Caratasca Lagoon

The Caratasca Lagoon (Spanish: Laguna de Caratasca) is a large lagoon in the department of Gracias a Dios in northeastern Honduras. Puerto Lempira, the capital of the department, lies on its shores.

The lagoon covers 1,110 km2 (430 sq mi)[1] and extends approximately 25 miles inland from the Caribbean Sea, and is fed by rivers including the Mocorón, Warunta, and Nakunta.[2] The largest island in the lagoon is Tansin. Its western shore is protected as part of a biological reserve.[3][4]

The Caratasca Lagoon was the site of the landfall of Hurricane Mitch in 1998 which caused much ecological damage.

15°23′0″N 83°51′0″W / 15.38333°N 83.85000°W / 15.38333; -83.85000

  1. ^ Herdendorf, Charles E. (1982). "Large Lakes of the World". Journal of Great Lakes Research. 8 (3): 379–412. doi:10.1016/S0380-1330(82)71982-3.
  2. ^ Humphrey, Chris. Honduras (2006) p.334 (ISBN 978-1566918039)
  3. ^ "Official Record for Laguna de Karatasca". Protected Planet. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Áreas Protegidas De Honduras" (PDF) (in Spanish). Centro de Documentación Turística de Honduras. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.