Traveled to Lake Toba in North Sumatra

The lake has its own charm and is different from the sea. Lake in Indonesia that is quite interesting to visit is Lake Ranau which is located on the island of Sumatra. This lake is among the largest in Indonesia and even in the world. The lake is Lake Toba in North Sumatara. Apart from Lake Toba there is another famous lake in Sumatra, namely Lake Ranau in South Sumatra.

There are many new things that we get when traveling on a lake. Moreover, a very large lake like Lake Toba. Lake Toba is part of the large ecosystem of Bukit Barisan in the North Sumatra region. So big is the lake, if we are on the edge it makes us feel that we are in the sea.
Laka Toba in North Sumatra
Laka Toba in North Sumatra

A lake is different from a wide sea and is not limited by land boundaries, a lake is limited by the presence of land land, while the sea will stretch out and connect as wide as the sea network that exists on the earth's surface.

Lake Toba is a limited ecosystem. The lake is also known as a freshwater ecosystem because its water is similar to a fresh river on the land surface of the earth. Lakes are very important for human life because lakes are a huge water savings. In general, lakes have three main benefits, namely ecological, cultivation and socio-economic functions.
Laka Toba in North Sumatra
Lake Toba with complete tourist facilities..

From an ecological perspective, a lake is a place where the ecological cycle of the water component and aquatic life takes place in it. The existence of a lake will affect the balance of the surrounding ecosystem, on the other hand, the condition of the lake is also influenced by the surrounding ecosystem. Meanwhile, from the aspect of cultivation, the people around the lake often cultivate floating nets and from the socio-economic aspect, the lake has a function that is directly related to the life of the people around the lake.

Lake Toba is a phenomenal lake because it is formed from super volcanic activity which causes a vast basin 100 km or 62 miles long and 30 km or 18 miles wide. The depth is also classified as extraordinary because it reaches 1600 m (1.6 km). The total area of ​​the lake is 1130 km2 (440 sq mi).

So don't imagine diving and looking at the beautiful corals in it because such extreme depths can break the eardrums, if we don't use the right diving equipment.

As an illustration, in deep ocean areas with a depth of more than 1500 m into an area called the thermocline layer. Very little light can enter this area, and most organisms depend on existing organic material, oxygen levels are also very low, marine life is classified as early or ancient biographies that are able to live with low carrying capacity.

What about Lake Toba which has a depth of more than 1500 meters, even up to 1800 meters? Of course, the natural conditions of lakes and seas are different, but at depths above 1500 meters, they will experience something similar to the sea, where oxygen levels are low, the living flora and fauna are those that are able to live with low carrying capacity.

Lake Toba is the result of a super massive eruption measuring VEI 18 about 69,000 to 77,000 years ago that triggered global climate change. Current dating methods determine that 74,000 years ago are more accurate.

There is a theory presented by a geological scientist for the terabit of Lake Toba. The theory is called the Toba disaster theory. This theory explains the eruption that caused Lake Toba. This eruption spewed 2,800 cubic km of eruptive material into the air which caused a giant hole to be created which was then filled with water. The various boulders and soil that were thrown upwards eventually fell down again and fell in the middle of the hole which made Samosir Island.

The creation of the giant Lake Toba and Samosir Island took place in just a few hours, but the impact on Earth's inhabitants was enormous. The devastating eruption caused the early human population to drop significantly. In addition, this large eruption also caused genetic changes in the human population. The Toba eruption has also caused a prolonged cold season that keeps temperatures between 3 and 5 ° C (5.4 to 9.0 ° F), and up to 15 ° C (27 ° F) in the upper latitudes.
The result of this powerful eruption in the end became a beautiful tourist location and a gift for the surrounding population. There are many interesting destinations here with hotel facilities, cottages, tourist boats, tourist arenas with various rides available in full. The level of tourist arrivals to the tourist sites of Lake Toba and Samosir Island is also large and brings large local revenue for the surrounding Regional Government. Even the Central Government through the Ministry of Tourism has determined Lake Toba and Samosir Island Destinations as the top 10 priority national tourist destinations because they have great tourism potential.

Lake Toba is located 90.1 km from Medan City and is a comfortable home of flora and fauna in this lake which includes various types of phytoplankton, small macrophites, floating macrophites, and submerged macrophites, while the surrounding land is covered with rainforest, including the tropical pine forest type Sumatra in higher mountain areas. The fauna in this lake includes several species of zooplankton and benthic animals that thrive in the water of this giant old lake.
Photografer : Azzahra R.

TheIndonesiaAdventure.com Team Writter

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Danau Toba,