Wild Tobago

Dr Anjani Ganase, marine ecologist, tells us about the eels that inhabit our coral reefs. Research shows, she says that "... eel species that occur in different coral reefs around the world have strikingly similar genetics, even though their distances apart..." Eels have an unfortunate association with snakes because they look like them. However, eels are not related to snakes at all; rather they are specially adapted fish that have developed without fins. To move in their underwater world, they undulate their long bodies to create propulsion which moves them through the water. This means that they swim easily in the water column and do not just slither along the bottom. They have flattened bodies and tails that allow them to swim with considerable grace - like a colourful ribbon rippling in the wind. On coral reefs around the world, eels are a common sight in bright colours - greens, yellows with exotic spotted or reticulated patterns. Unl...

Anjani Ganase, marine biologist, looks into the world of coral reefs at some of the residents in these undersea cities. Down there, she says, it’s noisier than you think! When we dive along coral reefs, we glimpse moments in the lives of the fish and marine creatures bustling about on their daily routines in underwater coral cities. At first glance, movements may appear arbitrary, but as you observe for a minute or two we start to recognise the activity the fish is carrying out, whether it is foraging or simply hiding out. However, for more rare activities or seasonal movements, such as at dawn or dusk or during mating season, this would require longer, more consistent times spent looking into the secret lives of fish. Here are a few observations of some reef fish behaviours: Hunting buddies, the grouper and the moray eel Grouper ( Plectropomus pessuliferus ) and Giant Moray Eel ( Gymnothorax javanicus ) make an excellent partnership for hunting on the coral reefs. How ...

Alvin “Dougie” Douglas was born and lived in Tobago all his life. Curiosity about the creatures in the ocean led to his passion and career as master diver and a leader of Tobago underwater expeditions. He is an advocate for our ocean home, and continues to work to inspire more Tobagonian children to explore their marine heritage. In this feature published in Tobago Newsday on May 4, 2017, Alvin Douglas talks about his life and love for the waters around Tobago. When I was about 14, at Signal Hill, my biology teacher brought a fisherman to tell us about sharks. He said that in order to stay alive, sharks had to swim continuously, something about their gill slits. This idea of constant motion intrigued me. In those days, the early 80s, there was one (scuba) dive shop, a club really, on the road to Pigeon Point. Dive Tobago was run by Jimmy Young. I started hanging around there after school. After almost a year of sweeping the shop, cleaning the boat, scraping the hull, generally...