Idea #422 – Exploring the Laguna de Apoyo
The Lagoon of Apoyo is a lake of volcanic origin situated between Granada and Masaya, in Nicaragua. It would have arisen from the explosion of a crater there approximately 21 000 years ago. It is 6 km long in diameter and extends over 34 km2. Its maximal depth is estimated at 176 meters. Since 1991 it was classified as nature reserve by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural resources of the country.
The reserve shelters an ecosystem of dry tropical type. The flora consists of more than 500 species of plants and of dry tropical trees, such as pochote, black rosewood, mahogany, hog plums or guacuco, as well as a big variety of orchids. The fauna includes mammals as the squirrels with panache, the opossums, the anteaters, the pacas, the jaguarundis, the howler monkeys and the capuchin monkeys with white face. We also meet a variety of reptiles as the green iguanas and the boas common.
More than 200 species of birds were listed in the reserve such oropendolas, hawks and hummingbirds. 220 species of butterflies were documented in the reserve, and dozens of mollusks. The lake Apoyo also contains a big variety of species of fishes, including six species of endemic mojarras in the lagoon. One of these species is Amphilophus zaliosus, discovered in 1976. Both last ones were discovered in 2010. Let’s go seeing that closer !
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Laguna de Apoyo, Granada, Nicaragua
