Catatumbo lightning
Catatumbo lightning – is a unique natural phenomenon that arises in Venezuela in South America. It is located above the place where the Katatumbo River flows into Lake Maracaibo. Here, at an altitude of about five kilometers, the sky is covered with a luminous section of lightning, which are not accompanied by characteristic sounds. They arise almost every night, while last about ten hours in a row. Behind the estimates of scientists, at least 1.2 million categories occur annually.
The Katatumbo lightning sailors serve as a kind of beacon, because in addition to covering the entire territory around, they can be seen for 400 kilometers.
This miracle of nature is explained by the coincidence of some natural factors, which are the local mountain range of the Andes, the wind, as well as methane, which rises from the wetlands and feeds the famous categories.
Katatumbo's lightning produces a large amount of ozone, which is at least ten percent of the total on the planet. That is why this area is often called the « ozone factory ».
Lightning territory has long attracted many tourists. Lightning is of great importance for the entire state of Sulia and is even the decoration of their coat of arms. But in 2010 there was a period when the lightning disappeared, which alarmed the locals. The whole reason was the drought that reigned at that time. Everything fell into place when the rains resumed.
In 2005, an offer was received from environmentalists to take this attraction under the protection of UNESCO, although tourists do not have an impact on this natural phenomenon.
Plenty of Catatumbo even called a weapon, which is a machine called « Catatumbo », manufactured in Venezuela.
As expected, many legends go about this area. So the Wari Indians said that many fireflies have accumulated here, who converge to honor the gods with their radiance. The Yukpas Indians tell us that the lightning belongs to the souls of people who have gone into another world.
There are also some historical facts where the lightning provided tremendous assistance to the local population, from the sudden attack of the pirate Francis Drake, who could not quietly approach Lake Maracaibo.
