The “Sea of Minde”

Next to the small town of Minde, located in the Natural Park Serra de Aire e das Candeeiros in Portugal, a curious phenomenon occurs with the arrival of the rains, caused localized flooding in the valley and resulting in a temporary lake which may reach 4 km long and 1 km wide. This lake is known locally as the "Sea of Mind." From a scientific point of view, this is because the subsoil of the valley is composed of limestone and closed on all sides, resulting in a kind of large "bowl." In its basement, there are some underground rivers created by water erosion and with heavy rain they flood the galleries overflowing for a few vents, known there as "water eyes". The largest inhabitant of this "sea" is the triton, an amphibian that can reach 25 cm long. It can also be seen phyllopods, shrimp-like animals we see at seas, unless that they swim on their back and move through the movement of tiny legs.  Diving in this lake is totally different to conventional scuba diving. Unusual life and the quiescence of the water, due to the lack of waves and currents, make it a rare diving among trees and bushes with the sunlight filtering through the green waters.