Crocodiles in Salt Water

The long shape is a crocodile. Lago Enriquillo has the only wild crocodiles in the Dominican Republic, and the biggest group of American crocodiles in the Caribbean. There are about four hundred of them, living in water saltier than the sea.

They do this in two ways. Their tongues have glands that push the salt back out. And they know where the fresh water is. Springs come up along the shore, and rivers come down from the mountains. The crocodiles meet there to drink and to make their nests. They like to nest close together, only a few metres apart.

There is a low island in the middle of the lake. It is the only place in the world where two kinds of rock iguana live together. One of them lives nowhere except this island of Hispaniola. It is one of the rarest lizards on Earth.

There used to be three islands. From about two thousand and four the lake rose for almost ten years. It grew to more than twice its old size. It covered farms and roads, and a whole new town had to be built for the families. Two islands went under. Nobody is sure why.