“Siberian Maldives” Isn’t Really A Safe Place

Located near the Siberian city of Novosibirsk and dubbed the “Siberian Maldives” or “Novosibirsk Maldives”, this gorgeous lake is actually a man-made toxic dump used to dump ash from a nearby coal plant. Alluring as it may seem at first glance, the Siberian Generating Company (SGC) warns that its ash-dumping pond has a high pH of more than 8 and can cause an allergic reaction in contact with human skin. However, that hasn’t stopped Instagrammers from posing for photos on the lake’s beaches and even venturing on the water on paddle boards and inflatable unicorns.