All hot springs contain loads of dissolved minerals but not all hot springs are fit for human bathing, many of them have temperatures which are far too hot. Those dissolved minerals however can create all kinds of interesting effects, and sometimes just viewing a hot spring can be fantastic. Have a look at some of these examples.

Blood Pond Hot Spring in Beppu Japan contains a very high percentage of dissolved iron so the water, as you may have guessed from it’s name, is red. The water in here is around 90 degrees celsius so you wouldn’t want to fall in by accident. The locals refer to the pond as ‘hell’.

Fly Geyser is located in Nevada, but it remains fairly unknown even to Nevada residents. Why? The geyser is located on a private ranch and the current owner has put up barriers and fences to discourage tourists. The colours are a result of various minerals such as calcium carbonate.

The Grand Prismatic Spring is located in Yellowstone National Park and is the third largest hot spring in the world. The beautiful coloration (ranging from blue to green to red and orange) are the result of a combination of different dissolved minerals as well as various types of algae and pigmented bacteria. The waters in the pool are around 71 degrees celsius, so only specialized, heat loving organisms can survive here.

Tags: bathing, blood pond, fly geyser, geyser, Hot, hot spring, hot springs, minerals, Pond, Prismatic, sightseeing, yellowstone national park