Trinidad

Trinidad is a beautiful island just seven miles off the coast of Venezuela. It is a peaceful and relatively prosperous place, and a popular destination for beach-seeking tourists. Unlike many other Caribbean islands, it remains mostly unaffected by the plague of cruise ship industry. Its beaches aren't overcrowded yet; the ones on the northern side of the island are the most beautiful; the ones on the eastern and southern sides - the most pristine and remote. Often you find yourself totally alone on a beach ten miles long.

La Vacha Bay, Trinidad.

Las Cuevas Beach, Trinidad.

View of the northern coast from Cerro del Aripo.

For a biologist, the most interesting part of the island is the steep mountain range running along the northern coast. Its peaks exceed 900 m/3,000'. The western part is mostly deforested, but the rest still has good forest and rich wildlife.

White-necked jacobin (Florisuga mellivora), Cerro del Aripo.

Nests of crested oropendolas, Asa Wright Nature Center.

Forest of Asa Wright Nature Center, Trinidad.

		Asa Wright Nature Center is popular among naturalists. It has primary forest and very good bird diversity. Unfortunately, day visits aren't very productive due to numerous restrictions (you are limited to a few bird feeders and one short trail), and staying overnight is expensive.
Crested oropendolas (Psarocolius decumanus), Asa Wright Nature Center.			Purple honeycreeper (Cyanerpes caeruleus, left) and bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), AWNC.

Birds of Asa Wright Nature Center, left to right: silver-beaked tanager (Ramphocelus carbo), green honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza, 3 males and 1 female), white-bearded manakin (Manacus manacus).

Hibiscus sp. (?), Cerro del Aripo.

Unless you are willing to sneak onto the Center's trail system at night, you can see more by hiking elsewhere. The mountains have plenty of good trails and little-used roads.

Red land crab (Gecarcinus lateralis), Brasso Seco.

Death head cockroach (Blaberus craniifer), Yarra.

Giant harvestman (Vonones sp.), AWNC.

Fruit of autograph tree (Clusia), Cerro del Aripo.

Spear-nosed bats (Phyllostomus), Brasso Seco.

Flora and fauna of Trinidad are South American in origin, and have almost nothing in common with other Caribbean islands. Lesser spear-nosed Bat (Ph. elongatus), Brasso seco.

Pale spear-nosed bat (pH discolor).

Caroni Swamp, Trinidad.

Eastern and western coasts of Trinidad are lined by swamps. Nariwa Swamp is the largest (~100 sq. km). Caroni Swamp has a canal system and is more accessible.

Nariwa Swamp, Trinidad.

Caroni Swamp, Trinidad.

Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle), Caroni Swamp.

Coastal swamps of Trinidad have the tallest mangrove forests in the Western Hemisphere. Red mangroves grow to 33 m/100'.

Red mangroves, Caroni Swamp.

Nariwa Swamp.

Scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber), Caroni Swamp.

Silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) sleeping in a tree, Caroni Swamp.

Lots of tourists visit Caroni Swamp to see its flocks of scarlet ibis. But there's a lot of other interesting wildlife in these swamps.

Matura Swamp.

Matura Beach.

Baby leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Matura Beach.

Every summer, giant leatherback sea turtles come out of the sea to lay their eggs on the remote beaches along the eastern coast of Trinidad. Tiny hatchlings emerge two months later.

Baby leatherback sea turtle, Matura Beach.

Baby leatherback sea turtle, Matura Beach.

Leatherback sea turtle nest destroyed by surf, Matura Beach.

Many baby sea turtles perish before reaching the sea. Nests get washed away by storms, hatchlings get killed by raccoons, coatis, birds, and land crabs. If you find a bunch of hatchlings, help them get to the water.

Baby leatherback sea turtles killed by seagulls, Matura Beach.

Sunrise, Matura Beach.

Sena Point.

Trinidad is generally a safe country with a good road network. Driving isn't difficult, so renting a car is the best way to get around.

Matura Beach.

Matura Beach, Trinidad.

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