In an industrial suburb less than 20 minutes' drive from Melbourne CBD, a lake is filled with bubblegum pink water - the perfect backdrop for Instagram photos.

It's a fleeting phenomenon that seems made for social media feeds, but why does the Westgate Park salt lake — nestled in an industrial part of Melbourne — turn this rosy hue?

Westgate Park lies in the heart of industrial Port Melbourne and has generated international headlines over its lake, which turns bright pink under the right conditions.

A salt lake in Melbourne has turned pink due to a combination of sunlight, warm temperatures and low rainfall. Wildlife officers said algae growing in the salt crust at the bottom of Westgate Park ...