Aerial Views of Salt Ponds, Lakes, Marshes, and Flats

The interior of Florida was once almost entirely covered in wetlands and marshes.  In fact, much of the interior of the southern part of the state was uninhabitable until relatively recently due to the problems of mosquito-borne infections.  Effective insect control and air conditioning solved one problem but created another - the wetlands have shrunk alarmingly due to population pressure.  In this video, PeterBloch gives us an aerial view of some salt marshlands near Tampa, in the west-central part of the Sunshine State.  

The uniquely beautiful salt marshes found in France's Guérande region give the world Sel Gris (Grey sea salt), loved by foodies everywhere. In this stunning aerial video, drone pilot and AirVuz content creator LeVoyagedesKoumoul gives us the best perspective to enjoy the symmetrical ponds, owing their varied hues to the algae and minerals present in the pond as well. Guérande is situated in the Loire-Atlantique Department of the Pays de la Loire region, south and east of Brittany.

The Bonneville Salt Flats of northwestern Utah can be seen in this stellar, 4K video by pilot Frank Aalbers. The area is a remnant of the Pleistocene Lake Bonnevile and is the largest of the salt flats just west of the Great Salt Lake near Salt Lake City, Utah. He’ll catch the unique area right as the sun is going down, capturing the incredible colors in the sky as well as on the ground where they reflect in the mirror-like flats.

On the north coast of Gozo, Malta you’ll find a coast characterized by a checkerboard of rock-cut salt pans that protrude into the sea. The 350-year-old phenomenon are more than just scenize, but a part of the centuries-old Gozitan tradition of Sea-Salt production that has been passed down for generations. MIAPVIDEOS checked them out for themselves with this fun dronie. 

For his first upload to AirVuz, new contributor Graham Green earned a spot as a Finalist for the Drone Video of the Week for this outstanding drone video of some salt lakes in Western Australia.  Largely arid, the massive state of WA is home to a number of salt lakes, which were created by rivers that ceased to flow.  The lakes shown in the video are located about a two hour drive northeast of Perth, the principal city of Western Australia.  The video was filmed with a DJI Mavic Pro 3 drone.  

Check out this spectacular aerial video from the France's Brittany in this outstanding piece by top contributor Julien Hulin.  Filmed over the northern coast of the Breton Peninsula, and features the following locations:  the Plougrescant Chasm (Gouffre de Plougrescant); the Ploumanac'h Lighthouse, in the commune of Perros-Guirec; Tahiti Beach, near the town of Carantac; the Château du Taureau fortress and Black Island Lighthouse, on Moraix Bay; the island of archipel des Ébihens; and the Pointe de Garrot hiking area on the La Rance River.

This drone video is all encompassing when it comes to the Southern Utah State and National Park experience. Contributor and pilot vospader took his DJI Mavic Pro out to the great western American state to capture all that he saw. Locations he flew include Bryce Canyon, Red Canyon, Connonville, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and Grand Escalante. The vivid colors of the sky reflect off of the majestic peaks, canyons, and buttes; a landscape which reflects the immense natural diversity of the state.

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist ViDeo Creator jP created this stunning drone video of a woman in a white dress wandering the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.  One of the Southwestern USA's most visually distinctive spots, the flats are the remains of an ancient lake that's situated about a two hour drive due west of Salt Lake City.  The flats cover an area of about 40 square mi. (around 100 square km) and the thickness of the salt crust varies from about five ft. (junst under two m) to a few inches/centimeters.  

The area west of Great Salt Lake, Utah is home to many instances of a natural phenomenon called a salt flat or salt pan.  These form in desert environments when water evaporates quickly and the ground can't absorb the minerals which had dissolved in the water.  The most well-known of these is the Bonneville Salt Flats. Seen here in this drone video by primeson, the Bonneville Flats are owned by the US Bureau of Land Management.  These wide-open expanses have been used to set numerous land-speed records.  

Drone pilot Sobrevolando Patagonia flew his first-person view drone through the abandoned tourist village, Villa Epecuén. Developed in the 1920s in the Buenos Aires Province, Villa Epecuén was one of Argentina's most popular spa towns. It was famous for the nearby Lake Epecuén, which had salt levels ten times higher than any ocean. The water was said to contain healing powers that could cure multiple diseases. For decades Villa Epecuén was a favorite getaway for Argentina's rich and famous. When the town peaked in the 1970s it had 1,500 residents and could accommodate up to 25,000 tourists.

That all changed in November of 1985 when strong winds broke the dam that separated the lake from the town. Villa Epecuén quickly flooded and everyone was evacuated. For almost 25 years the entire town was submerged under 30 feet of water. Until 2009 when the salt water began to recede and what was left of the once thriving town was revealed. Skeletons of buildings, dead trees and rusty cars were all that was left. The FPV drone footage shows the white residue left on the ruins from the high salt levels. Today, a few blocks still remain under water and the town has one sole resident, 88-year-old Pablo Novak. Tourists from all over the world travel to Villa Epecuén to photograph its remains, but this FPV drone footage shows a one-of-a-kind perspective of this once great city.

For a bird's eye view of a modern salt mining operation, look no further than this video by award-winning contributor and drone pilot Postandfly.  The world's largest commercial salt mining operation is located on the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, in the mid-section of the Baha Peninsula of western Mexico.  The saltworks produce 7 million tons of the commodity per year and employs a labor force of about 1,600. It's also part of the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, an important sanctuary for gray whales. 

Maras is one of the towns of Peru's Sacred Valley, the core of the Inca civilization which ruled here during pre-Columbian times.  Located about 40 km (around 25 mi.) north of Cusco (the principal city of the Valley), Maras is known for its salt evaporation ponds.  About 5,000 of these ponds are arrayed along a canyon north of the town.  As part of another project in the area, AirVuz Official put together this drone video of the ponds, which have been used to produce salt since Inca times and possibly earlier.