Tortuguero Lagoon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laguna Tortuguero |
|
|---|---|
Tortuguero Lagoon Port.
|
|
 Laguna Tortuguero
Location in Puerto Rico
|
|
| Location | Vega Baja / Manatí municipalities, Puerto Rico |
| Coordinates | 18°27′48″N 66°26′29″W / 18.46333°N 66.44139°W |
| Type | natural reservoir |
| Basin countries | Puerto Rico |
| Surface area | 0.94 sq mi (2.4 km2) |
| Water volume | 6.43 mi (10.35 km) |
The Laguna Tortuguero Natural Reserve is a special natural lake, also called a reservoir, located in Puerto Rico. You can find it between the towns of Vega Baja and Manatí. This lagoon is one of only two natural lakes on the entire island of Puerto Rico (the other is Joyuda Lagoon). It's a very important place because it's home to a huge variety of plants and animals.
Contents
About Tortuguero Lagoon
The Tortuguero Lagoon Nature Reserve is the only freshwater lagoon in all of Puerto Rico. It holds a massive amount of water, about 708 million gallons! This special area was officially made a reserve in 1979. It covers about 2.43 square kilometers.
The lagoon has two main parts. The eastern and northeastern part is called Laguna Grande, which means "Big Lagoon." The southern part is known as Laguna Rica. There's also a swampy area to the northeast called El Cabo Caribe. This swamp is super important for the reserve because it's a key spot where many animals nest and find food.
The Tortuguero area is made up of different landscapes. You'll find swamps, marshes, sandy areas with white silica sand, and hills. Even though it's not a forest, it has many rare and unique plants and flowers. This makes it one of the most important natural reserves in Puerto Rico. It's right up there with famous places like El Yunque, Toro Negro State Forest, and the Forest of Maricao.
Amazing Animals of Tortuguero Lagoon
The reserve is a fantastic home for many different kinds of animals. Scientists have found 83 different types of birds here! Some birds are migratory, meaning they visit the lagoon at certain times of the year. Others are resident, which means they live in Puerto Rico all the time.
Native Animals
These animals are naturally found in Puerto Rico.
- Eels (from the Anguila family)
- Chad (a fish called Elops saurus)
- Common snook (a type of fish, Centropomus undecimalis)
- Big-eye scad mackerel or horse-eye jack (another fish, Caranx latus)
Endemic Animals
Endemic means these animals are found only in Puerto Rico and nowhere else in the world!
- Puerto Rican spindalis (a colorful bird, Spindalis portoricensis)
- Puerto Rican oriole (another unique bird, Icterus portoricensis)
- Adelaide's warbler (a small, special bird, Setophaga adelaidae)
Exotic Animals
Exotic animals are species that were brought to Puerto Rico from other places.
- Caiman (a reptile similar to an alligator, Caiman crocodilus)
- Black seabream or chopa (a fish, Spondyliosoma cantharus)
- Tilapia (a common fish, Oreochromis urolepis)
Fish Life and Reproduction
The lagoon is a safe place for fish to live and for female fish to lay their eggs. There are 23 different kinds of fish in the lagoon. Native fish include eels, tarpon, snook, and bigeye mackerel. Some introduced fish are black seabream, bass, and tilapia. You can also find oviparous fish here, like the "guppy" from the Poecilia family. Oviparous means they lay eggs.
Wonderful Plants of Tortuguero Lagoon
The plants, or flora, in this reserve are incredibly important. It's the fourth most important plant area in all of Puerto Rico! There are 717 different kinds of plants here.
- 144 of these plants are rare or in danger of disappearing.
- 56 types of plants grow in the fine white sands around the lagoon.
- 110 types of plants live in the rich, organic soils of the swamps.
- 37 species are native to America.
All of these special plants are found only at the Tortuguero Lagoon.
Insect-Eating Plants
The lagoon area is also home to seven types of insectivorous plants. These are plants that eat insects! Two of these amazing plants are in danger of extinction: Drosera and Utricularia capilaris subuleta clesitogama.
The rest of the plants in the reserve are divided into:
- 265 species that show the area is a wetland.
- 132 types of trees.
- 79 types of sedges (grass-like plants).
- 78 types of herbs.
- 38 types of ferns.
See also
In Spanish: Laguna Tortuguero para niños
