Wild Tobago

Lehron Narell Brooks is more than your average Tobago fisherman; he is a conscious fisher. When he fishes, he takes selectively, choosing size and species of fish. He is a self-taught free-diver and spear-fisher, with incredible eyesight; a good instinct for finding fish; and lightning reflexes. He has fished above and under water, and is distressed by the declining stock. Soon, he thinks he may turn to charter boating or art. Drawing has been his love since secondary school, but it’s the freedive fishing that gives him a charge. It’s clear though that his first love is Ayla his four-year-old daughter who is inspiring many drawings. (As told to Pat Ganase)                                    First wahoo, 48 lbs, St Giles Island, September 2015, underwater photo by Richard Parkinson     When I was 12, I had a makeshift spear gun and some swimming goggles. The first time I...

Spearfisher Phillip Almandoz gives his insight to the sport of spearfishing and discusses the progress of the Tobago Freedive Spearfishing Challenge which he started in 2010. This year, 2017, it was held on June 17 and 18; and hosted in Castara, attracting a large number of freedivers in their search for underwater game. Free-spirited freediving spearfishers celebrate after this year's rournament. (All photos courtesy Phillip Almandoz) The challenge is to dive, spear a fish and return with it to the boat, on one breath. Some people can dive deeper than 100 feet on one breath. My normal dive on a single breath is 1.15 to 1.30 minute. I don’t try to push myself; after all, I have a young family, my wife and two children, six and three. Freediving is a very dangerous sport. You should be trained. And you have to be very disciplined. Just think about it, you dive deep, spear a fish and have to fight to get the fish back to the surface. If you overspend your time down there...