While this lake may look like a patchwork of lily pads, if you look closer, it’s actually made up of a large network of floating islands.
Loktak Lake in Manipur, India, is filled with islands, called phumdis. The phumdis are made up of vegetation, soil and other organic matter that is at different stages of decomposition. They’re thick enough to support the homes of the fisherfolk community that live here.
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The lake is part of Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is the world’s only floating national park. The national park measures 40 square kilometres, with around six square kilometres covered by phumdis.
According to NASA, around 200 species of aquatic plants and 400 species of animals (including the rare Indian python – one of the longest snakes in the world) live on and around the islands.
The phumdis are also home to the Sangai deer. Also known as the brown-antlered deer, it was believed to be almost extinct by 1950. But after protections from the State of Manipur, the population has slowly increased.
Sangai deer are also referred to as dancing deer – they get this moniker from the way they move over the phumdis.
However, this unique habitat is under threat from rising water levels caused by climate change and other sources. Water from the Ithai Dam, built in the 1980s, flows into Loktak Lake, and the regular flow of the Imphal River is blocked.
This excess water prevents the roots of the phumdis from reaching the lakebed for nutrients – and the phumdis are therefore becoming thinner.
Top image: Loktak Lake in Manipur. Credit: kissor meetei/Getty Images
