Swimming is one of the best things you can do in summer. Many people, especially those who are good in the water, are fond of wild swimming as it can be thrilling. There are many nature spots with large bodies of water that may look like the perfect places to have fun, but travelers are actually not allowed to swim in many of these areas, for a number of reasons.
1. The Boiling Lake - Too Hot
Located in Dominica, the boiling lake is one of the most dangerous places in the world to take a swim. Beneath the lake is scalding hot liquid magma that raises the temperature of the water to boiling point with little warning.
2. The River Nile - Crocodiles
Located in Africa, the world’s longest river was long regarded as the cradle of humanity. Unfortunately, it’s not just humanity that made its home there and there also thousands of deadly crocodiles waiting for their next dinner. Though the chance of an attack is relatively low: about 100 people a year are attacked along the 6,650-mile river. Still, you don’t want to take your chances.
3. Hanakapiai Beach - Strong Winds
Located in Hawaii, USA, Hanakapiai Beach is an incredibly popular tourist resort. The stunning coastlines and natural scenery make it an ideal place to visit. Sunbathing is encouraged, but swimming is not allowed, because the strong winds and currents can easily drag away swimmers from the shore and sweep them out to sea.
4. Bubbly Creek - Toxic Chemicals
Located in Chicago, Bubbly Creek, a part of Chicago River, is not recommended as a place to swim. First, the creek is the hub for toxic runoff that makes its way into the river, like food, waste, fecal matter and worse. Second, the flow has made it so bad that the toxic chemicals actually kill any living fish in the area. Nobody should swim in such an environment.
5. Samaesan Hole - Get Lost
Located in Thailand, Samaesan Hole, an underwater cave, is one of the deepest parts of the country. If you dive here, you could easily get lost due to poor visibility.
6. Eagle’s Nest Sinkhole - At Least 10 People Died
Located in Florida, USA, Eagle’s Nest Sinkhole is ok to swim in, but the state is desperately trying to get people to stop diving below the surface because the hole dives deeper than 300 feet and has taken the lives of at least ten people who have dived down to explore it. Would you risk it?
7. Kipu Falls - 5 People Died
Located in Hawaii, USA, Kipu Falls attracts tourists from all over the world due to its appearance in Raiders of the Lost Ark. However, according to official reports, five people have died in the last five years at Kipu Falls. As a result, swimmers are considered trespassers and are no longer protected by the law.
8. Lake Victoria - Unpredictable Changes
Located in Tanzania and Uganda, Lake Victoria is the world’s third largest lake. Official reports suggest that around 5000 people per year die from swimming in it as the lake is so big that it has its own weather system, meaning many unpredictable changes appear daily. It’s better to stay away.
9. Horseshoe Lake - Inexplicable Carbon Dioxide
Located in California, USA, the Horseshoe lake looks just like any number of lakes in the state. One thing strange about it though is the inexplicable amount of Carbon Dioxide surrounding the area, which seems to have arrived after a series of earthquakes. This has caused plenty of death and destruction of nature in the area, so it is not recommended to swim there either.
10. Queensland - Dangerous Sea Creatures
Located in Australia, Queensland is the second largest territory in the Commonwealth of Australia and also has a myriad of natural dangers. The seas are full of dangerous and poisonous sea creatures that are desperate to have a big dinner, and human beings taste nice! These creatures include sharks, saltwater crocodiles, and jellyfish. So, now you know.
11. Bolinas Beach - Beasts
Located in California, USA, Bolinas Beach is well known for its inexplicable triangular red region which is home to many great white sharks that like to gather and grab some dinner. Unfortunately, they can’t distinguish between seals and surfers, so don’t risk your life for it.
12. Victoria Falls - Strong Water
Located in Zambia, Victoria Falls is one of the world’s most enormous natural waterfalls. There you won’t encounter sharks, but the risk lies in the incredibly strong water that could drag you over the edge. With a height of 108 meters, you’re not going to want to experience that drop.
13. Myrtle Beach - Strong Riptides
Located in South Carolina, USA, Myrtle Beach is totally safe and perfect for the whole family to enjoy, but things can become a bit deadlier due to the dangerous riptides there that can drag beachgoers out to the sea and keep them there due to strong currents. Besides, the water is sometimes full of Jellyfish that will sting you when you accidentally invade their territory.
14. Lake Chagan - Radiation
Located in Kazakhstan, Lake Chagan is also known as the “nuclear lake” in the region. Swimming is forbidden because it was created by the detonation of a Russian nuclear bomb. Today, radiation still hangs around the area, making it a dangerous place to visit, let alone swim in.
15. Barbados - Currents
Located in the Caribbean, Barbados is one of the most popular tourist destinations because of its glorious beaches. But the currents that rest along the shiny shore are a threat to most swimmers. You won’t want to enter the waters without a professional present.
16. Mumbai - Pollution
Located in India, Mumbai is a place you should never consider taking a dip. Many people and businesses simply throw their sewage, water, and even their dead into its waters, causing a toxic brew. Although some of it looks blue, you can’t wash away the germs you’ll gather on your skin.
17. Condado Beach - Big Waves
Located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Condado beach is a must-visit place. However, it should be mentioned that it is dangerous for even the strongest of swimmers because the big waves can drag people under the surface or throw them onto rocks nearby. You’d better enjoy your time on the beach rather than dive in the water.
18. ‘The Beach Of The Dead’ - High Tides and Currents
Located in Oaxaca, Mexico, Playa Zipolite, known as ‘The Beach Of The Dead’, seems a paradise, but you can tell it from the name that this place is not an ideal place to swim due to high tides and currents that make it almost impossible to swim in. No one can predict how and when they change, making it even scarier.
19. Fraser Island - Animal Attack
Located in Australia’s Queensland region, Fraser Island keeps swimmers at bay because of dangers like Dingo attacks, deadly Jellyfish, and spinal injuries that have all been reported over the years. That’s just on the beaches, once you swim into the deeper waters, you might even meet sharks and other marine predators.
20. Staithes - Bad Water-Quality
Located in Yorkshire, UK, Staithes is one of the most famous beaches in Europe, but not for a good reason. Its water-quality fails to be deemed healthy enough for citizens to enter according to European water-quality standards. Even though the local government tried to tackle some of the pollutions that were ruining the coastline in 2010, you should never consider swimming there.
