Wild Tobago

  Faraaz Abdool invites you to explore the unique and diverse habitats and species that exist at every corner of   Tobago and Trinidad   Our unique islands at the southernmost extreme of the Caribbean archipelago have distinct geological histories, giving rise to an astounding level of biodiversity. Trinidad and Tobago is a special combination of continents. Drawing from their collective disparate origins, the country boasts the second highest species density of birds on Earth. The impressive species density is the result of the country’s equatorial location along a major migratory pathway as well as the varied habitats that occupy the untamed parts from end to end.    Looking north from Flagstaff Hill, the islands of Saint Giles are T&T's northernmost land. Photo by Joanne Husain   For most of the year Sooty Terns are foraging over the open ocean, but when they wish to breed a significant population returns to Saint Giles. Photo by Fara...

Dr Anjani Ganase, coral reef ecologist presents some of the residents of coral reefs. Our view of the world is limited to what we can see, what we have learned to see. Let us expand that view to some of the creatures in the marine world. Here, many colours, patterns, projections and textures of the tiniest of creatures have evolved for an ecological purpose and for survival. This Christmas, I present the beautiful and colourful marine mini creatures of our coral reefs. They may be invisible to us and occupy tiny spaces but they contribute to the marvellous marine web and the life of the whole planet. And yes, to our existence. Many are named for things that we see on land because these creatures bear some slight resemblance to something familiar.   Christmas tree worms on brain coral. Credit: Nico Marin / Ocean Image Bank Christmas tree worms They look like tiny Christmas trees with an ornate display of colourful branches covered in cilia for feeding on debris that drift by...

Derek Chung, owner-operator of Undersea Tobago, chats with Pat Ganase about tourism and the marine environment of Tobago. Photos courtesy Derek Chung   Over 37 years diving in Tobago, Derek Chung has explored the island’s offshore domain in more than 14,000 dives. His recent projects include locating and identifying shipwrecks off the coast. He has made a life bringing visitors to the underwater world. Today he is concerned about how fast the reefs are deteriorating due to global warming, water pollution, indiscriminate spearfishing and poorly planned coastal development, which threaten his livelihood, food security for Tobagonians and Tobago’s tourism.   “I was a loans officer at a commercial bank in Trinidad when I learned to scuba dive, loved it and became certified as an instructor in 1987, the same year I came to Tobago to open a diving center. Following (then Prime Minister) ANR Robinson who was pushing tourism, I came to pursue a passion, a yo...

Faraaz Abdool asks us to look out for the birds using Tobago as a rest stop on their annual migrations. All photos courtesy Faraaz Abdool   Animal migration has been billed as one of Earth’s most impressive spectacles. This is not the measured expansion of creatures slowly meandering beyond established boundaries; migration knows no borders whatsoever. As humans, we demarcated a world with strict imaginary lines. Walls and fences and borders separate populations into nations, states, counties, and towns. Falling into this system helps us to forget that we are one planet, a fact that underpins the existence of countless creatures that depend on movement for survival.   Beyond mere wandering in search of food or habitat, migration is a whole scale rhythmic phenomenon. The dance of the rains over the East African savannas ensures that the thundering hooves of wildebeest and zebra continue to follow the fresh growth of greener grasses, timing their reprod...