A lake where freshwater sharks live. Lake Nicaragua: description of the reservoir. Lake Nicaragua and its scary inhabitants. A few words about history
There are thousands of bodies of water in the world, and each of them is special. Some are famous for their size, others for their water composition, others for their extraordinary beauty, and others for their unique flora and fauna. Lake Nicaragua combines all these qualities and is also distinguished interesting story occurrence and a unique hydrological regime. Every year this natural body of water attracts thousands of adventurers and simply curious citizens who study our planet with interest. We invite you to take a short excursion to the amazing and mysterious lake Nicaragua. Unfortunately or fortunately, you will not meet sharks on it, but we promise that our virtual walk will be no less exciting and educational than the real one.
Location
From the name of the lake, everyone can guess that it is located in the distant Latin American republic of Nicaragua. If you remember your school geography lessons, it will become clear that Nicaragua is washed by two oceans at once - the Atlantic in the east, the Pacific in the west. In the Atlantic, just off the coast of the country, splashes the Caribbean Sea, which has become a symbol of pirates of all times. From the north Nicaragua has common border with Honduras, but for our trip this is not so important. From the south, the republic borders on a very distinctive country - Costa Rica.
So, the goal of our trip is Lake Nicaragua, which is located about a kilometer from this border. Moreover, quite a long piece south coast the reservoir practically repeats its outline. Due to this proximity, Costa Ricans often visit the lake for recreation, and some - to conduct illegal economic activities on it. Before Pacific Ocean less than 10 km from the lake, which has its own scientific explanation. From Caribbean Sea the distance is much greater and is approximately 110 km in a straight line, that is, through the jungle and swamps. Several large and small settlements grew up on the shores of the lake. The most significant of them are the town of Rivas (in the east) and Big City Granada in the northeast.
How to get there?
We found out where Lake Nicaragua is located. Now let’s figure out how to get there, for example, from Moscow. The capital of the distant republic of Nicaragua is the city of Managua. He grew up on the shore of the lake of the same name, much smaller in size than the object of our trip, but also very beautiful. Managua has a large international Airport, where several flights operate from Moscow.
Note that by air you need to cover 10,800 km. The journey will not only be long, but also not particularly comfortable, since you will have to make 2 transfers. The first one will be in one of European countries(most often these are the Netherlands and the city of Amsterdam), the second is either in America (the most suitable cities are Houston and Miami), or in Panama, or in Mexico, or in Costa Rica. The flight will take at least 22 hours. The price of a one-way ticket is about 16,000 rubles. A visa is not required for Russians, but you will have to pay 10 USD. e. upon entry and 35 USD. e. when leaving the country.
Note that the time difference in Nicaragua and Moscow is 9 hours. From Managua we need to get to the city of Granada, which is already very close - only 42 km. You can overcome them by taxi or on an exotic Nicaraguan bus, called here a chicken bus. Along the lake, on its western side, there is a highway, along which you can get to other settlements.
A few words about history
Few people know that the Republic of Nicaragua owes its name to the Indian tribes of Nicarao, who were once the rulers of these places. When the Spaniards arrived, the tribe was ruled by Chief Nicarao, who died heroically fighting the discoverers. In memory of him and the people who inhabited these lands, the country was named, and with it Lake Nicaragua. The incredible proximity of the Pacific Ocean gives us the right to assume that the lake was once part of it, but thanks to tectonic processes that took place in prehistoric times, part of the land rose, separating the lake from the ocean. To some extent, this is confirmed by the findings of paleontologists, as well as the unique composition of the fauna living in the reservoir.
Lake Nicaragua: description of the reservoir
This natural object They call it unique for a reason. In terms of size, the lake is the second in Latin America and the nineteenth in the world. Its surface area is 8157 km2, its length is 177 km, its maximum width is over 70 km, and its depth reaches 70 meters. The western shores of the lake are more or less improved. As already noted, there is a road leading to Costa Rica here, and beyond the village of Rivas almost to the border it stretches almost to the very coast. On the western side, not so far from the lake, there are a number of volcanoes that are still active.
The eastern shores of the reservoir are less developed. There is also a road here, but it is of a lower category, so during the rainy season it becomes difficult to pass. You can use it to get to small towns - San Carlos (there are local airport), San Miguelit, Acoyapa. From them to the lake shortest distance- 5 km. To the east of these cities impenetrable jungles and swamps begin. On the eastern shores of the lake there are a couple of fishing villages, such as La Pelona or Puerto Diaz, but they are of no tourist interest.
Islands
Lake Nicaragua is home to about three hundred islands and islets. Most of them are uninhabited. The largest island of the reservoir is called Ometele (locally “two mountains”). There are actually two hills here that are craters active volcanoes. The outline of the island resembles a dumbbell, at the ends of which there are volcanoes, and a thin isthmus serves as a bridge between them. The length of this “dumbbell” is 31 km, the width of its spherical parts is 10 and 5 km. Ometele is populated, with about 30 thousand people living here.
The second largest island in the lake is called Zapatera. It has its own volcano, the height of its crater is 630 meters, and the area of the entire island is no more than 52 km 2. This piece of land has been declared a nature reserve.
The third island worth visiting is called Solentiname. To be more precise, this is an entire archipelago, including 4 more or less large islands: Mancaroncito, Mancaron (the largest), San Fernando and La Venada, and there are also 32 very small ones that do not even have a name. This archipelago is also declared a national reserve.
Hydro resources
The San Juan River flows from Lake Nicaragua and runs to the Caribbean Sea. Shipping is so developed on it that the city of Granada, located from Atlantic Ocean at a decent distance, is considered an Atlantic port, not a Pacific one. By the way, it was along the San Juan River that more pirates entered Lake Nicaragua and felt quite at ease here. Now this river helps representatives of the oceanic ichthyofauna to swim into the reservoir.
The second major river that is important for the lake is the Tipitapa, which connects the reservoirs of Nicaragua and Managua. The lake is fed by about twenty small rivers flowing into it from the eastern, southern and western sides.
Flora
Lake Nicaragua lies in the tropics. It is always warm here, daytime temperatures do not fall below +25°C in winter and +32°C in summer. This region is characterized by a clearly defined rainy season, as well as fairly powerful trade winds. By the way, real storms are not uncommon on the lake.
This climate causes the growth of a wide variety of vegetation along the shores of the lake and near them, many of which are unique, such as mahogany and rubber plants. You can also find pine and oak here, and mangroves reign in the area between the Caribbean Sea and eastern shores lakes.
Fauna
Active economic activity contributes to deforestation, which changes the microclimate in the region and its biostructure. For now, jaguars, anteaters, tapirs, several species of monkeys, ocelots, pumas, crocodiles are still preserved here; unusual amphibians live in the coastal thickets - ambystomas, similar to salamanders, but when the Nicaraguan Canal, the route of which will stretch through the lake, is completed, their fate will be deplorable. Almost all sources, when describing interesting facts about Lake Nicaragua, name sharks in the first place. But on the coast of the reservoir there is an equally interesting animal - helmet-bearing basilisks. These are ancient and rather large lizards, whose body length reaches up to 75 cm. An interesting fact is that basilisks can run not only on land, but also on the water surface of the lake, developing speeds of up to 12 km/h.
Sharks
The description of Lake Nicaragua, a body of water, will be incomplete. animal world which is unusually rich, not to mention sharks. The reservoir we describe is the only one in the world freshwater lake where these predators are found. Locals It is believed that there are two varieties of them here - visitante (white-bellied) and tintoreros (red-bellied). Both belong to the bull shark species. Thanks to these predators, Lake Nicaragua is considered quite dangerous for divers, surfers and just those who like to swim, because many cases of shark attacks on people are recorded every year. Often attacks by predators end in death for their victims.
Bull sharks have a characteristic feature - a blunt snout. They grow up to 4 meters in length. This species is capable of living in both salty and fresh water. These predators hunt not only in depth, but also in shallow water, which poses a significant threat to people swimming in the lake. The freshwater shark of Lake Nicaragua, as well as the swordfish, are indirect evidence that this body of water was once part of the ocean.
Where to stay, what to do?
We got acquainted with all the features and interesting facts concerning Lake Nicaragua. Travelers, having arrived here, can stay at one of the hotels in the city of Granada or the island of Ometele. Hotel prices are very low, you can rent a decent room for only 30 USD. e. per day. To get to Ometele, you need to take a ferry from the town of Rivas. You can't get to the island from Granada.
Arriving at Lake Nicaragua, you can catch exotic and ordinary fish here. In coastal populated areas Gear and boats are available for rental. The catch will be prepared for you right there on the shore for a fee. In addition to fishing on the lake, you can visit local attractions. One of them is the Ometele caves with prehistoric rock paintings. Also of interest are trips to the Mombacho volcano, declared nature reserve, and to the village of Masaya (lying at the foot of another volcano). There is a market here with the best souvenirs that you should definitely bring home from your long trip to Lake Nicaragua.
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 they exist freshwater sharks? 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 in which purely freshwater sharks constantly live, and not just some little thing, but quite 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 the 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 themselves. 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.
There are so many unexplored corners on our planet, where nature presents unexpected gifts, captivates and impresses! And if you just think about the fact that almost 90% of reservoirs have not been explored at all, it becomes even a little scary. What do the azure depths conceal? For example, Lake Nicaragua?
"Sweet Sea"
Local residents are accustomed to the proximity of their lake and have not thought about its secrets for a long time. They call it the "sweet sea." I wonder why? Because of the sweetness of fresh water? Or the vastness of its edges? The population of Granada calls the reservoir Lake Granada, but the rest of the planet knows only Lake Nicaragua, or Lago de Nicaragua. It is one of the largest bodies of water in the world and the only source of fresh water in all of Latin America. The dimensions are impressive, the view is beautiful, but the unusual inhabitants make you nervous. Only here you can see sea creatures, despite the fact that it is a lake. Scientists believe that the presence of ichthyofauna in the lake clearly proves the fact that Nicaragua was previously part of the Pacific Gulf. Why has everything changed?
After a volcanic eruption
It turns out that previously the reservoir was open, but tectonic changes and numerous volcanic eruptions provoked the flow of lava into the strait. So, part of the ocean separated and turned into an inland body of water, separating the inhabitants from the outside world. Slowly but surely they were displacing freshwater streams, but you can’t evict them that easily. Gradually they had to adapt to new conditions. Among these opportunists were sharks. By the way, the existence of the latter has not yet been practically proven, since their adaptation to fresh water is very doubtful. Some doubt that there are sharks in Lake Nicaragua, citing the fact that accidentally encountered marine predators come here from the ocean, leaving behind a distance of 200 km and traveling along the San Juan River. Then there is another question - what attracts sharks here?
A mystery for all time
The freshwater shark of Lake Nicaragua haunts scientists around the world with its habitat, but the Indians can answer this question. They believe that sharks “paved a path” into the lake many centuries ago, and the reason was the ancient ritual of burying the dead in water. The bodies floated into the ocean and became prey to predators. So, sharks got used to the taste of human meat and did not want to give up such a “diet”. Now they do not feel fear when swimming in shallow water, where it is easier to attack victims. The problem became more and more complicated every year, which became the reason for the introduction of extreme measures to destroy toothy fish.
Paradise for tourists
Lake Nicaragua has long been a tourist destination. Moreover, they are not even afraid of the threat of being bitten. Adults and even children boldly climb into the water, albeit in compliance with certain safety measures. For example, you cannot be distracted and forget about the threat. You should not swim with an open wound or during menstruation. In short, if you are tempted by the opportunity to dive into Nicaragua (lake), sharks will not be a serious obstacle. Tourists come to the town of Granada, which is located next to the reservoir. This is an amazingly atmospheric place that attracts walks and adventures. By the way, the walk will not be tiring, because the town is very small. IN central park you can try the famous Nicaraguan dish Vigoron, and there are carriages with excursions to the lake. The trip will take no more than twenty minutes. Lake Nicaragua beckons with its magic. It is one of the twenty largest lakes in the world.
Educational excursion
If you come to Lake Nicaragua with a large group, it is profitable to rent a separate boat for an hour or more. The rental price is symbolic - only $13, but you will have to bargain, since at first the price is unacceptably inflated. The islands near Granada were bought by local rich people. These are mainly summer residences, since the islands are simply tiny and are unlikely to accommodate more than one house. It turns out that one island is one villa. Some of them can be rented for the weekend, and for big company or several families. The amount is also very pleasant - $300 for a house for the weekend. There are many monkeys in some lands. They are almost not afraid of people, but they also do not pay much attention - only 3-4 individuals come to feed. In general, walks around the islands are educational and interesting. There are unusual and bright ones, similar to which they slowly and importantly walk along the ground, sweeping it with their tails.
Now it’s time to turn our attention directly to Lake Nicaragua.
Description of the reservoir: its charms and beauty
Beautiful picture - water surface, resembling a mirror. The air here is amazingly clean and large reserves fresh water on site Latin America. The maximum depth of the lake reaches 70 meters, and its area is almost 8600 square meters. By the way, the border with Costa Rica passes here. The lake is connected to the Caribbean Sea by the San Juan River, and fresh water flows from many rivers and streams. The deepest is the Tipitapa River, which flows from Lake Managua. Scientists believe that the reservoir appeared on the site of the ancient Pacific Gulf. Now the bay has been transformed, but the connection with the past remains. It manifests itself in the unique inhabitants of the reservoir, which are called sharks of Nicaragua. These cannot be found anywhere else, because this individual is a close relative of the gray
Scary visions
The legendary bull shark can be a truly shocking sight. Even without seeing her, but only after hearing the stories, you can give free rein to your imagination. This type is also distinguished by its ease of adaptation to desalinated water and can hide for a long time in river mouths. The size of such a “toothy” is simply indecent, and the danger to humans is serious. They say that they are not indigenous, but swam here and were unable to swim away after the volcanic eruption. Many scientists actively object to this position, saying that the bull shark can jump the San Juan River rapids, like salmon. To prove their assumptions, they cite the presence of a shark of this type in the open ocean. It was even found that the voyage of sharks from the lake to the sea and back can take from a week to 11 days. This is how scary Lake Nicaragua can be, and the bull shark is found there quite often, if you believe the stories of local residents.
Ecology and problems
In general, the lake remains a unique body of water, but its location causes some concern among environmentalists, because it is polluted by wastewater from nearby industrial plants. According to statistics, over the past 37 years, at least 30 tons of untreated sewage entered the lake every day. Marine fauna and the flora of the reservoir is very diverse. Water lilies bloom here and fish swim, which are more likely to live in salty waters. These include sawfish, herring, tarpon and even sawfish.
A process of self-purification occurs in the lake, and all the dirt from the runoff that enters the water disappears. The reservoir has its own special character: in the east the water is calm and quiet, but in the west the influence of the trade winds manifests itself, and there are constant strong ripples. Powerful storms are not uncommon.
Not all islands on the lake are inhabited. The largest was formed on the basis of two volcanoes, which is reflected in the name - Ometepe (“ome” - two, “tepe” - mountain). In 2010, the territory of this island was recognized biosphere reserve. In the west there is also a third volcano - Mombacho. In general, volcanoes on the lake caused ash contamination.
The population here is represented mainly by mestizos. These are the descendants of the Indians who lived here in time immemorial. They are mainly engaged in agriculture - they grow coffee, bananas and cocoa. Some of the plantations are located on islands where the ground is covered with volcanic ash, which, by the way, is very useful for crops.
Helmet-bearing basilisks crawl along the banks. These are large lizards that run on their hind legs and can walk on water. It turns out that Lake Nicaragua and its scary inhabitants can be quite cute.
On the island of Solentiname there are rocks with ancient drawings. There are almost a hundred species of parrots and toucans on the local islands.
It feels like paradise, but even paradise had its difficulties. So what can you expect from the earth?
Lake Nicaragua is the largest in Central America. On the American continent it ranks 9th, slightly inferior in size to Lake Titicaca. In the world it ranks 19th among the largest lakes on the planet. The area of its water surface is 8264 square meters. km. The volume of water is 108 cubic meters. km. Maximum depth equal to 26 meters. The maximum length of the reservoir is 161 km, and the corresponding width is 71 km. It is located at an altitude of 32.7 meters above sea level. Connected by the San Juan River (length 180 km) with the Caribbean Sea. It is also connected to Lake Managua (area 1024 sq. m), located to the northwest, by the Tipitapa River.
Fauna
A notable feature of the freshwater reservoir is that it is home to Atlantic tarpon and sharks. These are marine fish that live in salt water. From time immemorial, they entered the lake along the San Juan River. In those days, it was blocked by numerous rapids, but the same sharks jumped over them like salmon and fell from the Atlantic into the lake water. The conversation here is about a type of cartilaginous fish such as the bull shark. It is common for her to spend part of her time in fresh water. An example is the Amazon River. Bull sharks travel thousands of kilometers upstream in this mighty water current.
Experts studied the movement of sharks and found that they travel from Atlantic waters to lake water in 7-10 days. In addition to cartilaginous species, 16 species of cichlids, which are endemic, live in the reservoir. In addition, there are other types of cichlids, which include tilapia. However, alien species pose a threat to the indigenous inhabitants of the local waters, as they disrupt the precise balance of the unique ecosystem.
Islands
There is a whole group of islands on Lake Nicaragua. These are Ometepe and Solentiname. Ometepe is an island with an area of 276 square meters. km. It was created by two volcanoes: Concepcion (height 1610 m) and Maderas (height 1394 m). These volcanoes erupted and formed mountains with an isthmus between them. The length of the volcanic island is 31 km, the width varies from 5 to 10 km. Agriculture and livestock farming are developed on the island. The basis is the cultivation of bananas. This piece of land is inhabited by almost 30 thousand people. Besides this there is volcanic island Zapatera. This is a shield volcano. People don't live on it.
As for Solentiname, it is an archipelago that includes 4 big islands and 32 small islands with rocky shores. All of them are of volcanic origin. total area equal to 190 sq. km. Large islands called: La Venada, Mancaron, Mancaroncito, San Fernando. The most high point, 257 meters above sea level, is located on the island of Mancaron. Islands covered tropical forest. It is home to 76 species of various birds, including parrots and toucans. The water is rich in fish. 1000 people live on the islands.
Lake Nicaragua on a map of Central America
Ecology
Strong eastern winds blowing towards the Pacific Ocean are not uncommon on the reservoir. This not only gives rise to high waves, but also powerful storms. As for ecology, Lake Nicaragua has become heavily polluted over the past 40 years. 32 tons of polluted wastewater flows into it every day. All this is due to the fact that there are many industrial enterprises on the banks of the reservoir. As for treatment facilities, they are practically never built.
Shipping
In the northwestern part of the lake is the city of Granada, which is seaport. From the Caribbean Sea, ships enter the reservoir along the San Juan River. Currently, these waters are planned to be used for the construction of the Nicaraguan Canal, which will significantly relieve the congestion of the Panama Canal.
Lake Nicaragua is located on the territory of the Latin American country of the same name. It is a large freshwater lake and has tectonic origin. Area of Lake Nicaragua is 8624 square kilometers, and is the largest in size, ranking 20th among the world's lakes. Lake Nicaragua is the only freshwater lake in the world where sharks are found reaching a length of 3 meters. Due to the fact that the lake is located near the Pacific Ocean, scientists believe that the lake was previously located on the site of a large sea bay, which explains the presence of sharks in the lake. 
It is still not clear how sharks adapted to fresh water. Currently, shark fishing championships are regularly held on the lake, and environmentalists fear that sharks are in danger of complete extinction. Locals call the lake Lago Cocibolca or Mar Dulce, which means “sweet sea”. On Lake Nicaragua There are a number of large groups of islands, including Solentiname and Ometepe, which is popular among tourists due to the fact that it contains two volcanoes. Periodically, strong storms occur on the lake; Nicaragua is connected by the San Juan River with, turning the city of Granada into an Atlantic port.
In the language of the Indians inhabiting these lands, Michigan means " big lake", it is located in North America, is located in the United States and is part of the Great Lakes system of North America. Lake Michigan is located at an altitude of 177 meters above sea level. Its area is 58,000 square kilometers, its greatest depth is 281 meters. Michigan is connected to Lake Huron by the Straits of Mackinac [...]