Nahuel Huapi Lake

The name of the lake derives from the toponym of its major island in Mapudungun (Mapuche language): "Island of Puma", from nahuel, 'puma', and huapí, 'island'. There is, however, more to the word "Nahuel"—it can also signify 'a man who by sorcery has been transformed to a puma'. ==Geography==

Nahuel Huapi lake, located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park, has a surface of , rests above the sea level, and has a maximum measured depth (as of 2007) of . Its seven branches are named Blest (), Huemul (), de la Tristeza (), Campanario (), Machete, del Rincón and Última Esperanza. It is connected to other smaller lakes such as Gutiérrez, Moreno, Espejo and Correntoso. The deep-blue waters hold a number of islands, most notably with an area of , and Isla Huemul on the south end of the lake. The lake's crystal clear waters are very susceptible to climate changes and have an average surface temperature of ; this makes it both beautiful and treacherous. Hypothermia is one of the risks bathers must undertake. Kayaking is a popular sport on this and adjacent lakes. The lake is also the starting point of the Limay River. ==Limnology and geology==

The lake depression consists of several glacial valleys carved out along faults and Miocene valleys that were later dammed by moraines. During the Last Glacial Maximum of the Llanquihue glaciation the lake basin was wholly occupied by a glacier. The lake has usually a blue colour but on occasion its water have turned turquoise or green after earthquakes in southern Chile such as the one on May 22, 1960 and the one on January 2, 2011. The June 2011 eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex, in neighboring Chile, caused parts of the lake's surface to be blanketed in volcanic ash. The dominant species of plankton in the winter half-year in the lake is Dictyosphaerium pulchellum. The remainder of the year Bacillariophyceae and Chrysophyceae algae dominate. ==Fauna==

This lake harbors several introduced, non-native species of trout, including rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout which attract anglers from the world over. A curious fact about the lake is that, despite being nowhere near any ocean and being at high altitude, it is also home for kelp gull and the blue eyed cormorant (Phalacrocorax atriceps), otherwise strictly marine birds. ==Culture==

Nahuelito At the beginning of the 20th century, and following an old aboriginal legend, the rumor of a giant creature living in the deep waters of the lake took up. The creature is known locally as Nahuelito. Reported sightings of it predate Nessie and Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World (1912). Local Mapuche called another creature el Cuero (leather) for its smooth skin. The neighboring lake Lago Lácar, has also been the site for accounts of another creature, more consistent with a plesiosaur, with aborigines describing it as a sea-cow with teeth all around it. Members of the Buenos Aires Zoo visited the lake in 1922 trying to corroborate the reports of sightings of the prehistoric animal, but found no evidence to support the theory of such a creature. Hitler conspiracy theory . According to the fringe theory, Hitler lived some years here after 1945. as well as a 2004 book by Abel Basti and the 2011 book Grey Wolf claim that Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun did not commit suicide but escaped to Argentina along with other Nazis and lived in the surroundings of Bariloche for many years after World War II. Hitler and Braun allegedly resided at the Inalco House, located at the northwest end of the lake, in part due to the estate's remoteness and lack of accessibility. The son of real estate businessman Primo Capraro sold the property to architect Alejandro Bustillo, who designed the house in early 1943. The plan includes unusual design features such as bedrooms connected by bathrooms (and closets), similar to Hitler's Berghof residence in Bavaria. Citing a former Nazi presence in Bariloche, the investigative series Hunting Hitler (2015–2018) reveals a guard tower—reportedly built by the same architect as the Inalco House—looking over the lake (situated closer to Bariloche than the house), as well as a destroyed bunker on the other side of the lake; together the two sites (in addition to other possible lookouts such as a wooden building resembling a guard shack) may have provided a panoramic view used to safeguard the mansion, Additionally, the Hunting Hitler team cited the proximity of German scientist Ronald Richter's Perón-backed nuclear fusion project on Huemul Island. == Gallery ==

File:Nahuel Huapi 51.jpg|Nahuel Huapi Lake File:Nahuel Huapi 52.jpg|Sun over the Nahuel Huapi lake at 12:00 pm File:Nahuel Huapi 53.jpg|Windy Nahuel Huapi File:Nahuel Huapi Lake captured from Camping Petunia.jpg|Nahuel Huapi Lake captured from Camping Petunia ==See also==