Source: Wise Camera (@Wise Camera) - image reproduced with permission

Winter casts a spell of bubbles

In early 2021, a cold spell hit the Japanese archipelago. Recently, it has been frigid throughout various regions of the country. And on the northern island of Hokkaido, of course, it is snowy. As such, A Twitter user who lives in Hokkaido discovered an interesting snow phenomenon. One day, user Wise Camera(@Wise Camera) went to Lake Akan in Kushiro and was surprised by what he saw. Fortunately, he snapped a picture.

"There are “ice bubbles” in Lake Akan which has frozen. It’s an amazing sight. It almost seems like time has stopped."

Indeed, it’s a very mysterious image! “Ice bubbles” are made from gas arising from the bottom of a lake. These bubbles then become trapped in the ice as it freezes. When there is too much snowfall—as there often is in Hokkaido—the sight is also obstructed from view. So, Wise Camera lived up to his name. His timing was particularly impressive.

His followers reacted:

  • "I've never seen such a sight and I’ve never heard ‘ice bubbles'. Wow, there are a lot of things that I don't know and I haven’t seen yet.”
  • “I want to see this. But I think it’ll be really cold when I go there.”
  • “Akan is a huge lake. The ice bubbles are so amazing.”
  • “Nature is epic.”
  • “I’m embarassed to say that I’ve never heard of ‘ice bubbles’ before. Winter can be beautiful.”
  • “Wow, what a sight!!”
  • “It’s a sight to behold! Thank you for taking this picture even though it was freezing cold. Bravo!”
  • “You made the right choice to go to a Lake Akan to take this picture on that day!”

Nature is indeed dynamic and surprising. The appearance of Akan lake changes with the season. It’s very rare to see the lake in such a condition, let alone snap a picture of it.

Other winter bubbles

Just when you thought you’d seen everything, there is other bubble magic trending on Twitter:

Twitter user Saitajoho (@tyomatee) posted this video on Twitter.

"When soap bubbles freeze..."

Pretty amazing! It reminds me of looking through a kaleidoscope when I was a kid...and also when I used one last week...

Nevertheless, followers reacted:

  • “I want to do it too!”
  • “How beautiful! I want to show this soap bubble to my daughter.”
  • “What’s that! It’s so cute.”
  • “It’s a natural snow dome”
  • “I thought it was CG for a moment.”
  • “It’s unbelievably beautiful.”
  • “It has a colored reflection. It’s amazing.”

A natural refrigerator

As you can see, winter makes for some beautiful natural art. But sometimes this art is not only beautiful but also functional.

Twitter user Ishikoro (@no_name_20xx) posted this picture on Twitter:

"If this happens, why not enjoy it?"

675,100 people agreed. They liked this post and commented:

  • “I thought my beer weren’t cold enough, so I’ll try it. Thank you for the picture.”
  • “When you open the window, it’s a refrigerator?”
  • “It’s an advanced refrigerator. You don’t need to use electricity.”
  • “Wow, the worst situation turns into a perfect situation! It’s nice.”
  • “Can it make ice cream freeze too?”
  • “It’s a wonderful eco-friendly idea. It can decrease global warming.”
  • “I think the key to enjoy life is how much you can accept a situation like this and make it enjoyable. If a heat wave were to occur, I guess he'd fry an egg on his car’s engine block.”

Sure enough, Japanese winters can be rough. Fortunately, however, there are some wonderful sights to behold.

By - Luke Mahoney.

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