The unusual volume of fresh water received into the lagoon as a result of recent storms has caused the growth of green algae diluting the microorganisms that give the unique pink pigmentation to the natural park. However experts say that the lagoon will recover its hue in the coming months.
The pink colour of the water and the bright white of the salt are characteristics of the 1,400 hectare landscape, across which the lagoon of Torrevieja extends.
In recent months there have been many striking images that have seen the dramatic landscape shared across the world, and following the salt lake start of La Vuelta, the Cycling Tour of Spain, during the summer the expanse has become even more recognisable.
But now the water in the lagoon is green. The storms in September 2019 and the heavy rainfall of January contributed an unusually high volume of fresh water to the lagoon, from the Rambla de la Fayona, close to Sierra Escalona, and as such, with the dilution of the salt content the lagoon has seen the growth of microscopic algae, that is also present in the neighbouring lagoon of La Mata that has waters with less salt saturation.
Most likely, this protected natural space will gradually recover its usual image. The hypersalinity “will kill” the algae so that the microscopic Dunaliella returns, which, together with other bacteria, introduces the pink pigmentation to the lagoon. This will also be helped by the process of strong evaporation that occurs during the first months of spring.
The change in colour has been recently highlighted by a series of satellite images published by scientist Nahúm Méndez.
