japan chose Chuuk Lagoon as one of its headquarters to fend off the Allies in the South Pacific. It soon became their largest stronghold in the area, until February 1944, when American troops launched an attack that sank more than 60 ships and 270 planes.
Now, the mysterious waters hide hundreds of shipwrecks - a time capsule that takes us back to one of the darkest periods in our history. The lagoon is surrounded by a coral ridge that protects it from the turbulence of the open ocean, so most of the shipwrecks are intact, offering a ghostly glimpse into the past. Unused bombs, gas masks and skeletons are still scattered throughout the holds of ships and plane fuselages.
For divers wanting to explore this underwater museum, a warning: Micronesian waters are dotted with sharks. Door to Hell Almost 50 years ago, a huge fiery crater opened in a desert in northern Turkmenistan. Details about the hole's origins are sketchy, but the story goes that Soviet scientists set it on fire to burn off harmful gases after the ground beneath a drilling rig gave way.
Perhaps scientists underestimated the amount of fuel hidden down there. The result? The crater, 60 meters in diameter and 30 meters deep, has been burning since 1971.
No one knows how long it will burn and whether the gas supply will run out. Until then, the place remains one of the most enigmatic tourist attractions in Turkmenistan. Afar Triangle Imagine a world where the earth beneath your feet is in constant motion, abysses appear out of nowhere and at any moment the ground can completely disappear.
Welcome to the Afar Triangle, a huge depression situated more than 150 meters below sea level. Located mostly in Ethiopia, this is one of only two places in the world where a mid-ocean ridge is visible on land. This ridge is the edge where two tectonic plates move apart, but it is generally only found on the sea floor.
This remarkable exception is one of the most geologically active places on the planet. In a two-month period between September and October 2005, the Afar Depression experienced 165 magnitude 3. 9 earthquakes, happening almost continuously.
Furthermore, the area is home to one of the largest lava lakes in the world, Erta Ale. Its barren landscape, which can easily be confused with an alien world, attracts adventurers and photographers from all over the world. Namaskaro Iceland, famous for its imposing waterfalls, colossal glaciers and the admirable northern lights, enchants anyone willing to connect with nature.
But even this small island country near the North Pole hides its dangers. One of them is Namaskaro, one of the most active volcanic regions on the planet. The area is home to dozens of active volcanoes.
The entire region is a hotspot of geothermal activity and offers one of the most desolate landscapes on the planet. The ground is covered in sulfataras, which are deadly pools of boiling mud. Peppered among them are jets of steam filled with sulfur and volcanic gases, which create a constant, deadly fog.
The boiling, steaming earth, combined with the complete absence of vegetation, gives Namaskaro an almost otherworldly atmosphere. Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park It's not just strange trees like baobabs that adorn the peculiar landscape of Madagascar. This African island also hides one of the strangest places in the world.
The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is made up of a forest, but not just trees, but needle-shaped rock towers that can reach 120 meters in height. The rock, formed by water eroding limestone, is sharp and provides a home for hundreds of species found nowhere else on Earth. The park is scary enough, but it's also under-researched.
In fact, few scientists travel deep into the forest, and only a few have done so more than once. A Nat Geo journalist describes how difficult it is to travel through the park, especially because of the difficulty of walking on sharp rocks, which could pierce your boots. Lago Azul It is uninhabited by fish and avoided by residents; only occasional tourists, scientists and divers dare to swim here.
Whatever the weather, the water temperature always remains the same - 9 degrees. This picturesque lake continually emits an unpleasant odor of hydrogen sulfide. The high concentration of the gas gives the water its navy blue color, and makes the lake uninhabitable for fish.
No one, other than algae, can adapt to live here. Blue Lake, located in Russia, is what is known as a karst lake, meaning a lake with no visible stream running into or away from it. That's because the Lake is fed - and drained - by a series of caves and underwater passages.
High levels of hydrogen sulfide give the lake a bright blue color, but it only extends as far as light can reach. Why is he scary? Simply because it appears to have no bottom.
Although estimates put the depth at around 250 meters, the underwater flow that feeds the lake has not yet been discovered, and all attempts to reach the bottom have failed. The underwater caves constitute the deepest known system in the entire world, and it is difficult to say what actually makes up the bottom of the lake. Some researchers believe that there is an even larger cave at the bottom, but for now, only speculation.
Gomantong Caves Caves can be scary in nature, especially for those who are claustrophobic. But these ones go further. What makes a pleasant home for bats is sometimes best described as “hell on earth” for everyone else.
Let's go through one thing at a time: it is estimated that more than two million bats live in the Gomantong Caves. With so many bats in such a confined area, the guano has nowhere to go but down , so the cave floors are covered in mountains of bat waste - meters thick, and an unbearable odor. But to get to the guano, you have to face another challenge - a layer of cockroaches.
Millions and millions of Malaysian cockroaches live in caves and feed on bat guano. They cover the floor and walls. Among the cockroaches are rats, the white cave crab and thousands of giant Scutigera centipedes.
Cape Tribulation Cape Tribulation offers a paradisiacal experience amidst an untouched tropical forest, deserted beaches and waters with an inviting temperature to spend an entire afternoon. But if you're not careful, a day in the Cape Tribulation could become the worst experience of your life. In this enchanting setting there are deadly forces waiting to attack you.
The warm sea brings an imminent danger: The Australian box jellyfish. It is one of the most dangerous animals in the world, as its venom attacks the cardiovascular system and can cause swimmers to drown before reaching land in search of help. Do not attempt to enter the ocean unless you are not afraid of becoming trapped in the incredibly venomous tentacles of one of these creatures.
But that is not all. These beaches are the habitat of saltwater crocodiles. They are very smart animals that hunt and spy on their prey.
They can hide in shallow or deep parts, near the ocean or in streams - so if you're not paying attention, they'll see you before you see them. But the danger isn’t just on the beaches. In the surrounding forests, even trees can kill you.
They look harmless with their large leaves and pretty red fruits. But don't come close. With a single touch, you'll have thousands of tiny, prickly shards embedded into your skin.
They itch and sting. The pain can last for months. Every time the wind blows, you take a shower or someone accidentally squeezes your arm, you feel the thorns - and it hurts!
Furthermore, if you breathe in the fragments, it can be fatal. Which of these places did you find the scariest? Tell us in the comments!
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