Mysterious Circular Pattern on Iran’s Lake Maharlou Captured by Drone, Flamingos Create Mesmerizing Pink Ring
A mysterious circular formation appearing on Iran’s Lake Maharlou has left viewers stunned after a videographer captured the rare moment with a drone. What looked at first like a strange natural phenomenon turned out to be hundreds of flamingos moving in perfect unison to form an extraordinary pink circle on the lake’s surface.
The video, filmed by renowned Iranian videographer Hossein Pourkbarian, has gone viral on social media, with users calling it “a divine brushstroke” and “nature’s poetry painted on water.”
A Lake Where Sky and Water Create Magic
Lake Maharlou, a seasonal lake near Shiraz in Iran’s Fars province, is surrounded by mountains rising up to 2, 000 meters. In November 2025, this quiet lake became the stage for a breathtaking spectacle as a massive flock of flamingos performed what seemed like a perfectly choreographed act.
From above, the shallow water—colored in shades of green and pink from algae—looked like a giant canvas. As the flamingos moved across it, their pink-and-white bodies created long, sweeping strokes of color. Gradually, the flock slowed and arranged itself into a near-perfect circle, stunning viewers worldwide.
The Internet Reacts: “This Isn’t Just a Video, It’s a Message from Nature”
The flawless symmetry of the circle sparked amazement across social platforms.
One user commented, “It feels like God painted the lake Himself.”
Another wrote, “These aren’t birds… they are celestial artists.”
Many likened the scene to a living painting—soft, calm, and deeply mysterious.
Why Do Flamingos Form Such Patterns?
According to scientists, flamingos often travel in large groups and adopt specific formations to protect themselves from predators and to make feeding easier in shallow waters. However, the precision of the circular formation seen in Lake Maharlou remains rare and puzzling even to experts.
Nature at Its Artistic Best
The combination of colored water, synchronized movement, and the flamingos’ delicate grace created a scene that viewers described as magical and almost unreal. The viral drone footage serves as a reminder that despite human creativity, nature continues to produce the most astonishing masterpieces on Earth.