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Laguna/Lake Cuicocha, Ecuador, is located a short distance from the major market town of Otavalo. The Lake of Cuicocha is large enough for boating and a regular tour boat makes the rounds of the lake when there are sufficient passengers.
Cuicocha is a three kilometre (1.9-mile) wide caldera and crater lake at the foot of Cotacachi Volcano in the Cordillera Occidental of the Ecuadorian Andes. The caldera was created by a massive phreatic eruption about 3100 years ago that generated about 5 cubic kilometres (6.54 billion cubic yards) of pyroclastic flow and covered the surrounding area in volcanic ash up to 20 cm (8 inches) deep. The volcano has been dormant since that time. In combination with other eruptions from nearby Imbabura, Mojanda, Cotacachi, and Cayambe, Cuicocha is responsible for the fertile soil of the Otavalo valley.
The crater lake within the Cuicocha caldera contains four dacitic lava domes which form two steep forested islands: Yerovi, the smaller, and Teodoro Wolf, the larger. People are prohibited on both. The rim of the caldera is extremely steep – so steep, in fact, that the accumulation of sediment is insufficient for most hydrophyte vegetation. An older lava dome from the Pleistocene forms part of the eastern rim. Cuicocha Lake, which is 200 m (656 feet) deep at its deepest point, is highly alkaline and contains little life. It has no known outlet.
The intra-caldera islands, on the other hand, support some wildlife, most
notably the Silvery Grebe, which lives around the reeds and feeds on algae.
The bird is found in upper temperate and lower páramo zones throughout
the Andes, but little is known about the species. In 1974 a census was
taken of the population of grebes at Cuicocha and 44 birds were found.
Cuicocha forms the southern end of the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve.
During the second day of Inti Raymi (or Sun Festival) every summer solstice,
indigenous shaman use Cuicocha as a bath of ritual cleansing and purification.
(Adapted from: Cuicocha. (2008). From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)
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 01lagunacuicocha.jpg Welcome to Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 02lagunacuicocha.jpg Parking lot and facilities at Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
The YouTube collection of videos of Ecuador
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 03lagunacuicocha.jpg Grebe and shore near facility at Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 04lagunacuicocha.jpg View across Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 05lagunacuicocha.jpg Main visitor and indigenous crafts shopping facility at Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 06lagunacuicocha.jpg Ecuadorian flags at main visitor and indigenous crafts shopping facility at Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 07lagunacuicocha.jpg Marsh area at Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 08lagunacuicocha.jpg Tour boat on Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 09lagunacuicocha.jpg Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 10lagunacuicocha.jpg Carlos and other passengers, of about 20, on tour boat on Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 11lagunacuicocha.jpg Boatload on Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 12lagunacuicocha.jpg Marsh along Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 13lagunacuicocha.jpg Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 14lagunacuicocha.jpg Large island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 15lagunacuicocha.jpg Steep side of caldera in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 16lagunacuicocha.jpg Steep side of caldera in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 17lagunacuicocha.jpg Shore of island in Steep side of caldera in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 18lagunacuicocha.jpg Shore of island in Steep side of caldera in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 19lagunacuicocha.jpg Marshy shore of island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 20lagunacuicocha.jpg Dense vegetation on shore of island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 21lagunacuicocha.jpg Silver Grebe working in dense vegetation on Shore of island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 22lagunacuicocha.jpg Silver Grebe working in dense vegetation on Shore of island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 23lagunacuicocha.jpg Marsh grasses along shore of island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 24lagunacuicocha.jpg Silver Grebe working in dense vegetation on Shore of island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 25lagunacuicocha.jpg Silver Grebe working in dense vegetation on Shore of island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 26lagunacuicocha.jpg Dense vegetation on Shore of island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 27lagunacuicocha.jpg Wetland vegetation on Shore of island in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 28lagunacuicocha.jpg Steep sides of caldera in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
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 29lagunacuicocha.jpg Steep sides of caldera in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
 30lagunacuicocha.jpg Facilities placed tightly against steep sides of caldera in Laguna Cuicocha, Ecuador |
Cuicocha es un lago ubicado en una caldera y cráter volcánico al pie del volcán Cotacachi en la Cordillera Occidental de los Andes ecuatorianos. La caldera fue formada por una masiva erupción freática hace 3.100 años generando 5 km cúbicos de flujos piroplásticos y cubriendo la zona aledaña con una capa de ceniza volcánica de 20 cm. El volcán ha permanecido inactivo desde entonces. Las erupciones del Cotacachi, Imbabura, Mojanda y Cayambe han generado un suelo fértil en el valle de Otavalo.
Dentro del lago Cuicocha hay cuatro cúpulas de lava dacítica
que forman dos islas escarpadas cubiertas de bosque: Yerovi, la más
pequeña y Teodoro Wolf la más grande. Su acceso es prohibido
en ambas. El borde de la caldera es extremadamente pendiente de tal manera
que la acumulación de sedimento es insuficiente para la vegetación
hidrófita. Una cúpula de lava cretácea más antigua,
del pleistoceno, forma parte del acantilado norte.
Las islas al interior de la caldera contienen vida silvestre, especialmente
aves de los climas páramo, pero poco se conoce sobre estas especies.
Cuicocha se encuentra al extremo sur de la reserva ecológica Cotacachi-Cayapas.
Durante el segundo día de Inti Raymi (Festival del Sol) cada solsticio
de verano, los chamanes usan Cuicocha para baños rituales y de purificación.
(Adaptatdo de: Cuicacho. (2008). De Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre)
This page last updated January 2015
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