Latest news with #bloodred
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Sea of Galilee turns blood-red
Advertisement The biblical Sea of Galilee has mysteriously turned a vivid blood-red, leaving locals rattled and warning of a 'bad omen.' Stunned visitors watched crimson waves roll onto the shore , with some comparing the eerie transformation to the ten plagues God inflicted on the Egyptians in the biblical narrative of Exodus. According to scripture , the curse saw the Nile's waters struck by Moses' staff at God's command, turning them to blood in a divine act of judgment. 'Thus says the Lord: By this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood,' Exodus 7:17-21 reads. The apocalyptic spectacle set social media ablaze, with many calling it a sign of the End Times, but scientists said there is a far less supernatural explanation. Israel 's environmental ministry confirmed that the transformation this month was caused by a bloom of green algae in the freshwater lake, which turns red when a natural pigment builds up under intense sunlight. The pigment is harmless, officials stressed, and tests show the water is safe for swimming, despite its unsettling hue. Tests by the Kinneret Research Laboratory found the algae in the affected areas are harmless, with no health risks or allergic reactions reported among those exposed. The discoloration was caused by Botryococcus braunii, which is found in various aquatic environments like freshwater and brackish water bodies worldwide. It's a green microalga known for producing significant amounts of hydrocarbons, which are similar to crude petroleum and can be used for biofuel production. The phenomenon is caused by a natural buildup of pigments from certain algae, likely due to a bloom of microscopic organisms like cyanobacteria or dinoflagellates. These organisms produce vivid red colors when conditions such as warm temperatures, nutrient-rich waters and sunlight are present. While natural, the red waters have deep symbolic resonance for many Christians and Jewish communities, given the lake's biblical significance. In the New Testament, the Sea of Galilee was the setting for many of Jesus' miracles, including walking on water and the miraculous catch of fish . It was also where he fed five thousand people with a few loaves and fish and called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be his disciples. In 2021, a pool of water located close to the Dead Sea in the biblical region of Moab, modern-day Jordan, mysteriously turned blood red. The blood-red pond is located along the eastern shores of the Dead Sea, an area believed to be the site of the legendary cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which, according to scripture, were destroyed by God for their wickedness. The images also sparked a furor on social media, with blood red waters carrying much significance in the Old Testament as one of the 10 plagues God cast upon the Pharaoh of Egypt to free the Jews from slavery. The Bible recounts that God sent ten plagues upon Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to free the Israelites from slavery. The first plague turned the Nile to blood, killing fish and poisoning the water, said to have occurred when Moses struck the Nile with his staff. Following the first plague, Egypt was struck by swarms of frogs, lice or gnats, and flies, along with deadly livestock disease and painful boils.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Biblical sea turns blood red sparking apocalyptic fears God's plagues have returned
The biblical Sea of Galilee has mysteriously turned a vivid blood-red, leaving locals rattled and warning of a 'bad omen.' Stunned visitors watched crimson waves roll onto the shore, with some comparing the eerie transformation to the Ten Plagues God inflicted on the Egyptians in the biblical narrative of Exodus. According to scripture, the curse saw the Nile's waters struck by Moses' staff at God's command, turning them to blood in a divine act of judgment. 'Thus says the Lord: By this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood,' Exodus 7:17-21 reads. The apocalyptic spectacle set social media ablaze, with many calling it a sign of the End Times, but scientists said there is a far less supernatural explanation. Israel 's environmental ministry confirmed that the transformation this month was caused by a bloom of green algae in the freshwater lake, which turns red when a natural pigment builds up under intense sunlight. The pigment is harmless, officials stressed, and tests show the water is safe for swimming, despite its unsettling hue. Tests by the Kinneret Research Laboratory found the algae in the affected areas are harmless, with no health risks or allergic reactions reported among those exposed. The discoloration was caused by Botryococcus braunii, which is found in various aquatic environments like freshwater and brackish water bodies worldwide. It's a green microalga known for producing significant amounts of hydrocarbons, which are similar to crude petroleum and can be used for biofuel production. The phenomenon is caused by a natural buildup of pigments from certain algae, likely due to a bloom of microscopic organisms like cyanobacteria or dinoflagellates. These organisms produce vivid red colors when conditions such as warm temperatures, nutrient-rich waters and sunlight are present. While natural, the red waters have deep symbolic resonance for many Christians and Jewish communities, given the lake's biblical significance. In the New Testament, the Sea of Galilee was the setting for many of Jesus' miracles, including walking on water and the miraculous catch of fish. It was also where he fed five thousand people with a few loaves and fish and called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be his disciples. In 2021, a pool of water located close to the Dead Sea in the biblical region of Moab, modern-day Jordan, mysteriously turned blood red. The blood-red pond is located along the eastern shores of the Dead Sea, an area believed to be the site of the legendary cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which, according to scripture, were destroyed by God for their wickedness. The images also sparked a furor on social media, with blood red waters carrying much significance in the Old Testament as one of the 10 plagues God cast upon the Pharaoh of Egypt to free the Jews from slavery. The Bible recounts that God sent ten plagues upon Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to free the Israelites from slavery. The first plague turned the Nile to blood, killing fish and poisoning the water, said to have occurred when Moses struck the Nile with his staff. Following the first plague, Egypt was struck by swarms of frogs, lice or gnats, and flies, along with deadly livestock disease and painful boils. A severe hailstorm, locust swarms, three days of thick darkness, and finally the death of every firstborn son forced Pharaoh to release the Israelites. The region around the Sea of Galilee has seen other dramatic events, such as the high salinity of the Dead Sea.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Image of red Niagara Falls is fake
"SHOCKING SCENE: Niagara Falls Turns Blood Red for 10 Minutes, Stuns Visitors," claims the caption of a June 22, 2025 Facebook photo. The description of the page which shared the image indicates it traffics in content generated by artificial intelligence and the post received more than 24,000 likes. The picture of a red Niagara Falls spread in additional widely viewed Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X posts. The caption of many of the Facebook posts imitates the style of a copy-pasted news report -- a strategy adopted by many after Meta blocked the sharing of news links for Canadians on its platforms (archived here). However, many of the elements in the text appear to be completely contrived. For example, the caption references a hydrologist, "Dr. Rebecca Thompson," but keyword searches do not reveal anyone with that name practicing that profession. Beyond the social media posts, AFP could not find versions of the text in credible news sources. Furthermore, Niagara Falls Tourism told AFP the image was "completely false" and commented that it was likely generated by artificial intelligence. "The Falls don't change to those colors," said a spokesman for the tourism board in a July 2 email. "It will sometimes be brown when we experience heavy rains, but not red." Archived images of Niagara Falls from June 22 shared by the photography network EarthCam do not include any pictures of the waters at the site turning red as seen in the misleading social media posts (archived here). While some commenters on the posts appeared to believe the image was real, many users claiming to live nearby wrote that the waters did not change color. Light shows are a regular feature at Niagara Falls but the official schedule says they are only turned on at night, while the false posts claimed the image was captured in the early morning. The red from the lights do not match the appearance of the social media image where the full river supposedly turned red (archived here). AFP previously fact-checked images of Canadian tourist attractions in seemingly extraordinary circumstances, including Niagara Falls. Read more of AFP's reporting of misinformation in Canada here.
