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 Estimated reading time: 3 min. |
 Marcelo Sola |
Diving in the Patagonian lakes is a different and unique experience. As we in San Martín de los Andes only four blocks from the shores of Lake Lácar, we accept every single invitation to dive.
This water mirror of glacier origin has a bluish silver color that spreads towards the West. Located inside the Lanín National Park, it is the first Argentinian lake that empties into the Pacific Ocean, through a river basin that ends near Valdivia in Chile. |
The average visibility in the lake goes between 20 and 25 meters. The water temperature ranges between 19 and 21°C in the summer, making it the warmest lake in the area. In the winter, the temperature drops to 8°C.
It has the lowest indicated depths; therefore, it is ideal for baptisms or diving between 4 and 20 meters.
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Inside the Lácar, walls, islands, rocky beds, shipwrecks and a great diversity of fresh water flora and fauna may be found and enjoyed.
In this opportunity, we went to the area of the “little island” located 4km from the waterfront. This small land elevation is surrounded by a beautiful sandy and rocky bed, where there is good visibility. |
A cloudless sky and an almost windless atmosphere promised that our diving would be both quiet and unforgettable.
In less than fifteen minutes, Ricardo “Ardilla” (squirrel) Prono’s launch reached destination. On board, we got the equipment ready, organized the couples, the diving plan and, one by one, we slowly threw ourselves into the template waters of the Lácar.
We looked for our reference point and we slowly began to descend. The idea was to go round the island and watch its rocky formation.
Opposite the shore, there was not a great depth, but as we moved on, it got deeper and deeper and suddenly there was an abrupt “fall”. |
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Just like an iceberg, but made of rock, the little island continued with its irregular shape under the water. The fauna of the area is made up mostly by freshwater Aegla crayfish, which live in holes among the rocks and logs, and which represent the perch diet. In the bottom, freshwater clams predominate. We moved very slowly just in case we happened to spot some brown, rainbow or, if we were extremely lucky, some fontinaris trout. That way, we would not scare them away.
We dived between the 3 and 20 meters. We observed absolutely everything and in less than we imagined, we completed the tour around the island. We went back to the craft. Everything was just as we had planned. |
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Back in the city, among jokes and anecdotes, we remembered what we had just lived a few minutes before.
I still remember the dramatic atmosphere in the underwater scenery, the endless silence, the cold I felt in the depths and the feeling of delaying my return to the surface. For these reasons and some others, I made myself the promise to go back to that place. |
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To be arranged with the diving operator. |
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Is not necessary that you can swim in order to dive. We recommend that you bring sun protection, sunglasses and a change of dry clothes. |
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Buceo de los Andes
Av. Constanera y Obeid (8370) San Martín de los Andes - Neuquén - Argentina
Cel: +54 (02944) 15-696838 / 39
 
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The entire excursion takes 2 hours. Under the water: 45 min. |
Our choice to dive in Lake Lácar are not random. The conditions of this lake are the best to practice diving as compared to the other lakes located in Patagonia.
Even if the transparency of its waters is the same in the rest of the lakes, its temperature –which reaches 21º in the summer- makes it a unique and fantastic site. Diving is pleasant. It does not demand much equipment or thick suits. The fact that you can walk into the lake makes it most convenient to make diving baptisms.
The Lácar has more than twenty-five spots to dive in, and there is still a long way to go, to discover, to explore. The diversity of sites is very wide: sites with lots of algae, others with rocks in the shape of steps, islands, vertical walls and shipwrecks are some of the so many environments presented by the lake.
These and many other facts that I will explain in other columns, are the reasons why we chose the Lácar for diving.
Ricardo “Ardilla” Prono
Diving instructor |
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