Chacocente

Wildlife Refuge Rio Escalante Chacocente

Summary Research

Objectives
Make a digital presentation and a summary research of a tourist site of Nicaragua, in which the lessons learned in the English course from Tourist Business Administration can be implemented.

Introduction
What is a wildlife refuge? It is an area of land, sea, lake for its richness and diversity of flora and fauna, climate and region, making it unique and therefore worthy of preservation. Chacocente is the first protected area, placed in the category of wild life refuge at Nicaragua. It was declared a protected by having the largest expanse of dry tropical forest in the country and its beaches are one of the largest in the world, for the mass nesting of the Paslama turtle, which is in danger of extinction. Chacocente, among the best paradises in the world
El Nuevo Diario, Nicaragua 19, february 2007 (http://impreso.end.com.ni/2007/02/19/variedades/41766)

The British newspaper The Guardian created a list of the 20 best deserted beaches in the world, which included, in tenth place, the natural refuge of Chacocente, located on the shores of the Pacific, south of Managua, where each year come to spawn thousands of Paslama. Journal catalog the list as the "Holy Grail" of travel: places of dream with white sand, turquoise blue sea, and the best, "without another soul in sight". They are beaches that preserve their resources, without large tourist farms that become the dream of travelers from around the world. The list was created by Gemma Bowes, of The Guardian, who ranked at tenth place to Chacocente. The journalist wrote that apart from the people who come each year to study the process of spawning of sea turtles, "it is unlikely to see someone else in the reserve, which is accessible only by horse or a four-wheel drive". []

Brief history of Chacocente

At the end of the last century, Chacocente area was with lush vegetation and a rich and abundant fauna. The use of the land was limited to extensive grazing and cultivation of grain basic level of subsistence, especially maize. Around 1899, there were no villages of importance. The first changes in the area occurred between 1900 and 1913, when starts the logging of precious wood for export. The precious woods like the ambar, Caoba, Cedro Real, Guayacn and Pochote, were drawn to exploit them to Germany, by sailing ships that docked at the shipyard. Depleted precious wood, area used for grazing of extensive type. Only lands that were not completely deforested are those now present the original forest vegetation.

In 1977, Catastro and Inventory of Natural Resources considered as a potential, to be protected by having representation of dry subtropical forest, covering the coast of the Pacific country of yore it and because Chacocente beach is one of the two beaches privileged in the Pacific from Nicaragua, where sea turtles (lepidochelys back) nests en masse in the months of July to December. Following investigations into the behavior during the nesting of the paslama turtle, the protection of the beach and adjacent area was considered necessary. Marking of nesting females began in 1981, and in 1982 the biological station of Chacocente, builds a House for shelter. August 11, 1983, by Decree N 1294 was created legally as a protected area under the category of wild life refuge.

Description of the place

Location Escalante River-Chacocente refuge zone is located at the Southwest end of the Department of Carazo, on the coast of the Pacific, as he limited departmental Carazo and Rivas, between 40 and 200 meters above the sea level and an extension of 11 linear kilometers of beach. It has an area of 4,800 hectares (which accounts for 64 per cent of the total), most of the buffer zone of about 2,712 hectares (36 per cent of the total), together totaling nearly 7,500 hectares. How to get there There are several options to get. It can be for Santa Teresa, Carazo, Rivas Tola or the Ochomogo bridge at the Pan American Highway (km 40), is always recommended the use of 4 x 4 vehicle. Santa Teresa: It should go into the city and from there continue on the paved road, turn left at the first junction, and continue until you find the second junction. From there turn left again and follows the dirt road to the entrance of the reservation. Ochomogo: Recognize the entry by a label on the banks of the road. Follow the road until you reach the base of the MARENA. If in doubt, ask a nearby village if he is going through a good. Tola: Reach the beaches and go to the shipyard, from here there is a road in regular State that reaches the station of MARENA in the shelter, however, may be impassable in winter.

Climate The average annual rainfall ranges between 1,400 to 1,600 mm. The average annual temperature is 27 C, reaching 34 C in the month of April. The minimum values of moisture occur in the month March featuring an average of 65% of relative humidity. The maximum values are recorded in the month of October, with an average of 87%. Predominant wind direction is from the northeast to southeast, most of the year. Topography The topography of the area is characterized by being very uneven and steep. The landscape presents the appearance of Hill and hills with gradients reaching 100%, among only crossed by the dry riverbeds of small streams and creeks that are active in the rainy season. Soil The soils are of variable texture from clay to sandy franc - burdensome francs surface a little deep, of excessively drained to poorly drained. These soils have severe limitations that restrict their use for any type of clean crops and in some places, even for grazing, with the exception of flat land formed by the valley filled with the Escalante and the alluvial lands in the lower and the mouth of the River Acayo. Vegetation Escalante River-Chacocente refuge is one of the few places in the Pacific region that encloses a tropical dry forest, relatively little altered, and a welldeveloped Gallery forest. In coastal area, between Rancho Grande and the mouth of Chacocente river, is covered by associations of beach Manzano (Hippomene tree) reach heights of 7 meters; Association of Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), Salt stick (Avicennia germinans), and Buttonwood mangroves (Conocarpus erectus). In addition they are associations of Tamarind (Tamaridus indicates) heights of 10 meters, interspersed with a few species of primary forest to reach heights up to 12 meters. At the mouth of the Escalante River, in the margin of the Department of Carazo, are plant associations of soils flooded by brackish water, such as Buttonwood mangroves or mangrove black. Following the course of the River, to reach 10 meters higher elevations, encountering a forest covered by spiny and stinging species. Two miles from the coast is a well-developed Gallery forest, with species of tree that reaches heights between 15 and 20 meters with stems between 1 and 1.5 meters in diameter and with a more or less clean understory. Species include: Genzaro (Pithecelobium saman), Palo de sal (Manilkara chicle), Ceiba (Ceiba pentandra); species widely distributed in Nicaragua. The rest of the area is covered by 70% by dry Tropical Forest with some representative plant associations as Jiocuabo (Bursera simaruba), Poro-poro (Chochlospermun vitifolium), Tatalate (Gyrocarpus americanus), Quebracho (Lysiloma). Facing the sea, on slopes strongly hit by the winds and sea breezes are associations of Sacuanjoche (Plumeria rubra) and on the gentle slopes, the Cimarronas Piuelas (bromeliad), which in many areas form thick and impenetrable bands of up to 100 meters. The innermost part found tree species of forest value, such as Caoba (Swietenia humilis), Roble (Tabebuia rosea) and Cortez (Tabebuia crysanta)).

The fauna Is varied among which stand out Brown Pelican (Pelican occidentalis), Chocoyo (Aratinga canicularis), Urraca chinga (Notharcus macrochynchos), Urraca (colositta Formosa), Gis bird (great kiskadee), Guadabaranco (Eumomota superciliosa), Congo monkey (villosa Alonatta), Squirrel (Sciurus sp), Rabbit (Silvilagus florindanus), Iguana (Ctenosaura simile), Boa (Boa constrictor), Paslama turtle (back Lepidochelys), Tora turtle (dermochelys Coricea), deer white-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus), among others. Life Chacocente wildlife reserve has other natural resources such as Oyster Bank, Veracruz, in front of the mouth of the River Acayo, which has been exploited by Salvadoran company inadequately together some Nicaraguan workers. Fishing is a very important work for the area, in addition to the form of exploited is balanced because its tools are not as powerful as the industrial fishing boats.

Tourist attractions
The "arribada" of the Paslama turtle in Chacocente Chacocente is one of the two beaches on the coast of the Pacific's Nicaragua, where the Paslama turtle nests in mass. This phenomenon, also known as "arribada" which means "the arrival", only occurs on a small number of beaches in the Eastern Pacific (Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama) and Indian Ocean. Elsewhere in the world, the Olive Ridley is a solitary nester like other sea turtle species.

The Paslama turtle are migratory, regularly travel long distances from their feeding grounds to the reproduction. Their reproductive strategy is very strange: from hundreds of miles away meet in certain period of the year in number of thousands off some beaches and through a hormonal mechanism, are they simultaneously hurtled over the beach to lay their eggs. Usually the arrivals of Paslama occur when the moon is in the last quarter. A season can have around eight arrivals, each one with approximately 3 thousand females. Turtles emerging from the sea to carry out their spawning and walking is burying their heads in the sand, sniffing, looking for the place where the previous year make spawning. According to "hueveros", it always lays eggs on the same site. Then a female has located a site which will make its nest, it must be to dig it, using their rear fins, then deposit more than 100 eggs covered with sand, which compact with its heavy body. He finally makes a huge circle with his body to confuse potential predators. The reptile returns to the sea waiting to return next year to the same place. They will return with him some of his adult daughters nested earlier, to perform the same ritual that made his mother, and thus from the beginning of the species. The nesting process takes approximately one hour and the incubation process takes between 48 and 52 days, then the tortuguillos emerge to engage his way to the sea, but not before addressing a series of danger in the sand. Wild life refuge Rio Escalante - Chacocente The refuge consists of an area of 46 square kilometers where you can see a remarkable dry tropical forest by the presence of large variety of endemic species. It also has a beautiful beach of white and gray sands with twelve kilometers of coastline. It has a center for visitors, park guards and a shelter for researchers at a reasonable cost. The villagers offer the possibility to practice fishing those tourists who enjoy this activity, as well as tours to observe flora and fauna. Chacocente is a perfect place to spend a few days on the beach a little different from the ordinary. The hacienda offers threequarters and perfect places for camping. It has two bathrooms (one of them is a latrine), two showers (one outside) that can be used by all visitors. They offer breakfasts and typical dinners. They also offer lunch (fresh fish) but can also catch your own lunch on a fishing tour. Price for room per night: 4 persons U$ 35; Double U$ 25. Price per night in tent: U$ 3.50 per person plus U$ 15 for camping area rent. Food: breakfast U$ 4; lunch U$ 8; dinner U$ 5.

Activities: Riding Mule, U$ 10 (one hour and a half) Path of monkeys U$ 7 per person (2.5 h.) Trail viewpoints U$ 10 (5 hours) Fish U$ 50 per person (half day)

Surfing The 12 kilometers of unspoilt beach which offers the reserve, attracts the surfer to search, in addition to the excitement to sport, an excellent place to enjoy, live and learn. Because of their characteristics, the beach offers waves regional classic quality and sandy bottom with rocks, recommended for experienced surfers. The waves are of type "Riverside break", with right and left direction and hollow, fast power. The common length of the waves is normal (50 to 150 meters) and some with a maximum length of 150 to 300 meters.

Regard to the tides, waves and wind: Direction of the hangover: South Wind direction: North, Northeast Size of the hangover: begins at 1 to 1.5 meters (3 ft. - 5 ft.), and remains up to 2.5 meters (8 ft.) Better movement of the tide: tidal upstream and downstream

Because it is wildlife reserve, during the entire week is little frequented and the beach is not populated. Special care must be given the danger of the rocks and not to upset the cycle of sea turtles during spawning times.

Conclusions and recommendations

Wildlife refuge Rio Escalante - Chacocente is a wonderful place to meet and to enjoy in family or friends. The place allows visitors to feel one with nature and be aware of the care of the same. It also promotes the preservation of species threatened with extinction and environmental education in Nicaraguan social culture.

To visit the site, please take the following measures to protect and conserve marine turtles of Nicaragua: Do not kill them and do not consume meat or eggs Protect the beaches for nesting and Habitat of food (sea grass and coral reefs) Do not buy products made from the shell, as certain jewels of carey Respect for laws and closed seasons to protect marine turtles and their habitats Place trash in a suitable place and not thrown her on the beaches or in the rivers or the sea And above all, share their knowledge about sea turtles with his family and friends

If it reaches the place in the arrival time and want to see how the Paslama turtle nest, follow these rules: Keep the least about 3 meters and never put in front of it, always staying behind when it spawns Keep silent and is not moving. Instead sit quietly and enjoy this wonderful gift that life has offered Don't forget to remove the step when the turtle returning to the sea Does not form a circle around the tortoise. This can be very stressful for her. If it is at night, not alum, this can cause that turtle cease digging and return to the sea and therefore it will not spawn Pictures, use of flash and any sunlight should be restricted and controlled by the guides. The photos may be made only when the turtle has begun the process of spawning and with an indication If you find a nest with chicks born NO touch to hatchlings. Any bacteria, insect repellent or food waste can be detrimental to the survival of these pups. Wash your hands carefully before attempting to help a turtle stuck in waste and have difficulty to reach the sea. Remember to make the mark your site, do not put directly on the water unless it is absolutely necessary