How many more 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 the reservoirs have not been explored at all, then it becomes even a little scary. What is hidden in the azure depths? Like 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 immensity of its edges? The population of Granada calls the reservoir the Lake of Granada, but the rest of the planet knows only Lake Nicaragua, or Lago de Nicaragua. This is one of the largest reservoirs 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 this 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 volcanic eruptions
It turns out that the reservoir was previously open, but tectonic changes and numerous volcanic eruptions provoked lava flow into the strait. So, part of the ocean separated and turned into an inland reservoir that fenced off the inhabitants from the outside world. Slowly but surely, freshwater streams displaced seawater, but marine life cannot be evicted so easily. Gradually they had to adapt to the 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 highly doubtful. Some doubt that there are sharks in Lake Nicaragua, arguing 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 to bring the dead to water. The bodies floated into the ocean and became the prey of 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 the victims. The problem has become more complicated every year, which has led to the introduction of extreme measures to destroytoothy fish.
Tourist's paradise
Lake Nicaragua has long been a promised land for tourists. And they are not even afraid of the threat of being bitten. Adults and even children boldly climb into the water, however, in compliance with certain security measures. For example, you can not be distracted and forget about the threat. You can not swim with an open wound or during menstruation. In short, if you are seduced by the opportunity to dive into Nicaragua (lake), sharks will not be a serious hindrance. Tourists come to the town of Granada, which is located next to the reservoir. This is an amazingly atmospheric place that beckons with walks and adventures. By the way, the walk will not be tiring, because the town is quite small. In the central park, you can try the famous Nicaraguan dish Vigoron, and excursion carriages go 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.
Exploratory tour
If you come to Lake Nicaragua with a large company, 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, because at first the price is unacceptably inflated. The islands near Granada were bought by the local rich. These are mainly summer residences, since the islands are just tiny and are unlikely to fit more than one house. It turns out that one island is one villa. Some of them can be rented for the weekend, and forlarge 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 informative and interesting. There are unusual and bright, similar to paradise birds, which slowly and importantly walk along the ground, sweeping it with their tails.
Now it's time to pay attention directly to Lake Nicaragua.
Description of the reservoir: its charms and beauty
Beautiful picture - the water surface, reminiscent of a mirror. It has surprisingly clean air and the largest reserves of fresh water in Latin America. The maximum depth of the lake reaches 70 meters, and the area here is almost 8600 square meters. By the way, here is the border with Costa Rica. The lake is connected to the Caribbean Sea by the San Juan River, and fresh water flows from many rivers and streams. The most full-flowing is the Tipitapa River, which flows from Lake Managua. Scientists believe that the reservoir appeared on the site of the ancient Pacific Bay. 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 the sharks of Nicaragua. You won't find them anywhere else, because this individual is a close relative of the gray bull shark.
Terrible visions
A truly shocking sight could be the legendary bull shark. Evenwithout seeing her, but only after hearing the stories, you can give free rein to your imagination. And this type is also distinguished by ease of adaptation to desalinated water and can hide for a long time in river mouths. The dimensions of such a "nibbler" are simply indecent, and the danger to a person is serious. They say that they are just not the indigenous inhabitants of the lake, but swam here and could not swim away after the volcanic eruption. Many scientists actively object to this position, saying that the bull shark can jump over the San Juan rapids like a salmon. To prove their assumptions, they cite the presence of this type of shark in the open ocean. It has even been found that the voyage of sharks from the lake to the sea and back can take anywhere from a week to 11 days. This is how terrible Lake Nicaragua can be, and the bull shark is quite common in it, according to the stories of the locals.
Environment and problems
In general, the lake remains a unique body of water, but its location causes some concern for environmentalists, because it is polluted by sewage from nearby industrial plants. According to statistics, over the past 37 years, at least 30 tons of untreated sewage has entered the lake every day. The marine fauna and flora of the reservoir are very diverse. Water lilies bloom here and fish swim, which are more likely to live in s alty waters. These are sawfish, herring, tarpons and even sawfish.
The process of self-purification takes place in the lake, and all the dirt from the drains that enters the water goes away. The reservoir has its own special character: in the east, the water is calm and quiet, butin the west, the influence of the trade winds appears, and there is a constant strong ripple. Powerful storms are not rare either.
Not all the islands in 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 as a biosphere reserve. In the west, there is also a third volcano - Mombacho. In general, volcanoes on the lake became the cause of clogging with ash.
The population here is represented mainly by mestizos. These are the descendants of the Indians who lived here in ancient times. They are mainly engaged in agriculture - they grow coffee, bananas and cocoa. Part of the plantations is located on the islands, where the ground is covered with volcanic ash, which, by the way, is very useful for crops.
Helmeted 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 pretty cute.
On the island of Solentiname there are rocks with ancient drawings. Almost a hundred varieties of parrots and toucans live on the local islands.
It seems like a paradise, but even in paradise there were difficulties. So what can we expect from the earth?
