Interesting facts about Lake Nicaragua: description, natural and animal world. Interesting facts about Lake Nicaragua Sharks are found in Lake Nicaragua

Lago de Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the world's only freshwater lake with sharks. In view of this fact and due to the small distance to the Pacific Ocean, scientists believe that the territory on which the lake is now located used to be 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 freshwater and isolation. As in the sea, there are strong waves that raise the east winds blowing westward towards the Pacific Ocean. The lake has whole groups of islands such as Ometepe and Solentiname. Powerful storms periodically occur on the lake.

Prior to the construction of the Panama Canal, there were plans to build a Nicaraguan Canal across the lake to pass from one ocean to another. With the end 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 for the lake. Nicaragua, and it is according to the Nicarao Indian tribe who lived on its shores; the gua element, which does not have an unambiguous translation, is widely represented in the aboriginal place names throughout Latin America ... Geographical encyclopedia

Nicaragua isp. Lago de Nicaragua Coordinates: Coordinates ... Wikipedia

Nicaragua- Nicaragua. Volcano Momotombo. NICARAGUA (Republic of Nicaragua), a state in Central America, washed by the Pacific Ocean in the southwest, and the Caribbean Sea in the east. The area is 130 thousand km2. Population 4.27 million people, mostly Nicaraguans ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Nicaragua- (Nicaragua) State of Nicaragua, geography and history of Nicaragua, state system Information about the state of Nicaragua, geography and history of Nicaragua, state system Contents Contents Nature Population State system ... ... Investor encyclopedia

Hello friends! Today again about Nicaragua. I am sure that after my exciting stories about this mysterious country, you are already actively storming the search engines in the hope of grabbing a cheap air ticket to Managua (the capital of Nicaragua)! :))) I continue to write 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, I told about the ferry to Ometepe, the Maderas and Concepcion volcanoes, about how to rent a scooter there, find housing and about the main cities, and today I will tell you about the island beaches, Lake Nicaragua and the shark- bull.

Ometepe Island is located in Lake Nicaragu, the largest lake in Latin America. 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 the San Juan River, but due to strong volcanic activity, the idea of construction remained just an idea, but on the other hand in all functions and earns money for his country, and at the same time for the United States of America. True, Panamanians have been fiddling around lately, so talk about the construction of a new canal across Lake Nicaragua comes 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 coast, even at a depth of half a meter. This is the only species of shark that lives in fresh water. The fact is that earlier 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 was desalinated thanks to the rivers flowing in, and the sharks got used to new conditions and live happily there.

The fact that animals bite people is to blame for the Indians of Nicaragua, who for a long time sacrificed corpses on the Caribbean coast, which attracted sharks. Over time, the bull shark moved inland along 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 to Lake Nicaragua.

Found a video on YouTube. The bull shark (tiburón in Spanish) appears at the 50th second.

The animals, poor fellows, do not know that a hunt has been announced for them, and the government of the country strongly encourages the catching of bull sharks in Lake Nicaragua. Despite the fact that the main cases of shark attacks on people were recorded off the coast, the inhabitants of Nicaragua are not at all embarrassed by this, and they come to swim in the lake every evening before sunset.

One day on Ometepe we rented a bike for half a day for $ 4 and went to the beach Punta Jesus Maria(Punta Jesus Maria), south of the largest city on the island Myogalps, drink beer and hang out in the lake. The distance of 4 km can be overcome easily and with a song, the road is excellent, asphalt, along the way there are fields with sugar cane, green palm trees, cicadas chirping so that they already lay their ears.

I didn’t manage to flop in the lake, the water is not clear at all, and I’m afraid of bull sharks, so I decided to wait for the ocean - in a couple of days we were planning to be in the Pacific.

I liked the beach - black sand mixed with shells, view of volcano Concepcion.

In 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. Awesome sensations, as if the water is parting in front of you.

A turtle nailed to the shore, which then did not move for several hours: it did not run on land and did not return to the lake. Most likely, like me, she was afraid of sharks. So we sat on the beach with her until the evening.

Right next to the beach, in a stall, you can buy beer, rum and other drinks to make the sitting more fun.

It is allowed to drink alcohol on the beach, this is not Mexico. In Nicaragua, in principle, a lot of things are allowed.

On the way to Punta Jesús Maria beach, you can see the construction of a new road. It looks very much like a future airport.

I wrote about renting bicycles and motorcycles on Ometepe in the last post. In the next article I will tell you how to rejuvenate by 10 years in 5 minutes and what you should be afraid of on Ometepe more than bull sharks.

Good animals to you! Sincerely,

***
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Lake Nicaragua is the largest freshwater body of water in all of Latin America.

Around it is one of the states of Central America, which bears the same name as the lake - Nicaragua. South of the lake is another Central American country, Costa Rica.

Lake Nicaragua on the map

Characteristics of Lake Nicaragua

Has a tectonic origin
The lake area is 8,264 square meters
Width 68cm
Length 177km
The volume of the lake is 108 km 3
The lake is located 32 meters above sea level
Maximum depth 50 meters, average depth 13m
The climate is tropical
Average annual rainfall 900 - 1200mm
Average annual temperature +30 0 С

The emergence of the lake

According to the assumptions of scientists, this lake arose on the site of the Pacific Gulf. In the distant past, this bay was isolated from the ocean, as a result of tectonic processes and volcanic activity.

lake nicaragua photos

Numerous freshwater rivers flowing into it displaced sea salt water. Many of the local animals are completely unique and are not found in other fresh water bodies.

Fishes

Fish found in Lake Nicaragua:

Most of the fish of Lake Nicaragua are predators. Numerous small aquarium fish, distinguished by exquisite beauty, are also found in it. They are in great demand and popularity among aquarists.

Sharks of Lake Nicaragua

Lake Nicaragua is famous for its freshwater sharks. They come in two flavors, and the Nicaraguans call them Visante and Tintoreros. Both those and others belong to bull sharks, but the visitors, which are distinguished by their white belly, swim out of the ocean and are not permanent residents of the lake. They are viviparous.

Lake Nicaragua. shark photo

Lake Nicaragua. toucan on the island photo

Climate

Lake Nicaragua. islands photo

During the rainy season, which lasts from May to October, the water level in the lake rises significantly. And during the dry season from December to April, it decreases markedly.

Rivers

There are many streams and rivers flowing around the lake. To the east, the San Juan River flows out of Lake Nicaragua. It is navigable and connects the lake to the Atlantic. To the northwest of Lake Nicaragua, there is another freshwater lake, Managua. (The capital of the Republic of Nicaragua bears the same name).

From Lake Managua, the Tipitapa River flows into Lake Nicaragua, wide and full. San Juan flows out of Lake Nicaragua and into the Caribbean Sea.

sights

On the largest island of the lake, which is called Ometepe, there are a pair of volcanoes, Maderas and Concepciennes. The name of the island is translated from the language of the Indians and means "two mountains". On this, as well as on some other islands, there are monuments dating back to pre-Columbian times. Among them are rock paintings with images of animals and birds.

Lake Nicaragua. Ometepe island and volcanoes photo

In addition, on the island of Ometepe there are stone idols installed in burial places. Since 2010, a biosphere reserve has been established on the island of Ometele. It is inhabited by a significant number of rare representatives of flora and fauna, in particular arachnid monkeys. Another nature reserve has been created on the Solentiname Islands.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, many islands in Lake Nicaragua served as a convenient refuge for pirates. Because of them, local residents had to move away from the shores of the lake to the mountains, to the foothills of volcanoes.
At the end of the 19th century, when the construction of a canal was conceived, capable of connecting the Pacific Oceans with the Atlantic, it was originally supposed to build it in the area of Lake Nicaragua. There is a story that the opponents of this project allegedly sent letters to the alleged investor in envelopes with stamps, which depicted a volcano near Lake Nicaragua. And the prospect of volcanic eruptions frightened the addressees so much that in the end it was decided to build the canal on the Isthmus of Panama. However, they periodically returned to the idea of building another canal in Nicaragua. Since December 22, 2014, work has been underway on its construction.

It is found in the forest, and the shark is in the sea, we all know from early childhood. But, just as wolves can live in sandy or snowy deserts, so sharks sometimes feel pretty good in fresh waters.

Of the 550 species of these cartilaginous fish, about 15-20 swim in 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 - this is still not a typical behavior of marine predators, which spend most of their time in salt waters. At the same time, there are some species that love coastal places more than others and often swim in shallow bays and estuaries of large rivers.

So, for example, such habits are inherent in a fairly well-known, 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 a person, sometimes with fatal outcomes.

Watch the video - Blunt shark:

Some other closely related species that are part of the vast group of gray sharks have similar habits. But, nevertheless, they are all sea inhabitants. Even the so-called "Ganges shark" is just a part of the population of fish constantly living in the seas and only periodically entering the river.

So are there freshwater sharks? Those who spend their whole life in rivers or lakes, and reproduce there?

Freshwater sharks exist

It turns out, yes.
Moreover, they are represented by the only species known to science. There is only one place on Earth in which purely freshwater sharks constantly live, and not just some trifle, but rather large predators, sometimes.

This lake is located in Central America and is called Nicaragua (as well as the country in which it is located).

The lake is quite large (the largest in Mesoamerica). It is not far from its shores 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 the video - Freshwater sharks in the rivers:

But today most researchers hold a different opinion. They believe that freshwater sharks have been apart for a very long time - since millions of years ago this former sea bay separated from the oceans.

But many local fishermen are sure that there are two species of sharks in the waters of Nicaragua. Allegedly, some live here permanently, while others swim from below along the river.

But ichthyologists do not confirm these stories, distinguishing the Nicaraguan inhabitants as a special species of Sarcharhinus nicaraguensis, which, however, is sometimes called the freshwater form of the bull shark.

Yes, and along the rapids channel of San Juan, it would be quite difficult to climb even 200 kilometers separating the lake from the ocean. So, most likely, the scientists are right - the predators, who were once sea inhabitants, were really able to fully adapt to the local conditions.

It is interesting that in Nicaragua, in addition to sharks, there are also freshwater sawfish, sticks and one type of large typical ocean herring.

And very close by there is another smaller lake, called Managua, connected to the first 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 variety grow up to 3 meters and even slightly more. At the same time, as already mentioned, they often attack a person. They also hunt dogs.

Earlier, even before the arrival of the Spaniards, several Indian tribes lived on the shores of the lake. Some of the local natives had it. They buried their dead in the lake, giving their bodies to be eaten by sharks.

Perhaps this was done in order to appease predators or spirits living in the water.

Sending their relatives to the afterlife, the Indians dressed them up, putting on, among other things, 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 living nearby decided to take advantage of the situation and hunted sharks, extracting jewelry from their stomachs. As the legend says, he managed to get rich, but to take advantage of the wealth - no longer.

The Indians killed him and then burned down the house. Today, of course, is no longer in honor.

Many locals themselves. In the middle of the last century, catches were quite large, and shark meat served as a good help for not very rich Nicaraguans.

Relatives of the Nicaraguan freshwater shark enter many major rivers and shipping channels. Not far away, in the Panama Canal, one often encounters its closest relative, the blunt shark. The same predator was observed in the inland waters of Guatemala, Louisiana, Florida and elsewhere.

The Indian gray shark appears to enjoy attacking pilgrims in the Ganges and also appears in other rivers in Southeast Asia. And yet, all these vagabonds, as well as about 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.

Coordinates: 11 ° 37'00 ″ s. NS. 85 ° 21'00 ″ W etc. / 11.61667 ° N NS. 85.35000 ° W etc./ 11.61667; -85.35000(G) (I)

Nicaragua is the only freshwater lake in the world that is home to sharks. In view of this fact and due to the small distance to the Pacific Ocean, scientists believe that the territory on which the lake is now located used to be 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 (Fresh Sea). As in the sea, there are strong waves that raise the east winds blowing westward towards the Pacific Ocean. The lake has entire island groups such as Ometepe and Solentiname. Powerful storms periodically occur on the lake.

In July 2014, the Nicaraguan Canal route was approved between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, which will pass through Lake Nicaragua. Construction began on December 22, 2014. This circumstance is associated with the objections of opponents of the construction, who fear that with the beginning of ocean shipping the lake will lose its significance as a source of fresh water. But the organizers of the construction say that they have carried out the necessary dredging works on the lake, while refusing to use explosives in its waters.

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Excerpt from Nicaragua (lake)

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All the Russians who were detained with Pierre were people of the lowest rank. And all of them, recognizing Pierre as a master, shunned him, especially since he spoke French. Pierre sadly heard the mockery of himself.
The next evening, Pierre learned that all these prisoners (and, probably, he too) should have been tried for arson. On the third day, Pierre was taken with others to some house, where a French general with a white mustache, two colonels and other Frenchmen with scarves on their hands were sitting. Pierre, on an equal basis with others, was asked with that, allegedly exceeding human weaknesses, with the accuracy and definiteness with which the defendants are usually treated, the questions about who he is? where he was? for what purpose? etc.
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