The story of nature tucked away in Kazakhstan’s Tian Shan Mountains, Kaindy Lake, seems like something out of a dream. Tree trunks poke eerily out of the water, ghostly and silent. It’s strange. Almost unreal. Locals and travellers alike are drawn to it, though, curious to see a forest frozen in time. Over a century ago, an earthquake changed the landscape, creating the lake and preserving the trees beneath its cold, clear surface. Experts say the water never warms above six degrees, which keeps the spruce trees surprisingly intact. It seems like nature hit pause, leaving something both haunting and beautiful.
