Susupe Lake!

Once an area where native fish grew, the Susupe Lake's fish were killed off when Tilapia was introduced back in the 1960's. It has now turned into an abandoned like site. Due to its smell of pollution, it not surprising to find out that rarely any people visit Lake Susupe, the only lake in Saipan. Ironwood trees (Carpinus caroliniana) and thick, tall reeds grow amongst the edge of the lake.  It is home to birds only found here in the Marianas.

All of the vegetation that grows around Lake Susupe isn't natural, meaning that it is a subclimax. Everything was cleared up by the Japanese during WWII to create space for growing sugar canes. 

With an abudance of water, these plants are easily thriving.

The head of the the reed plant. Notice how dense and thick these plants are!

Reeds sprout from the beneath the waters. I was actually surprised myself to have seen them. I've never noticed them anywhere else on Island. 

A destroyed bridge.

The reeds growing in abundance. 

This was the bridge in Susupe Lake before it was destroyed.

This is what remains today. 

Shells and plankton all densed together by the edge of the lake.

Surprisingly, dead fish also float amongst the edge of the river.

What was the cause? Lack of food? Suffocation? Pollution?

Fungi spreads throughout the decaying wood, feasting on its minerals.

Tiny fancy-tailed guppies (Poecilia reticulata)swim in the lake.

A dragonfly.

Two snails having intercourse in the lake! I found this behavior very odd. I would have never thought that it was possible in the water for these kinds of species. 

Disappointingly, pollution has built up around the lake. 

Kang-kong grows among the variety of plants.

The dark, mushy sand is the texture all around the lake.

The dead remains of a fish that has probably suffered a similar fate as of the fish earlier. This one has been lying around for quite a while now near a rock.