by Carlito Rockola
To get to the town of Pearl Lagoon you first fly from Managua into the Atlantic coast port of Bluefields and then by fast water taxi through some
The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua has a culture apart and is fiercely self aware of it. First settled by the English, who reputedly used it as a base for buccaneers, the Atlantic coast culture started out differently from the Spanish culture prevalent in the rest of Nicaragua and remains that way today. It is in some towns Afro-Carib, in others indigenous Miskito Indian.
It is a place where pieces of other cultures were blended in isolation to create a unique one. For example, sixty percent of the Creole population attend Moravian Churches, whose simple white walls and red roofs are often the largest buildings in the village. This relatively obscure denomination originated in the late Middle Ages in what is now the Czech Republic; it became the dominant faith on the coast of Nicaragua when missionaries visited in 1847.
Another example is American country and western music. They listen to the real old time tear-in-your-beer twangs, which alternates with reggae music as juke box and radio station choices. “In the 60’s and 70’s when modernization brought radios and record players people wanted to listen to English language music, so we had American country and rock n’ roll. Reggae replaced rock, but country stayed,” explained George Leiva, manager of the Pearl Lagoon radio station.
In fact, people want to hear English altogether. Even though creoles speak Spanish with each other quite often, “if a visitor from the Pacific side comes here and asks someone a question in Spanish, if the person here has a heart full of kindness they might answer them,” a local explained. “We have been fighting the Spanish Empire for more than 400 years and haven’t stopped yet.” When you visit the Creole towns of the Atlantic coast, speak English, it is a point of cultural pride. And they have pride here. Unlike anywhere else in Central America, I was not approached by panhandlers in Pearl Lagoon except once, by a kid outside a restaurant. An adult walking by waved his finger at the kid and said “don’t be beggin’ for money, mon,” and the kid walked away.
The Pearl lagoon basin lies within the South Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua (R.A.A.S.) and while still part of Nicaragua and under its laws, the region enjoys self governing rights, especially in regards to land use. When American investor Ed Oliver and his Pearl Lagoon- native partner Janeth Thomas looked for a parcel of land for a new hotel to be built on, they not only had to obtain all the same government permits as everywhere else in Nicaragua, but also appear before the village assembly. “I had to explain my plan to a group of citizens and have them vote on it,” Oliver said, “you cannot buy land, only lease it. It’s communally owned.”
Hilbert Downs, Mayor of Pearl Lagoon, said “we don’t see direction from the central government; our view is around the Caribbean.” The Atlantic coast is separated from the infrastructure of Nicaragua. “We’re not hooked up to the power grid, electricity is generated locally, and no roads connect us to the Pacific side.” Danish and Swedish flags fly next to the Nicaraguan banner at the public dock. “They help us with community development; the Swedish government is doing a better job,” Downs said.
The town emblem on the wall of the mayor’s office features a mural of the sea with a large lobster prominently featured, as well as shrimp and snook. No surprise; the basis of the local economy has always been harvesting the sea, especially shrimp and lobster. Shrimp drying on plastic sheets is a common sight at times of the year in Pearl Lagoon, and a shrimp and lobster tail dinner at Sweet Pearly’s restaurant is de rigueur to any town visit.
A simple but well-kept town (signs read “clean up your garbage”) of about 1,500 people, Pearl Lagoon is a relaxed place to kick back, lay in a hammock and look out across the water. There are no cars in town, after the last strains of reggae music from the discos die out before midnight the town is perfectly quiet. It also serves as a base for eco-adventures around the Lagoon basin. The basin is remarkably diverse considering its flat terrain. Lowland rainforest, pine savannah, and swamp forests ring the shoreline; mangrove forests grow along the boundaries between the land and aquatic ecosystems. And Pearl Lagoon is where it all comes together.
The ecosystems’ distribution is determined by various physical factors, including soil composition, elevation, and topography. The most obvious water ecosystems are the lagoon itself and the large rivers that supply the lagoon with enormous quantities of fresh water. Each ecosystem is home to a unique set of plant and animal life. The biological diversity of the Caribbean coast’s lowland tropical rainforest is impressive. Over 250 species of trees, 255 species of birds, and 60 species of butterflies have been identified — a level of biodiversity favorable to similar ecosystems in other parts of Central America.
Tropical savannahs are characterized by an open tree canopy (i.e., scattered trees) above a continuous tall grass under story, ecosystems that grows under hot, seasonally dry climatic conditions and are most commonly associated with Africa and parts of South America. Large predators such as jaguars, ocelots and mountain lions-and their prey, such as peccaries and tapirs- are still present in the area, although their numbers are dwindling due to hunting and loss of habitat. The plant and animal species mix of the pine savannahs of the lagoon basin are unique on the globe. There is also life below the waters’ surface. Tarpon, some over
The absolute must-see destination is the Pearl Cays, the collective gem of the Pearl Lagoon area. The 18 islands that constitute the cays are the stuff of glossy travel magazine covers and utopian escapist dreams. Swaying palms and coconut groves edged by white sand beaches with clear turquoise water lapping around them. Formed by the outcrops of a huge stony coral reef (bring your snorkeling gear) about three miles off the coast, an hour or so boat ride from Pearl Lagoon, the islands serve as bases for lobster divers and fishermen. One of the larger islands has a hotel, some of the smaller ones simple grass shacks. A few of the cays are privately owned, but most are communally owned and can be visited.
Oliver and Thomas have started the first licensed tour operation in Pearl Lagoon, the first step in showing the world what Pearl Lagoon and the whole Atlantic coast has to offer. As George Leiva put it, “Pearl Lagoon is a piece of cake ready to decorate (with tourist infrastructure), ecotourism is the future.”
