Canada is full of surprises, but few are as enchanting as Pingualuit Crater Lake, a nearly symmetrical destination in Quebec’s Ungava Peninsula.
Created by a meteor that struck the Earth over 1.4 million years ago, Pingualuit is 267-metres deep and, is one of the clearest freshwater lakes in the world.
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In fact, it’s so pristine that a device called a Secchi disk, which is used to measure a lake’s transparency, was placed 35 metres under the water and is visible from the surface.
While the surrounding park is ideal for doing everything from hiking and cross-country skiing to snowmobiling, kayaking, fishing and paraskiing – the crater itself is deeply significant to the Inuit, who refer to it as the “The Crystal Eye of Nunavik.”
This name is also fitting, considering how big and blue the lake appears to be – even from above.
As explained by NASA, those outside the region were first made aware of the crater in 1943 when members of the United States Army Air Force noticed the spectacular structure from a plane.
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Later, In the 1950’s they were able to conduct a geologic expedition in which scientists were provided useful information about climate changes during the last ice age – but it gets more interesting.
In addition to this, this particular crater has led to the identification of more than 20 other impact structures in eastern Canada, which is wildly impressive.
If you’re up for an adventure and would like to visit Pingualuit Crater Lake yourself, please be respectful and explore with the help of a guide.
Locals know best and you’ll want to get the most out of your experience!
Enjoy and happy sightseeing! There’s nothing quite like it.
