Sharks in a lake?!

Now, when my colleague and good friend, Jorge, informed me that there were sharks in Lake Nicaragua I thought he was just joking.  If you know Jorge, like I do, then you know that he is always joking and trying to get a laugh out of you.  So, it wasn't until he really started spitting out facts that I realized he wasn't playing.  There really are SHARKS in the lake!

Lago de Nicaragua (Lake nicaragua)

 

 

 

I couldn't wait to get to my laptop to further research, and share my findings with you. Here is what I found

Lake Nicaragua Facts

• Despite being a fresh water lake, Lake Nicaragua has sharks, tarpons, and saw fish!  
• Initially scientist thought they were a unique species of sharks but later realized that they are Bull Shark, a species known for entering fresh water in other parts of the world.  
• They were presumed to have been trapped in the Lake Nicaragua by volcanic activity that shut it off from the Pacific Ocean. 
• It was later revealed that the sharks jump along the rapids of the San Juan River (which connects Lake Nicaragua and the Caribbean Sea) almost like salmon.
• Nicaraguans call the Lake Lago Cocibolca or Mar Dulce (literally, Sweet Sea; in Spanish, freshwater is agua dulce).
• The lake has sizable waves driven by the easterly winds blowing west to the Pacific Ocean
• The lake holds Ometepe and Zapatera which are both volcanic islands, as well as the archipelago of the Solentiname Islands.
• The lake has a reputation for periodically powerful, unnavigable storms.
• Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in Central America

Since our home base will be in Granada, a city on the edge of this unique lake, we will definitely get a chance to see the lake itself.   So now the questions is will we see the sharks of Lake Nicaragua?
Only time will tell....

Forget snakes on a plane, we have sharks in the lake! 

                                                         Wait a minute... do you hear the theme song from Jaws playing?!