Catatumbo lightning
Catatumbo lightning is a unique natural phenomenon that occurs in Venezuela on the territory of South America. It is located above the place where the Catatumbo River flows into Lake Maracaibo. Here, at an altitude of about five kilometers, the sky is covered with a luminous cross-section of lightning, which is not accompanied by characteristic sounds. They occur almost every night, while lasting about ten hours in a row. According to scientists, at least 1.2 million discharges occur here annually.
For sailors, Catatumbo lightning serves as a kind of lighthouse, because besides the fact that they illuminate the entire area 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 Andes mountain range, winds, and methane, which rises from the wetlands and fuels the famous discharges.
Catatumbo lightning generates a large amount of ozone, which is at least ten percent of the total amount on the planet. That is why this area is often referred to as the "ozone factory."
The lightning-illuminated area has long attracted many tourists. Lightning is of great importance to the entire state of Zulia and is even an ornament of their coat of arms. But in 2010, there was a period when the lightning disappeared, which alerted the locals. The reason for everything was the drought that prevailed at that time. Everything fell into place when the rains resumed.
In 2005, an offer was received from environmentalists to take this landmark under UNESCO protection, although tourists have no influence on this natural phenomenon.
Catatumbo lightning was even the name of a weapon, which is a machine gun called "Catatumbo", manufactured in Venezuela.
As expected, there are many legends about this area. So the Indians of the Wari tribe said that there were many fireflies gathered here, which converge to honor the gods with their radiance. The Yukpas Indians tell us that lightning belongs to the souls of people who have passed away.
There are also some historical facts where lightning provided great help to the local population, from the sudden attack of the pirate Francis Drake, who could not approach Lake Maracaibo unnoticed.
