Pink Lake (Western Australia) Lake

Address: Hutt Lagoon (Pink Lake), near Port Gregory, Western Australia. Access from Brand Highway (about 20 km north of Port Gregory).

Website: https://www.australia.com/en/places/perth-and-surrounds/guide-to-hutt-lagoon-pink-lake.html

Hours: Open 24 hours

Admission: Free

Pink Lake near Esperance in Western Australia is a saline coastal lake historically noted for its pink coloration. The tint results from high salinity and the presence of halophilic microorganisms.

A roadside viewpoint and short walks allow visitors to view the lake from close range; the lake sits within a landscape of coastal dunes and salt flats. The lake’s color can be striking under the right light and salinity conditions, attracting photographers and day visitors.

Over recent decades the lake’s pink intensity has varied and in many seasons the pink hue has been much less pronounced than in earlier reports, linked to changes in local hydrology and land use.

The lake lies immediately adjacent to the town area of Esperance on the southern coast of Western Australia, set among low coastal plains and near the Southern Ocean.

• Cause of color: The lake’s pink hue is caused by salt-tolerant microorganisms such as Dunaliella salina and certain halophilic bacteria that thrive in high-salinity conditions.
• Color variability: The intensity of the pink color is variable and has diminished since the late 20th century due to changing hydrology and human alterations to surrounding drainage.

Hutt Lagoon (Pink Lake) lies on the Brand Highway near Port Gregory, about 450-480 km north of Perth by road. The easiest access is by car; there are informal roadside viewing points and carparks adjacent to the lagoon. The nearest settlements are Port Gregory and Greenough.

• Visit around midday on a clear day; the pink color is most vivid when sunlight is overhead and the saline algae are concentrated.
• Approach from Brand Highway and stop at the roadside viewing points - there is no formal visitor center.
• Use a polarizing filter or phone HDR to capture the intensity of the water; reflections can wash out the color.