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Red Lake in Imotski Being Explored for UNESCO GeoPark Application

Red Lake (Photo; Imotski Tourist Board)

Wheels have been put in motion for the Croatian town of Imotski to become a protected UNESCO GeoPark.  

Imotski, located in the three-border area between Bosnia, Herzegovina and Dalmatia, is home to the Blue and Red Lakes. Both Karst lakes are a symbol of Imotski and a protected monument of nature. 

After geologists and speleologists recently spent time researching the Imotski region to gather data for a UNESCO GeoPark application, scientific research on the Red Lake is currently going on, the Imotski Tourist Board said.

French diver Frederic Swierczynski, who became the first person last year to dive to the bottom of Red Lake, is part of a diving expedition undertaking scientific research at the famous lake. 

Frederic Swierczynski on his historic dive (Photo: Florian Launette/Diving deeper: 100 feet under The Red Lake)

During this time many samples will be taken and tests will be conducted. Two Red Lake species that scientists are intrigued by are Gavica and Human fish.

The Red Lake, known for its numerous caves and remarkably high cliffs, is the deepest in Croatia reaching over 241 metres above normal water level and continuing below the water level. The total explored depth of this sinkhole is approximately 530 metres making it the third largest sinkhole in the world.

(Photo: Florian Launette/Diving deeper: 100 feet under The Red Lake)

Blue Lake also in Imotski (Photo credit: Diano Maya)

Papuk GeoPark, located in eastern Croatia, is the first and only UNESCO GeoPark in the country which gained its status due to the extraordinary geological and biological diversity and valuable cultural heritage of the Papuk and Krndija mountains.

An application for Vis archipelago to become a UNESCO Geo Park will be decided on in 2019. 

Today there are 120 world GeoParks in 33 countries.

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