In which lake are freshwater sharks found? Interesting facts about Lake Nicaragua. A few words about history

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"

Locals They 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 being displaced by 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.

A 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 dollars, but you will have to bargain, since at first the price is unacceptably inflated. The islands near Granada were bought by local rich people. 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, for a large 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

A beautiful picture - a surface of water that resembles a mirror. There is amazingly clean air and the largest reserves of fresh water in the territory 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. WITH Caribbean Sea The lake is connected 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 reservoir, 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. 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 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 gets into the water goes away. 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 as a 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 ancient times. They are mainly engaged in agriculture - they grow coffee, bananas and cocoa. Some of the plantations are located on islands where the land is covered volcanic ash, by the way, 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?

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, 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, spending most of their 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 freshwater sharks exist? 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 where purely freshwater sharks constantly live, and not some small thing, but very 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 enter many major rivers and shipping channels. Not far away, in the Panama Canal, its closest relative, the blunt-nosed shark, is often encountered. The same predator has been observed in the inland waters of 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.

Hello friends! Today again about Nicaragua. I am sure that after my exciting stories about this mysterious country you are already actively storming search engines in the hope of snatching cheap air ticket to Managua (the capital of Nicaragua)! :))) I continue to write about what to do in the poorest country Central America. In the last post I already started a story about the main attraction of Nicaragua, told about the ferry to Ometepe, the Maderas and Concepcion volcanoes, how to rent a scooter there, find housing and about the main cities, and today I’ll tell you about the island beaches, Lake Nicaragua and sharks. bull.

Ometepe Island is located in Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Latin America by area. 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 the strong volcanic activity the idea of ​​construction has remained just an idea, but it is fully functioning and earning money for its country, and at the same time for the United States of America. True, the Panamanians have been struggling lately, so talk about building a new canal across Lake Nicaragua is popping 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 shore, even at a depth of half a meter. This is the only shark species that lives in fresh water. The fact is that Lake Nicaragua was previously part of 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 became fresher thanks to the flowing rivers, and the sharks got used to the new conditions and lived happily there.

The Indians of Nicaragua are to blame for the fact that animals bite people, who since ancient times have sacrificed corpses on the Caribbean coast, thereby attracting sharks. Over time, the bull shark moved deeper into 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 into Lake Nicaragua.

I found a video on YouTube. The bull shark (tiburón in Spanish) appears at 50 seconds.

The animals, poor fellows, do not know that they are being hunted, and the country's government strongly encourages the fishing of bull sharks in Lake Nicaragua. Despite the fact that the main cases of shark attacks on people are recorded off the coast, the residents of Nicaragua are not at all embarrassed by this, and every evening they come to swim in the lake before sunset.

One day on Ometepe we rented bikes for half a day for $4 and went to the beach Punta Jesus Maria(Punta Jesus Maria), which is in the south of the big city on the island- Moyogalpa, drink beer and splash around in the lake. The distance of 4 km is covered easily and with song, the road is excellent, paved, along the way there are fields with sugar cane, green palm trees, cicadas chirp so much that your ears are blocked.

Nothing worked out for me with splashing around in the lake, the water was not at all clear, and I was afraid of bull sharks, so I decided to wait for the ocean - in a couple of days we planned to be in Pacifica.

I liked the beach - black sand mixed with shells, a view of Volcano Concepción.

During 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. An amazing feeling, as if the water was parting in front of you.

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

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

Drinking alcohol on the beach is allowed, this is not Mexico. In Nicaragua, in principle, many things are allowed.

On the way to Punta Jesus Maria beach you can see construction new road. It looks a lot like a future airport.

I wrote about renting bicycles and motorcycles on Ometepe in my previous post. In the next article I’ll tell you how to look 10 years younger in 5 minutes and what you should be more afraid of on Ometepe than bull sharks.

Good animals to you! Sincerely,

***
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    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 extraordinary beauty, fourth 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 thing.

    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, a rather 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. The lake is less than 10 km from the Pacific Ocean, which has its own scientific explanation. From the 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 needed 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, and beyond the village of Rivas almost to the very 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 is a local airport), San Miguelit, Acoyapa. The shortest distance from them to the lake is 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. Most large island 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.

    Second large river, which is important for the lake, is Tipitapa, connecting 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 believe 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 salt 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 to know all the features and interesting facts about Lake Nicaragua. Travelers, having arrived here, can stay at one of the hotels in the city of Granada or Ometele Island. 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 fish here for exotic and ordinary fish. In coastal populated areas Tackle and boats are available for rental. Catch for a certain fee They will cook for you right there on the shore. 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 most the best souvenirs, which you definitely need to bring home from your long trip to Lake Nicaragua.


    Lake Nicaragua is located on the territory of the Latin American country of the same name. It is a large freshwater lake and has a 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 [...]

     

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