The only lake where there are sharks. Watch out for freshwater sharks. Sharks of Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua is connected to the Caribbean Sea by the navigable San Juan River. Nutrition fresh water carried by numerous rivers and streams, among which the deepest is the Tipitapa River, flowing from Lake Managua.
At one time, when planning to connect the waters of two oceans - the Atlantic and the Pacific, there were projects that included the construction of a canal through this lake. However, these ideas sometimes pop up today. The only question is the sources of financing.
Lake Nicaragua, according to scientists, was formed on the territory of the Pacific Ocean gulf that existed in ancient times. Over time, the depression in which the bay was located lost contact with the ocean, and a lake formed in its place. However, the past oceanic connections of the lake remain alive in its waters and often remind of themselves. It's about about the unique fish that live in the waters of the lake - the famous sharks of Lake Nicaragua. Sharks are not found in any freshwater lake on the planet, at least as permanent inhabitants. But in Lake Nicaragua they have been living and thriving for many millennia.
Sharks of Lake Nicaragua
They learned about sharks in Nicaragua only in 1877, and for a long time they could not determine what type of shark they belonged to. Scientists later concluded that the sharks of Nicaragua are gray bull sharks. Bull sharks are a small family of sharks, to which only eight species belong, but sharks of this family can be found in completely different parts of the planet. The residents of the shores of Nicaragua themselves claim that the lake is home to not one, but two species of sharks - the white-bellied visitante and the red-bellied tintoreros. Only visitante, unlike tintoreros, swims from the ocean, so it is smaller and more mobile. How else do these two types of sharks differ, despite the eloquent names, none of the local residents can say. However, they are equally afraid of them.
The sharks of Lake Nicaragua have a quite typical appearance for their species. Dense head with small eyes, rounded mouth. The lower surface of the body is white and the upper surface is gray. The teeth of the front jaw are smaller and sharper, while the teeth of the back jaw are larger and stronger. Although members of the bull shark family usually lay eggs, Lake Nicaragua sharks are viviparous.
Their length is also very atypical for their family. The sharks of Lake Nicaragua are quite large and can reach up to four meters in length, but the most common specimens are two and two and a half meters long. Why these fish can live in fresh water is still unknown.
One American physiologist suggested that this ability is influenced by the presence of urea in the blood of sharks. In humans, this would cause uremia - poisoning of the body with protein. However, the physiologist could not prove his theory. She also did not explain why some sharks are so eager for fresh water.
There are so many sharks in Lake Nicaragua that commercial fishing for this fish is carried out in the reservoir. Fishermen claim that they catch seven thousand individuals a year. Shark attacks on the lake are far from uncommon, so the state has set a reward for their extermination. Every year at least one person is killed in a shark attack in Lake Nicaragua. But the number of attacks is far from limited to one per year.
Many victims lose limbs and suffer numerous injuries, while others do not survive this unequal battle at all. In the middle of the last century, a shark attacked three people at once, and two of them died. The sharks of Lake Nicaragua are so dangerous because, unlike sharks that live in the ocean, they come very close to the shore. Of the reported attacks, the vast majority occurred in shallow waters.
Even if some sharks live in the lake all their lives, many individuals still get there from the ocean. Scientists have long wondered: What attracts them to Nicaragua? While the luminaries of science are racking their brains over it, the Indians living on the banks of the reservoir have long had an answer to this question. There is a legend that previously, in order to appease sharks, they lowered the bodies of dead tribesmen into the water, decorating them richly. The bodies were washed out into the ocean and there they became prey for sea predators. Since then, sharks began to swim further down the river into the reservoir in order to profit from their next prey.
Other inhabitants of the lake
Visitors to Lake Nicaragua are surprised not only by the sharks that live there. Some other exclusively marine inhabitants are also found here. These are sawfish and even swordfish. For fans of sport fishing, special services have been organized where, for a low fee, you will be provided with gear and everything you need for fishing.
In general, the fish of the mountain lakes of Central America are predominantly carnivorous, i.e. predators. This is not surprising - there is little aquatic vegetation and plant food here. Also in Lake Nicaragua live flat-headed catfish (microgran catfish, steelhead pimelodus Blocha, sorbium paddlefish), common catfish, and fish of the perciforme order of the Cichlid family.
Along the shores of the lake there are numerous large (up to 60 cm) helmet-nosed basilisk lizards, capable of running on their hind legs even on the surface of the water. There are also numerous tiger ambystomas - representatives of the order of amphibians, reminiscent of salamanders.
It is noteworthy that some fish living in the lakes of Central America, including Lake Nicaragua, are known as beautiful and unique aquarium fish that are in great demand among aquarium enthusiasts. These include lemon and diamond cichlids, some types of catfish and other small fish.
The islands of Lake Nicaragua are home to 76 species of parrots and toucans.
Islands
The area near the lake is by no means deserted; in its water area there are about three hundred small and large islands, only a few of them are inhabited.
The largest of the islands is Ometepe (translated from Indian as “two mountains”), on which there are two volcanoes, Maderas and Concepcien. Monuments have been preserved on the island ancient civilization pre-Columbian era - petroglyphs on the rocks depicting animals and birds, and stone idols marking the sites of former Indian burials. Among the Indians, this island has long been considered sacred because of the volcano located on it.
Ometepe is currently located biosphere reserve(since 2010), home to rare species of animals, including spider monkeys.
The most big city on the coast is Granada - the third largest city in the country (the first two places are occupied by Managua and Leon). This is one of oldest cities in Latin America, founded by Europeans (founded in 1524). Today Granada is a major tourism center.
Another large Nicaraguan city is San Carlos, located at the mouth of the river of the same name on the border with the state of Costa Rica. The municipality of San Carlos includes the island of Solentiname, which is a natural reserve due to its rich fauna.
Ancient petroglyphs were discovered on the Solentinam Islands - drawings on rocks depicting parrots, monkeys and people. The country's authorities have assigned the Solentinam Islands the status of national natural monument Nicaragua.
The climate on the islands is tropical, characterized by high humidity. average temperature 28–30 degrees. The water level in the lake depends on rainfall: from December to April there is a dry season, but from May to October the season of tropical downpours begins, which raise the water level in the lake.
Population
The population living on the shores of the lake are mainly mestizos, descendants of the ancient Indians. Their main occupation is growing bananas, coffee, avocados and cocoa. The plantations are located where the soil is fertilized with fertile volcanic ash, which, combined with the humid, favorable climate of those places, allows for huge harvests. The traditional crafts of the people include wood carving and twig weaving.
What to do on the islands?
Lake Nicaragua and its surrounding islands mainly attract amateurs active rest– sport fishing and surfing.
Beach holidays are not very popular there: the sands on the islands are gray, of volcanic origin, with small shells. And swimming on the islands is not the most pleasant because of the proximity to sharks.
Recently, due to the increasing incidence of attacks by marine predators on people and animals, the Nicaraguan authorities have allowed commercial fishing for these sharks. So now the inhabitants of the islands offer tourists such a type of recreation as shark hunting.
The islands also have their own small fishing fleet, which allows them to serve numerous tourists - lovers of sport fishing and surfing. Tourists are provided with all the necessary equipment for this for a small fee.
- Since the 16th century, the island of Ometepe has been favored by pirates who took refuge there from persecution by the Spanish authorities, and because of this local population was forced to move higher to the slopes of the volcanoes.
- The Nicaraguan shark can reach a length of 4 meters, the average length of a shark is 2-2.5 meters.
- At one time, it was planned more than once to build a Nicaraguan canal that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but these plans remained on paper.
Nicaragua is the only one in the world freshwater lake, where sharks live. Due to this fact and due to the short distance to the Pacific Ocean, scientists believe that the area where the lake is now located was once a large sea bay. Over time, the passage to the sea was closed and a lake was formed in which sharks still live.
Nicaraguans call it Lago Cocibolca or Mar Dulce (Sweet Sea). Indeed, it differs from the sea only in its freshwater and isolation. As at sea, there are strong waves here, which raise easterly winds that blow west towards the Pacific Ocean. There are entire groups of islands on the lake, such as Ometepe and Solentiname. Powerful storms periodically occur on the lake.
Before the construction of the Panama Canal, there were plans to build a Nicaraguan Canal across the lake to allow passage from one ocean to the other. With the completion of the construction of the Panama Canal, Nicaraguan projects have become less relevant, but the idea of new construction comes up from time to time.
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See what “Lake Nicaragua” is in other dictionaries:
Republic of Nicaragua, state in the Center. America. Named after the lake. Nicaragua, and it is named after the Nicarao Indian tribe that lived on its shores; the gua element, which does not have an unambiguous translation, is widely represented in the aboriginal toponymy of the entire Latin America … Geographical encyclopedia
Nicaragua Spanish Lago de Nicaragua Coordinates: Coordinates ... Wikipedia
Nicaragua- Nicaragua. Volcano Momotombo. NICARAGUA (Republic of Nicaragua), a state in Central America, washed in the southwest by the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Caribbean Sea. Area 130 thousand km2. Population 4.27 million people, mostly Nicaraguans... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Nicaragua- (Nicaragua) State of Nicaragua, geography and history of Nicaragua, political system Information about the state of Nicaragua, geography and history of Nicaragua, political system Contents Contents Nature Population Political system... ... Investor Encyclopedia
Nicaragua is the only freshwater lake in the world where sharks are found. Due to this fact and due to the short distance to the Pacific Ocean, scientists believe that the area where the lake is now located was once a large sea bay. Over time, the passage to the sea closed and a lake was formed, in which sharks still live.
Nicaraguans call it Lago Cocibolca or Mar Dulce (Fresh Sea). As at sea, there are strong waves here, which raise easterly winds that blow west towards the Pacific Ocean. There are entire groups of islands on the lake, such as Ometepe and Solentiname. Powerful storms periodically occur on the lake.
In July 2014, the route of the Nicaraguan Canal between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, which will pass through Lake Nicaragua, was approved. Construction began on December 22, 2014. This circumstance is associated with objections from opponents of construction, who fear that with the beginning of ocean navigation, the lake will lose its importance as a source of fresh water. But the organizers of the construction claim that they carried out the necessary dredging work on the lake, while refusing to use explosives in its waters.
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Sonya was softened, excited and touched by everything that happened that day, especially by the mysterious performance of fortune-telling that she just saw. Now that she knew that on the occasion of the renewal of Natasha’s relationship with Prince Andrei, Nikolai could not marry Princess Marya, she joyfully felt the return of that mood of self-sacrifice in which she loved and was accustomed to living. And with tears in her eyes and with the joy of realizing a generous deed, she, interrupted several times by tears that clouded her velvety black eyes, wrote that touching letter, the receipt of which so amazed Nikolai.At the guardhouse where Pierre was taken, the officer and soldiers who took him treated him with hostility, but at the same time with respect. One could still feel in their attitude towards him doubt about who he was (whether he was a very important person), and hostility due to their still fresh personal struggle with him.
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These questions, leaving aside the essence of the life matter and excluding the possibility of revealing this essence, like all questions asked in courts, had the goal only of setting up the groove along which the judges wanted the defendant’s answers to flow and lead him to the desired goal, that is to the accusation. As soon as he began to say something that did not satisfy the purpose of the accusation, they took a groove, and the water could flow wherever it wanted. In addition, Pierre experienced the same thing that a defendant experiences in all courts: bewilderment as to why all these questions were asked of him. He felt that this trick of inserting a groove was used only out of condescension or, as it were, out of politeness. He knew that he was in the power of these people, that only power had brought him here, that only power gave them the right to demand answers to questions, that the only purpose of this meeting was to accuse him. And therefore, since there was power and there was a desire to accuse, there was no need for the trick of questions and trial. It was obvious that all answers had to lead to guilt. When asked what he was doing when they took him, Pierre answered with some tragedy that he was carrying a child to his parents, qu"il avait sauve des flammes [whom he saved from the flames]. - Why did he fight with the marauder? Pierre answered, that he was defending a woman, that protecting an insulted woman is the duty of every person, that... He was stopped: this did not go to the point. Why was he in the yard of the house on fire, where witnesses saw him? He answered that he was going to see what was happening in the building? Moscow. They stopped him again: they didn’t ask him where he was going, and why he was near the fire? They repeated the first question to him, to which he said he didn’t want to answer. Again he answered that he couldn’t say that. .
Hello friends! Today again about Nicaragua. I am sure that after my exciting stories about this mysterious country, you are already actively storming search engines in the hope of snatching cheap air ticket to Managua (the capital of Nicaragua)! :))) I continue to write about what to do in the poorest country in Central America. In the last post I already started a story about the main attraction of Nicaragua, told about the ferry to Ometepe, the Maderas and Concepcion volcanoes, how to rent a scooter there, find accommodation and about the main cities, and today I’ll tell you about island beaches, Lake Nicaragua and bull shark.
Ometepe Island is located in Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Latin America by area. Initially, they wanted to build a canal connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean not in Panama, but on the territory of Nicaragua, because the Nicaraguan lake is already connected to the Caribbean Sea by a river San Juan, but due to strong volcanic activity, the idea of construction remained just an idea, but it is fully functioning and earning money for its country, and at the same time for the United States of America. True, the Panamanians have been struggling lately, so talk about building a new canal across Lake Nicaragua is popping up more and more often. 
Lake Nicaragua is also notable for the fact that it is home to one of the most dangerous animals in the world - the bull shark. This type of shark is considered the most bloodthirsty because it can attack a person near the shore, even at a depth of half a meter. This is the only shark species that lives in fresh water. The fact is that previously Lake Nicaragua was part of the Pacific Ocean, but due to constant earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, an isthmus of land was formed, cutting off the modern territory of the lake from the sea. Over time, the water became fresher thanks to the flowing rivers, and the sharks got used to the new conditions and lived happily there. 
The Indians of Nicaragua are to blame for the fact that animals bite people, who have been sacrificing corpses on the coast since ancient times Caribbean Sea what attracted sharks. Over time, the bull shark moved deeper into the San Juan River and took root in the lake. Even today, few people visit the Indians living on the Caribbean coast, so it is possible that they continue to throw someone's corpses into the water, because new sharks continue to swim from the Caribbean Sea into Lake Nicaragua.
I found a video on YouTube. The bull shark (tiburón in Spanish) appears at 50 seconds.
The animals, poor fellows, do not know that they are being hunted, and the country's government strongly encourages the fishing of bull sharks in Lake Nicaragua. Despite the fact that the main cases of shark attacks on people are recorded off the coast, the residents of Nicaragua are not at all embarrassed by this, and every evening they come to swim in the lake before sunset. 
One day on Ometepe we rented bikes for half a day for $4 and went to the beach Punta Jesus Maria(Punta Jesus Maria), which is in the south of the big city on the island- Moyogalpa, drink beer and splash around in the lake. The distance of 4 km is covered easily and with song, the road is excellent, paved, along the way there are fields with sugar cane, green palm trees, cicadas chirp so much that your ears are blocked. 
Nothing worked out for me with splashing around in the lake, the water was not at all clear, and I was afraid of bull sharks, so I decided to wait for the ocean - in a couple of days we planned to be in Pacifica. 
I liked the beach - black sand mixed with shells, a view of Volcano Concepción.
During the dry season, the lake is separated by a strip of sand a couple of meters wide. You walk along it, and on both sides there is water and waves. An amazing feeling, as if the water was parting in front of you. 
A turtle washed up on the shore, and then did not move for several hours: it did not run on land and did not return to the lake. Most likely, like me, I was afraid of sharks. So she and I sat on the beach until evening. 
Right next to the beach, in a kiosk you can buy beer, rum and other drinks to make your time more fun. 
Drinking alcohol on the beach is allowed, this is not Mexico. In Nicaragua, in principle, many things are allowed. 
On the way to Punta Jesus Maria beach you can see construction new road. It looks a lot like a future airport. 
I wrote about renting bicycles and motorcycles on Ometepe in my previous post. In the next article I’ll tell you how to look 10 years younger in 5 minutes and what you should be more afraid of on Ometepe than bull sharks.
Good animals to you! Sincerely,
***
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It is found in the forest, and the shark is found in the sea, we all know from early childhood. But just as wolves can live in sandy or snowy deserts, sharks sometimes feel quite good in fresh waters.
Of the 550 species of these cartilaginous fish, approximately 15-20 swim into estuaries, river mouths, and sometimes rise quite high upstream.
One of the most famous serial shark attacks on humans took place in the river. But it’s still not typical behavior sea predators, most spending time in salty waters. At the same time, there are some species that love coastal places more than others and more often swim into shallow bays and the mouths of large rivers.
For example, similar habits are characteristic of the fairly well-known dog, which is also called bullish. This relatively slow and omnivorous predator is not averse to “feasting” on garbage or carrion, but at the same time quite often attacks humans, sometimes with fatal consequences.
Watch video - Snout shark:
Some other closely related species belonging to the large group of gray sharks also have similar habits. But, nevertheless, they are all sea inhabitants. Even the so-called “Ganges shark” is just part of the population of fish that constantly live in the seas and only periodically enter the river.
So do freshwater sharks exist? The kind that spend their entire lives in rivers or lakes and reproduce there?
Freshwater sharks exist
It turns out yes.
Moreover, they are represented by one single species known to science. There is only one place on Earth where purely freshwater sharks constantly live, and not some small thing, but very large predators, sometimes.
This lake is located in Central America and is called Nicaragua (the same as the country in which it is located).
The lake is quite large (the largest in Mesoamerica). From its shores it is very close to Pacific Ocean, with which, however, there is no direct water communication. But the San Juan River connects the reservoir with the Caribbean Sea.
There is a version that it is along this river that sea predators swim from the Atlantic.
Watch video - Freshwater sharks in rivers:
But today most researchers have a different opinion. They believe that freshwater sharks have been isolated for a very long time - since millions of years ago, this former sea bay separated from the World Ocean.
But many local fishermen are sure that there are two types of sharks in the waters of Nicaragua. Allegedly, some live here permanently, while others come from below along the river.
But ichthyologists do not confirm these stories, identifying the Nicaraguan inhabitants as a special species, Carcharhinus nicaraguensis, which, however, is sometimes called the freshwater form of the bull shark.
And along the rapids of the San Juan it would be quite difficult to climb even the 200 kilometers separating the lake from the ocean. So, most likely, the scientists are right - the predators, who were once sea inhabitants, were indeed able to fully adapt to the local conditions.
It is interesting that in Nicaragua, in addition to sharks, there are also freshwater sawfish, stickfish and one species of large typical ocean herring.
And very close by is another smaller lake, called Managua, connected to the first by a small river. So, all these sea “guests” are not observed in it!
Features of freshwater sharks
However, let's leave these riddles to ichthyologists and move on to our shark. Representatives of this species grow up to 3 meters and even somewhat more. At the same time, as already mentioned, they often attack humans. They also hunt dogs.
Previously, even before the arrival of the Spaniards, several Indian tribes lived on the shores of the lake. Some local natives had it. They buried their dead in the lake, giving their bodies to be eaten by sharks.
Perhaps this was done to appease predators or spirits living in the water.
Sending their relatives to the afterlife, the Indians dressed them up, including wearing precious jewelry. This tradition existed for quite a long time even after the official adoption of Christianity.
One story says that one of the white settlers who lived nearby decided to take advantage of the situation and hunted sharks, extracting jewelry from their stomachs. As the legend goes, he managed to get rich, but he couldn’t take advantage of the wealth.
The Indians killed him and then burned the house. Today, of course, it is no longer in honor.
Many local residents yourself . In the middle of the last century, the catches were quite large, and shark meat served as a good help for the not-so-wealthy Nicaraguans.
Relatives of the Nicaraguan freshwater shark visit many large rivers and shipping channels. Not far away, in the Panama Canal, its closest relative, the blunt-nosed shark, is often encountered. The same predator was observed in inland waters Guatemala, Louisiana, Florida and other places.
The Indian gray shark appears to be fond of attacking pilgrims in the Ganges and has also appeared in other rivers South-East Asia. And yet, all these vagrants, like a dozen and a half other species, spend most of their lives at sea.
And only the gray shark from the Central American Lake Nicaragua is the only full-fledged freshwater inhabitant among all its close and distant relatives.