Mount Kelimutu is a famous tourist attraction in the Flores area, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. And what makes this 1,639-meter high volcano so unique is the existence of a crater lake at its peak, with its water that is always changing color.
Lake Kelimutu or also known as the Three Colors Lake, actually consists of three lakes that are located close together. The three lakes have three different colors, namely blue, red, and white. Because of that the three are called the Lake of Three Colors.
Tiwu Ata Mbupu |
Each lake is named according to the local people's belief in the three lakes. The lake whose water can be white or black, is called Tiwu Ata Mbupu or Lake of Parents, believed to be a gathering place for the souls of parents who have died.
Tiwu Koo Fai Nuwa Mori |
The blue lake which is sometimes light green, is named Tiwu Koo Fai Nuwa Muri or Lake of Youth and Virgins, and is a gathering place for the souls of young people who have died.
Tiwu Ata Polo |
While the lake is brownish red, but can turn light green, named Tiwu Ata Polo, is a gathering place for the souls of people who were evil during their lifetime.
The three lakes are separated by a very steep narrow rock wall, with a slope angle of up to 70 degrees. The rock walls that separate the three lakes vary in height from 50 to 150 meters.
The Three Colors Lake was formed by the eruption of Mount Kelimutu. All three cover an area of 1,051 square km. The color of the water in the three lakes keeps changing all the time, unpredictably.
The color change that occurs is thought to be the result of a chemical reaction that occurs in the minerals contained in the lake, because it is triggered by gas activity produced by Mount Kelimutu.
The water discharge in one of the lakes, namely Tiwu Ata Mbupu, experienced a decline that lasted for years. This lake is almost dry. Fortunately in 2021, the lake's water discharge will slowly start to increase.
The water discharge in the other two lakes also decreased, but not too much.