Lake Kaindy

Lake Kaindy lies in the Tian Shan Mountains of southeastern Kazakhstan, in the Kolsay Lakes National Park area. It is a high-altitude lake, roughly 400 metres long, whose unusual appearance comes from a stand of spruce trees partly submerged in its water. Their pale, bare upper trunks project above the surface, while the lower portions remain underwater.

In January 1911, a major earthquake struck the Northern Tian Shan region. Landslides and rock avalanches followed; one blocked the narrow valley that now holds Lake Kaindy, creating a natural dam. Water subsequently filled the valley and flooded an existing spruce forest, leaving the trees standing in the lake.

The lake's cold water helps explain why submerged trunks remain conspicuous, while the bleached standing trunks contribute to the lake's distinctive landscape. Sources describe summer water temperatures of about 4–6 °C and visibility into the underwater forest in clear conditions. Limestone deposits are also reported as contributing to the lake's blue-green appearance.