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Lençóis Maranhenses is a national forest on Brazil’s northeast coast that is well-known for its white dune peppered with countless short-lived, crystal-clear lagoons.

The lagoons form every year throughout the damp season, in between January and June, when rainwater gathers in natural basins in between the dunes. A compact, impenetrable sediment layer avoids the water from draining pipes, thus developing freshwater swimming pools that differ fit, size, depth and color, according to UNESCOwhich designated Lençóis Maranhenses National Park as a World Heritage Site in 2024.

Dune cover about two-thirds of Lençóis Maranhenses, which covers 580 square miles (1,500 square kilometers) within a shift location in between the Brazilian Amazon, the Cerrado ecoregion and the Caatinga ecoregion. The Cerrado includes tropical savannas, wetlands and plentiful biodiversity, and it’s among the very best carbon sinks in the worldThe Caatinga, on the other hand, is a semiarid landscape covered in dry forests with tough shrubs and stunted trees. The name Caatinga originates from the term “ka’atinga,” which methods “white forest” or “white vegetation” in the Tupi language.

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Lençóis Maranhenses does not come from any of those ecoregions. Rather, it forms its own special landscape that, in some locations, appears like a desert however isn’t one.

The staying 3rd of Lençóis Maranhenses is home to mangrove swamps and lavish plant life. Unusual and endangered types live these environments, consisting of the neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis; the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus; the scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber; and the oncilla (Leopardus tigrinusa kind of little, spotted feline.

The national forest consists of 50 miles (80 kilometers) of shoreline, with a dry plain separating the beach from the dune. Sand is disposed ashore by the tides and after that worn down by winds and carried throughout the plain to the dunes. This action forms the dunes into big crescents, likewise called barchans, that grow taller the further inland they are, since the farthest dunes from the beach are those that have actually been around the longest and built up one of the most sand by means of wind deposition. The dunes that hug the plain depend on 3.3 feet (1 meter) high, while those farthest inland can determine up to 100 feet (30 m) high, according to UNESCO.

Wind forms the dune into big crescents, likewise called barchans. (Image credit: Ignacio Palacios through Getty Images)Lençóis Maranhenses is surrounded by a big buffer zone to secure it from human activities. The very best time to go to the national forest is in between June and September, when the lagoons are complete. Lagoa da Gaivota, Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Bonita are a few of the biggest lagoons in the national forest.

Discover more unbelievable locationswhere we highlight the wonderful history and science behind a few of the most significant landscapes in the world.

Sascha is a U.K.-based personnel author at Live Science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master’s degree in science interaction from Imperial College London. Her work has actually appeared in The Guardian and the health site Zoe. Composing, she delights in playing tennis, bread-making and searching pre-owned stores for concealed gems.

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