Wild Tobago

Are dolphins as curious about us as we are about them? Dr Anjani Ganase talks with linguist/ bio-acoustician, Syam Nath of the TT Cetacean Sighting Network after a joyful encounter Rough-tooth dolphins off Rocky Point Tobago. Photo courtesy Anjani Ganase The morning started like any other. The boat was loaded by 8 AM at Gibson Jetty, we motored slowly through the Bon Accord Lagoon and exited the reef through its northern channel. As we exited the reef, we were met by a pod of curious dolphins. Turns out they were a group of 10 - 12 rough-tooth dolphins ( Steno bredanensis ) cruising the area. The boat driver did not deviate course, however, maintaining a steady speed. As we made our way to Mt Irvine, the dolphins approached the boat to bow ride. I can spend thousands of hours at sea and my response to dolphins is always the same: exhilarated joy. As we arrived at our dive destination at Mt Irvine, the boat slowed and the pod moved on, or so we thought. After an hour diving, we surfaced...

An adventure to Buccoo Reef Marine Park takes us on board one of the iconic glass-bottom boats to peer into an utterly unique ecosystem and to meet the people whose lives are integrated with this environment. Pat Ganase visits Buccoo Reef and talks with Edgar Johnson (his words in italics below).   We meet the boat at Buccoo. Solo Amor is bright with fresh paint on the jetty. No waves ruffle the calm of the bay. It’s late July. Brief daily showers cool the air. The Orinoco is not yet running in flood. Sky and sea off Tobago are clear. We board and find seats around the boxes that are picture frames to the sand bottom. As we motor out to the edge of the Buccoo Reef Marine Park, designated for protection since 1973, the underwater world comes alive. Corals, sea fans, fish and the occasional ray shimmy across our glass screens.   Edgar Johnson, captain of the Solo Amor, talks about the ocean backyard where he grew up. This area on the toe of Tobago includes Pigeon Point, ...

A pair of Channel-billed Toucans takes the sun after rain. Photo by Faraaz Abdool Faraaz Abdool ventures into the Central Range forests from the Hacienda Jacana which is a retreat for birders and family adventures. All photos by Faraaz Abdool   Gently undulating hills covered in mostly unbroken forest characterize the mid-section of Trinidad. As the traveller ventures further east of the main north-south thoroughfare, the vegetation thickens and the temperature drops. Cooled by the presence of tall, broad-leaved trees, the air that flows through the valleys of the Central Range to the plains at north and south is typically pleasant.   Untethered by feeding stations or other official reserves, the birdlife in these parts is diverse and awe-inspiring. The main habitat is lowland seasonal forest, which means that most trees shed and sprout leaves as the seasons change. Following the trees, countless other animals from insects to birds also plan their lives around the ebb ...

Dr Anjani Ganase, coral reef ecologist, shares her favourite Caribbean reef experiences   In 2013, I had the luxury of travelling to many destinations across the Caribbean as part of the global coral reef mapping project known as the Catlin Seaview Survey ( https://www.catlinseaviewsurvey.com/ ). During this time, we spent eight months diving in 13 countries in the Caribbean, including Bermuda in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Being able to view so many reefs – about 40 dive sites per country - in a short time, painted a picture of the incredible variety of reefs that the Caribbean had to offer. All are uniquely shaped by the environments where they occurr: the hurricane belt of northern Caribbean countries, temperate ocean conditions, swirling currents, proximities to rivers, the edge of continental shelf. Each reef is special and singular.   Here are five favourite reef experiences in the Caribbean:   Coral reefs of Belize. Photo courtesy XL C...