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© Caters News AgencyThese normally blue waters turn red under high salt concentrations.
The picturesque Camargue, France is home to numerous salt flats. It is this concentration of salt that will occasionally stain red the regions normally blue water.

At first glance, it might look like a sign of the apocalypse - but scientists say the blood red lakes in southern France are actually a natural phenomenon.

Camargue, France is a river delta where the Rhône meets the sea. The picturesque area is home to numerous salt flats, and it is this concentration of salt that will occasionally stain red the regions normally blue water.

A photographer driving through the region recently stopped to chronicle the incredible blood-red color of the water and the trillions of salt crystals crusting rocks, branches and shoreline.

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© Caters News Agency
Though it is unclear how often this phenomenon occurs, salt has been a lifeblood of the region for hundreds of years.

Today, evaporation pans at Salin-de-Giraud, the largest salt extraction city in Europe, extend for thousands of acres and produce some 1,000,000 metric tons of salt per year, according to Languedoc.com.

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© Caters News AgencyIt might look like something more a horror movie (or the Old Testament), but these red waters in France are a natural phenomenon caused by the high levels of salt in the water.