Heavy rains over the past two days transformed Sahel Sorkh, the iconic Red Beach on Hormuz Island in southern Iran, into a striking crimson spectacle, captivating locals and social media users worldwide.
Videos circulating online show the usually red tinted sand and shallow coastal waters turning an intense “Blood Red” a natural phenomenon caused by the island’s unique geology. Hormuz Island is rich in iron oxide minerals, particularly hematite, which are washed into the sea when heavy rains hit temporarily staining both sand and seawater.
Experts emphasize that this phenomenon is completely natural and harmless, resulting from the iron rich soil mixing with rainfall and running into coastal waters. The island, also referred to as “Rainbow Island” due to its vividly colored soils, often appears red, but the rains intensified the effect, creating an unusually dramatic visual impact.
The striking transformation of Sahel Sorkh has drawn attention from tourists, photographers and science enthusiasts, highlighting the natural beauty of Hormuz Island while sparking curiosity about geological phenomena and mineral rich coastal regions.
