As with all natural phenomena, there is striking diversity in how water manifests itself around the world. You just have to know where (and sometimes when) to look.
1

Kelimutu volcanic lakes, Indonesia

At the summit of the volcano Kelimutu, on the Indonesian island of Flores, are three lakes, each with its own distinct color. Photo: NeilsPhotography

2

Dettifoss waterfall, Iceland

Vatnajökull National Park in northeast Iceland is home to this falls, said to be the most massive by water volume in Europe. Photo: ystenes

3

Bioluminescence off the San Juan Islands, Washington

When populations of the bioluminescent organism Noctiluca scintillans swell due to increased nutrients in near-shore waters, this is the result. Photo: Steve Whiston

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4

"Mushroom wave"

When waves collide. Wherever this photo was taken appears to have been experiencing a red tide event (which in some cases leads to bioluminescence, as seen in photo #3 above). Photo: Neil Wharton

5

Kona Coast, Hawaii

Christmas Eve duck dive on the Kona Coast. Photo: Sarah Lee

6

Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park

This small body of water, whose color comes from the bacteria that live inside it, is typically placid but can erupt as a geyser as a result of regional seismic activity. Photo: Achint Thomas

7

Waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia's largest and covers 73,000+ acres of mountainous karst terrain, with a series of cascading lakes and large falls, seen above. Photo: Lee Duguid -- see more of his landscape photography

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8

Star hole, Torrevieja, Spain

This image was taken on the Spanish Mediterranean coast in April of 2010. Photo: David Frutos

9

Great Blue Hole, Belize

This underwater sinkhole, nearly perfectly circular in shape, is found within the Lighthouse Reef, part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System.

10

Geysir, Árnessýsla, Iceland

This is where the English word "geyser" comes from -- find it in the region of Árnessýsla, in the south of the island. Photo: kugel

11

Chicago River, St. Patrick's Day

Every year on the weekend closest to St. Patrick's Day, 40 pounds of powdered vegetable dye are dumped into the river to produce this result. Photo: Hans (lumilux.org)

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12

Daqubang River

While the Chicago River's color is (supposedly) safely achieved, the Daqubang in eastern China has been observed to take on bright hues of red, orange, and green as a result of industrial pollution. Photo via english.caixin.com

13

Caribbean wave

Shot somewhere in the Caribbean, this is one of Chris Burkard's 10 waves you'll never find. Photo: Chris Burkard

14

Dead Sea at sunset

The extremely high mineral content of the Dead Sea, which separates Jordan and the West Bank, gives the water a surreal viscous shimmer, creating interesting effects at sunset. Photo: PhotoSenseDatum

15

Newport Beach, California

MatadorU faculty member Scott Sporleder has endured many wintry mornings to capture intimate photos of water like this. Photo: Scott Sporleder

16

Devil's Bath, Waiotapu, New Zealand

Located in the North Island's Waiotapu geothermal area, the Devil's Bath gets its color from mineral runoff from the adjacent Champagne Pool (appearing further down this list). Photo: NathanaelB

17

Wave action under the Red Sea

Photo tip from the photographer: "You don't have to dive deep to capture beautiful scenes. Here, I'm 3-5 meters underwater, and I waited about 15 minutes to capture the effects of a large wave hitting the reef that I eventually liked." Photo: Ammar Al-Fouzan

18

Lac Rose, Senegal

Algae in the waters of this lake northeast of Dakar produce a red pigment -- apparently it's most pronounced during the dry season (December-April). Photo: Jeff Attaway

19

Skradinski Buk, Croatia

Krka National Park is another protected area in Croatia where water features are the central draw. Skradinski Buk is the name of this grouping of lakes and falls. Photo: Vicki Mar

20

Red tide at Half Moon Bay, California

The algal blooms that cause red tide events can occur naturally, but they are also the result of coastal pollution from agricultural runoff and other sources. Photo: tzargregory

21

Jigokudani Monkey Park, Nagano, Japan

The Japanese macaques, or snow monkeys, that live in this park spend winter days warming themselves in the natural hot springs. Photo: SteFou!

22

Lake Michigan wave, Chicago

A storm in late October of 2012 kicked up a wall of water at Diversey Harbor Park. This cyclist seemed unfazed. Photo: cementley

23

Laguna Colorada, southwestern Bolivia

This shallow salt lake, dotted with white borax islands and feeding flamingos, is one of the largest bodies of water within the well-visited Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. Photo: Ana Caroline Lima

24

Huangguoshu Waterfall, Guizhou, China

Shown above is an upper section of one of Asia's largest waterfalls, which occurs on the Baishui River in southern China. Photo: WaitinZ

25

Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park

The river gets its name from the smoke-like steam emitted from fumaroles that line its course through Yellowstone's geyser basins. Photo: Buck Christensen

26

Geneva, Switzerland

At Geneva, the muddy mountain waters of the Arve come together with the larger Rhone River at this dramatic confluence. Photo: Varun Singh

27

Thor's Well, Cape Perpetua, Oregon

One of many scenic features on this stretch of Oregon coast, Thor's Well is a depression in the rock that sucks in ocean water and, under the right tidal conditions, shoots it back out like a fountain. Photo: Deej6

28

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

The world's largest salt flat is a desert of white in the dry season but takes on an inches-deep standing pool of water after heavy rains, creating on of the freakiest-looking landscapes on Earth. Photo: Haceme un 14

29

Cloudbreak, Tavarua, Fiji

Another view from Scott Sporleder of what it's like to be deep inside a wave.

30

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Another shot of Plitvice Lakes, this time showing the stair-step action of the pools. Photo: To Uncertainty And Beyond

31

Niagara River turbulence

Downriver from the famous falls, the Whirlpool Rapids are formed as the water drops into Niagara Gorge on its way to Lake Ontario. Photo: Mister V

32

Linapacan Island, Palawan, Philippines

MatadorU faculty member Scott Sporleder shares this image from Palawan, the Philippines' most remote province and home to many beaches with super clear water. Photo: Scott Sporleder

33

Seven Ghosts, Sumatra, Indonesia

At certain times of year, at certain places in the world, a rising tide will travel upriver or into a small bay, creating wave action. Sumatra's Seven Ghosts is one of the most legendary of such tidal bores, particularly in the surf community. Photo via SVNews

34

Puu Kukui, Maui, Hawaii

Streams of water cascade down the sheer vegetated slopes of Puu Kukui in the West Maui Mountains. Photo: jurvetson

35

La Jolla Cove, San Diego, California

Frequent algal blooms along this part of the Southern California coast can produce some intense bioluminescence in the waves. Photo: slworking2

36

Monterey Bay, California

An example of a "high surf advisory" situation off the coast of California. Photo: Ru Tover

37

Champagne Pool, Waiotapu, New Zealand

A characteristic discharge of CO2 earns this geothermal body of water on the North Island of New Zealand its name. Photo: WanderingtheWorld (www.LostManProject.com)

38

Maldives

As the planet's lowest country, water is eminently accessible in the Maldives. Photo: Hani Amir

39

Kangaroo River, New South Wales, Australia

A long exposure captures the whirlpool action of this section of river in the Southern Highlands region. Photo: Rhys Pope; see more on Facebook

40

Lake Ngakoro, Waiotapu, New Zealand

Another oddly colored body of water in the Waiotapu geothermal area on the North Island. Photo: macronix

41

Turnagain Arm bore tide, Alaska

The elevated vantage point and sunlight help illuminate the flow of this tidal bore south of Anchorage. Photo: Mark Yezbick

42

Victoria Falls, Zambia

On the Zimbabwe side, looking back towards Livingstone Island and Devil's Pool, a calm eddy where visitors can sit directly adjacent to the plummeting water. Photo: Andrew Clarke

43

Mt. Tongariro, New Zealand

The Emerald Lakes on the Tongariro massif are old explosion craters that have filled with water. A close look will reveal a trail and two very tiny hikers. Photo: Dru!

44

Sua Trench, Samoa

An exposed cavity in the limestone here in Samoa has been turned into a popular swimming hole. Photo by Daniel Gong

45

Maelstrom of Saltstraumen, Norway

Massively powerful tidal action 30km southeast of Bodo, Norway, creates the world's strongest maelstrom. Photo: Alan Jaras

46

Water like glass

This shot was taken at sunset at the Ouachita Whitewater park in Malvern, Arkansas. Photo: Jon Wisniewski

47

Geysir, Iceland

A quieter moment at Geysir. Photo: Andri Elfarsson

48

Lake Louise, Alberta

Glacial melt from the surrounding mountains in Banff National Park produces the emerald color of this Canadian lake. Photo: edwin van buuringen

49

Tahiti

Keith Malloy reaches out to an unridden Tahitian barrel as he enjoys the waves from a new perspective. Photo: Chris Burkard

50

Víti Crater, Iceland

The crater of the volcano Askja in eastern Iceland is mostly filled by Öskjuvatn lake; the adjacent and much smaller Viti Crater is also filled with water, which often differs in color from that of Öskjuvatn. Photo: lev.glick

51

Hartlepool Headland, England

Waves pound against this breakwater in northeastern England. Photo: Neil Wharton

52

Peyto Lake, Banff

Another glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park. Here you can clearly see the "rock flour" that enters the lake via glacial runoff, lightening the overall hue several shades. Photo: Alaskan Dude

53

Hog's Back Falls, Ottawa

Hog's Back, an artificial falls on the Rideau River, is located just minutes south of downtown Ottawa. Photo: (c) S.E. Amesse 2008

54

Gippsland Lakes, Victoria, Australia

According to the photographer, this effect was "created by throwing a bucket of algae into the algae rich lake." Photo: Ink'n'Image

55

Newport Beach, California

One final wave shot from Scott Sporleder.

56

The Zanskar meets the Indus

The confluence of the two rivers occurs near Nimmoo, Jammu and Kashmir, northern India. Photo: Jace

57

Oniishibozu Jigoku, Beppu, Japan

There are numerous hot springs in the area around Beppu, Oita, with several different resorts connected to them. You would not want to jump into this particular pool, however. Photo: zilverbat.

58

Lake Pukaki, Mackenzie, New Zealand

The glacially fed Tasman River drains into this lake, giving it that characteristically powder blue color. Photo: Jacki Dickert

59

Band-e Amir, Bamyan, Afghanistan

A series of large travertine basins in the Hindu Kush Mountains of central Afghanistan contain the clear blue waters of six lakes, which are the centerpiece of the national park of the same name. Photo: ajvnsan

60

Taormina, Sicily, Italy

With warm water and easily accessible beaches, Taormina on the east side of the island is popular with both local and international tourists. Photo: ozchris2

61

Laguna Verde, Bolivia

The emerald waters of Laguna Verde front the 19,400ft volcano Licancabur, in the southwest corner of Bolivia. Photo: szeke

62

Tunisian salt lakes

Lying between the Atlas Mountains and the northern boundary of the Sahara is an expanse of salt flats that, after rains, produce shallow mineral ponds and lakes colored red. Photo: koldoeh

63

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

A view of one of the spots at Iguazu where water flows with the most force. Photo: Daniel Bosma

64

Dordogne River, near Bordeaux, France

Where the Dordogne flows into the Gironde estuary, there is occasionally a surfable tidal bore. Photo: yepabroad

65

Sanetsch Pass, Switzerland

This unnamed pond in the Swiss Alps has developed a film of deep red algae on its surface, though the water immediately underneath remains clear. Photo: mabufeu