First impressions of Tobago

Written at: Store Bay, Tobago

Sept. 7, 2006

Hi Folks,

This is just a short log to give our first impressions of Tobago. We have been here a week and will probably spend several more days here before heading down to Trinidad, only 75 miles away to Port of Spain or Chaguaramus. We can see Trinidad from our anchorage across the strait, probably about 30 miles away. When we get to Trinidad, we will probably buy another digital camera. I would like to get one with a telephoto lense of up to 12x magnification. I don’t know how much an SLR digital costs, but I would like to have better magnification.

The weather is hot, between 30 to 35 C all the time. We have had a few heavy rain showers. We are outside the hurricane zone down here, but we will still keep out a weather eye just in case.

All the best,

Aubrey

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Log #41b Initial Impressions of Tobago

Store Bay, Tobago

Sept. 6, 2006

We like Tobago. Our anchorage here in Store Bay on the southwestern tip of the small (116 square miles, 22 miles end to end, population 47,000) mountainous, tropical, island is a bit rolly, but no worse than the one in Prickly Bay on Grenada. We have a clear view of the western horizon and can see the northeastern shores of Trinidad about 20 miles away. We saw the iridescent green flashes of the upper orb of the sun as it set the first two nights we were here. This end of the island is low fertile land with the airport, a few large resorts, coral reefs, and sandy beaches. There are no marinas, chandleries or repair facilities here, or anywhere on the island. There are adequate grocery stores, internet cafes, good local restaurants and bars, dive shops, car rentals and tour agencies at this end. The people are quite friendly, but I sense they do not want large scale tourist development, even though tourism brings in 97% of their foreign currency. I find myself in agreement with this sentiment as large scale development would only mean low level jobs in tourist resorts of cooks, waiters, hotel maids, and would raise the price of land making home ownership even more expensive than it presently is. Most people here in Tobago own their own homes. This sentiment was echoed by Reg de la Rosa, a friend of Judy’s family who has lived here for the past 40 years. We looked him up and had a good visit with him on Veleda.

On a reef dive a few days ago, in addition to the coral and tropical fish, we saw a lobster and a large moray eel. I had trouble with my mask and spent considerable time clearing it. I think I need a new one, and need to shave my moustache down from my nose to get a better seal. Most of the divers were wearing wet suits, but Judy and I were accustomed to the cooler waters of the Great Lakes, and did not bother with any. Judy’s shorty suit seems to have shrunk, and no longer fits her. We might rent suits for deeper dives and for a wreck dive we hope to do.

We dinghied around into Buccoo Reef, a protected national park area, to admire the miles of sandy beaches and mangrove lined shoreline. We have seen much bird life, including pelicans, herons, frigate birds, terns, gulls, and several specific species identified in our bird book (including the palm tanager, bananaquit, tropical mockingbird, barred antshrike, eared dove, Carib grackle, tropical kingbird, blue-black grassquit, yellow crowned night heron, brown booby, laughing gull, royal tern, cattle egret and anhinga) - all these just around Store Bay, without going into the rainforest or mountainous areas. While puttering around in Wave Dancer we also watched a stingray wafting through the shallows. This was the first we have seen stingrays in the shallows since we were in Man O’ War Key in the Bahamas seven years ago. They generally are not dangerous unless you step on them in which case their tails will flash up with the poisonous stinger on the tip. We read about an Australian naturalist who made many dramatic under sea documentaries that was killed recently by a sting ray striking his chest. We don’t plan to step on any sting rays. Buccoo Reef also has a large mangrove lined hurricane hole which we checked out.

We had an idyllic picnic on the sand spit by the hurricane hole yesterday, under a deserted thatched roof hut. Later a couple of tour boats came with a few customers who enjoyed a barbecue of tuna and barracuda caught on the reefs. A couple of lazy sting rays wafted through the shallows, possibly attracted by the remains of the fish that were cleaned. When we went snorkeling we enjoyed the fish life, but the reefs are shallow and not very interesting. The blisters on my feet were aggravated by my fins, and I am now walking around with five band-aides decorating my feet. However I trailed an attractive French angelfish for several minutes to enjoy the colourful sinuous beauty of its checkered scales, and the trailing gold tendrils from its dorsal and ventral fins. It reminded me of the picture of a French angelfish that Stephanie painted for my birthday a couple of months ago. Thanks Steph!

The cost of living here is low. Groceries are cheaper as is gasoline. We filled up the jerry cans for the outboard with 26 litres of gas for $67.00 TT (about $15.00 Canadian, about 45 cents a litre). Tomorrow we are off on a tropical rainforest tour, and later will rent a car for a day to tour around the island. Tobago is a most pleasant island.

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