It is possible to encounter many different and strange events in the natural world, from frightening Brocken ghosts to chocolate waterfalls. An example of this is in the optical illusion, which includes a lake that appears to “float” far above the ocean.
At the center of a roughly triangle between the north of Scotland, the east coast of Iceland and the west of Norway are the Faroe Islands. This is a group of about 750 islands that form a self-governing archipelago with 17 inhabited islands. The islands, which belonged to Norway for hundreds of years, are now part of the Kingdom of Denmark. These islands are between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Norwegian Sea, and none of the islands are more than 4.8 kilometers from the shore. At the top of one of these islands is Lake Sørvágsvatn, which seems to hang above the rough sea below.
Is the largest lake in the Faroe Islands.
The lakes surface is about 40m above sea level. The deepest part of the lake is 59m deep. pic.twitter.com/7Th7xpAT8z
— Jet Ski Bandit (@fulovitboss) April 16, 2023
Sørvágsvatn Lake, also known as Leitisvatn or “lake over the ocean,” is located on the island of Vágar and is the largest lake in the Faroe Islands. Numerous photographs of the lake have been taken in such a way that it appears as if the lake is floating above the ocean, creating an optical illusion-like effect. In reality, the lake is located only 30 meters above sea level and covers an area of 3.4 square kilometers.
These photos show how important perspective is in the perception of reality, as the lake can be shown to float much higher than 30 meters above the ocean. Photographs taken from other angles, including those of the Bøsdalafossur waterfall at the other end of the lake, create a more realistic perception.
Lake Sørvágsvatn in the Faroe Islands has been dubbed “the lake above the ocean” because the view from a particular angle is an optical illusion that makes it appears as though it's hovering directly above the ocean.
At one end of the lake is the Bøsdalafossur waterfall. pic.twitter.com/UyqVCUD0F6
— Annie Cushing (@AnnieCushing) March 18, 2021
With its isolated history from other communities, the Faroe Islands are home to many different and special species, from horse breeds to sheep breeds, but due to its location, its strategic importance has increased in the past centuries. The island of Vágar had an important strategic point during World War II. During the British occupation of the Faroe Islands, an airfield was built west of the lake where the British could monitor German warships.
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