Wild Tobago

Here at the confluence of wild Atlantic and calm Caribbean, photographer-birder Faraaz Abdool finds a frenzy of feeding birds. Here, the St Giles group of islets and rocks off the north coast of Tobago are sanctuaries for these sea-faring residents. We departed Charlotteville under the blazing midafternoon sun, heading due north around the spit of land that marked the end of the world-famous Pirate’s Bay, also our point of departure from the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. The waves kicked up a bit and the water darkened substantially as we powered our twin-engine vessel “Fish Machine” over swells that seemed to become more and more well fed the further we got from mainland Tobago.   Well into the rollicking Atlantic Ocean, even the air itself smelled different. My good friend, fellow guide and self-described old sea-dog Zolani (of Frank’s Tours) advised that we relocate ourselves from the bow to the stern, given the new conditions. He didn’t need...

Dr Anjani Ganase, marine scientist, discusses the effects of Sahara Dust. Whether it is beneficial or harmful, the research is still all up in the air! Hazy skies, irritated eyes and dust everywhere is a sign that Sahara Dust is here. These days, with the advent of satellite technology capable of tracking the Saharan air layer across the Atlantic Basin, meteorologists can warn those that may be particularly sensitive to the dust and suffering from respiratory diseases. The Sahara Dust actually originates from multiple sources in the Sahel region in Africa that fringes the Sahara desert. The weather patterns in this area determine the transport of hundreds of million tonnes of dust a year across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. Periods of drought in the Sahel savannahs are typically associated with higher transportation of Saharan dust across the Atlantic Ocean. These dust-laden trade winds tend to be seasonal and are known as the Harmattan in West Africa. Interestingly, greater ...

Anjani Ganase, marine biologist, talks about Sargassum and signs of the changing ocean In recent years, regional news networks have reported on repeated inundation events occurring on many beaches on southern and eastern Caribbean islands from massive amounts of Sargassum seaweed during the summer months. Sargassum on beaches has been seen in Tobago, Barbados and Antigua; the events were first reported in 2011 – 2012, 2014 – 2015 and again in 2016. Furthermore, during 2014, the amount of Sargassum that was washed up appeared to be greater in comparison to 2011, and now, six years later the events seem to have become a common scenario. Coastlines along Brazil and in West Africa have also experienced deluge by the Sargassum. Previous records in the news and scientific reports on these Sargassum inundation events in the southern Caribbean and West Africa are rare. Scientists have begun to investigate whether these events are part of a natural long-term cycle or the result of...