This
little island, just a mile across, is a bird sanctuary popular with walkers and
birders. It hosts one of the largest seabird colonies in the Caribbean and is
reached from Speyside by pirogue or glass bottomed boat - a 15 minute trip over
coral reefs across Tyrell’s Bay, passing Little Goat Island.
Long
ago, Little Tobago was a preferred hiding spot for pirates. When agriculture
and trade started to flourish in this part of the West Indies, the pirates were
driven from their rocky shelters of Tobago’s coastlines. Little Tobago, in
fact, became a successful spot for planting cotton.
Archaeological
evidence suggests that the island may have been occupied at some time by “First
People” groups. In a population survey done in 1790, five “Amerindian”
individuals were reported on the island of Little Tobago. However, further
archaeological study is needed to fully understand the nature of this early
human activity. The island became a cotton plantation of some significance in
the latter half of the 18th century. The planter, a Scotsman, erected a wooden
house and quarters for the enslaved Africans he used as a source of labor. The
island was purchased in 1983 by Sir William Ingram. As an avid
environmentalist, Sir William introduced the Greater Birds-of-Paradise
(Paradisaea apoda) to the island in an attempt to save the species from over hunting for the plume trade in its native New Guinea. After his death in
1924 the island was sold to the government of Trinidad and Tobago as a wildlife
sanctuary.
Have you
ever had the pleasure of meeting a lazy barracuda? Have you seen the long tail
streamer that came very close to beating the scarlet ibis to the title of our
national bird? How about viewing the remains of the largest brain coral in the
western hemisphere? Three hours spent on and around the island formerly known
as Bird-of-Paradise Island was enough for an adventure that will live long in
my memory. The following are five things about this experience that all
Trinbagonians should be aware of.
There
are no streams or watercourses, the island has only one spring that is dry for
several months of the year. As a result, vegetation on the island can be mostly
described as deciduous seasonal forest. Two of the most notable species of
flora on the island are the Large Ground Anthuriums and the Texas Man drone
(Naked Indian Tree). They were found on the ground and on the branches of trees. The
plant is noted for its interesting method of gathering nutrients. Its leaves
are positioned in such a way that it traps falling foliage thereby ensuring its
survival on the predominantly limestone island. The Naked Indian Tree is so
dubbed because of its interesting exfoliating bark. When the older layers
slough off, the newer bark is smooth and can range from white to orange through
shades of apricot to dark red.
When
travelling to Little Tobago via Speyside you will first happen upon Goat
Island. This ten acre landmass lies just west of the Angel Reef, a popular
scuba diving site that boasts one of the largest brain coral specimens left in
the world. The island’s most identifiable characteristic is the large white
house located at it’s the center.
On our
way to Little Tobago we sailed over Angel Reef and Japanese Gardens. Through
our glass bottom boat we spied a wondrous variety of marine life. As their
names suggest, the reefs are a veritable garden of angelic splendor. They
consist of both hard and soft coral which play host to beautifully varied array
of fish and other aquatic animals. We saw Groupers, Jacks, Sergeant Major fish,
Parrot fish, Trumpets, and luckily an adolescent hawksbill turtle. By far the
most interesting spectacle in this reef complex was the largest brain coral
found in the western hemisphere. This single colony is comprised of millions of
individual coral animals and is a sight to behold.
A short
hike to the highest point on the island resulted in a spectacular ocean view
that spanned the entire distance of our journey from Speyside. The steep cliffs
in view hosted a variety of seagoing avifauna. We were lucky enough to glimpse
species like the Audubon’s shearwater and Brown Booby. In my opinion the most
magnificent was the Red-Billed Tropicbird. Its black and white feathers and red
bill made it a candidate for our national bird but as we know, the scarlet ibis
was victorious in that regard.
These were just a few of the things we did and
saw on and around Little Tobago. The flora, fauna geography and history of the
island are all exceptional aspects of our heritage that should be protected.
This experience was something that I won’t soon forget!
