Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago . It is located in the southern Caribbean, 20 miles northeast of the island of Trinidad and 93 miles southeast of Grenada. Trinidad is only 7 miles from the coast of Venezuala. Tobago is approximately 30 miles long and 10 miles across. The national bird of Tobago is the Cocrico, otherwise known as the Rufous-vented Chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda) . The climate is tropical with two seasons annually: the dry season for the first six months of the year, and the rainy season in the second half of the year. Winds are predominantly from the northeast and are dominated by the north east trade winds. Unlike most of the other Caribbean islands, both Trinidad and Tobago have frequently escaped the wrath of major devastating hurricanes. Monarch Airlines fly direct flight to Tobago from Gatwick but British Airways stops en route at Antigua and Virgin Airlines stops en route at St Lucia In 2014 we chose to fly with British Airways but if we were to go again we would probably try Monarch to avoid the inconvenience of a stopover and benefit from the shorter flight. Having said that, I enjoyed the flight from Antigua flying over various caribean islands. In January 2015 we did return and flew Monarch. The flights were only one third full and we were able to occupy multiple seats and stretch out. This was particularly useful on the overnight flight home. I heard that Monarch will not be operating on the Tobago route after April 2015 but Virgin may be starting to fly direct then. Further updates and photos will be made to cover our January 2015 holiday shortly The Turtle Bay Resort website describes Tobago as " This is Robinson Crusoe's desert island (Tobago was the inspiration for the book) - an enchanted land of swaying palms, deserted beaches and secluded half-moon bays sheltered by coral reefs resplendent with underwater gardens. Scattered fishing villages, pastel hued houses, small and special hotels and easy-going people, all contribute to a feeling of total peace and quiet. Surprisingly, Tobago has a torrid past, having been the most fought over island in the Caribbean. Nowadays, however, you'll find an innocence and a naturalness that is unique. Visit the famous Bucco Reef and Nylon pool - one of the wonders of the world! " |
|||||||||||
View from plane looking back across Antigua -from bottom to top - Half Moon Bay - Smith Island, York Island and Green Island |
Landing at ANR Robinson International Airport Tobago |
Flight BA2157 at Tobago Airport |
|||||||||
Entrance to the Turtle Beach Hotel |
Our room on arrival with the bed decorated with folded towels and bougainvillea flowers |
All rooms are arranged in 2 or 3 story blocks all overlooking the beach and sea. We stayed in the first floor room central left in this picture |
|||||||||
Turtle Beach Hotel by Rex, Tobago http://www.rexresorts.com/tobago?gclid=CICRlNjFzr0CFanjwgodSZoAsQ Set on its own beach at Great Courland Bay on Tobago's north west coast, the Turtle Beach is a family orientated resort, offering the Caribbean experience at excellent value for money. Great Courland Bay is a sweeping curve of golden sands south of the town of Plymouth and next door to Stone Haven Bay. The website : -http://www.mytobago.info/hotels/turtle-beach.htm gives the following description of the hotel :-------"the All-Inclusive 2* Turtle Beach hotel, owned by Rex Resorts, is relatively unsophisticated, but can represent good value for money if you don't mind staying in buildings reminiscent of a World War II prisoner-of-war camp and wearing garish plastic armbands to show your accommodation status." |
|||||||||||
The pool and octagonal roofed bar |
 |
 |
|||||||||
Turtle Beach viewed from Fort James at Plymouth |
Turtle Beach looking north |
Turtle Beach looking south |
|||||||||
Another view towards our balcony on the first floor |
|
Fisherman hauling in their nets at Turtle Beach |
|||||||||
The Watersport Centre - use of the non powered craft is included in the inclusive hotel rate |
Fresh Beef?? an unexpected visitor to the hotel |
Small reef and pool just a few hundred yards south of Turtle Beach. Various waders and sea birds found rich pickings on the 'reef' and it was an ideal place to photograph them |
|||||||||
Whimbrel ( A small member of the Curlew family) for more photographs of Whimbrel see my picasa album:- |
Little blue heron |
Semi Palmated Plover
|
|||||||||
Some of the birds seen on the little 'reef' - for more photographs of these birds click on the link to one of my google albums:- Humingbirds:- https://photos.app.goo.gl/Js5NlHLB7YB3OwQD3 Hummingbirds :- https://photos.app.goo.gl/NGxHhrJsh7SVwZBa2 Huumingbird 2010 at Discovery Bay :- https://photos.app.goo.gl/EbBJNS706i2aIGcU2 Whimbrels:- https://photos.app.goo.gl/Caxka1HeZ1UPD2qW2 Little Blue Heron 2015 :- https://photos.app.goo.gl/6ZZ1WqrOOOvTUQab2 Little Blue Heron 2014 :- https://photos.app.goo.gl/MM2icvkfQEwyaOTJ2 Semi Palmated Plovers :-https://photos.app.goo.gl/VbEPKRUAau3FGsae2 Turnstones :- https://photos.app.goo.gl/peclHJbNZOzoCB9u1 Southern Plovers:- https://photos.app.goo.gl/QhiWWf8gW2FmP8iF3 Cattle Egret :- https://photos.app.goo.gl/hGZZkI0SyvqV0t963 Brown Pelicans :- https://photos.app.goo.gl/ggqTNBBY3RyvqqDF2 Snakebird:- https://photos.app.goo.gl/5prj8J51qej9wIl02 Little Egret :- https://photos.app.goo.gl/iii8RDg3sjT6aR2S2 Misc birds:- https://photos.app.goo.gl/ug6cnl4rRyFObcZj2
Bananaquit -Barbados 2015 :-https://photos.app.goo.gl/rMDFfU0P21xUNwHd2
|
|||||||||||
Yellow Crowned Night Heron |
Turnstone |
Little blue heron |
|||||||||
| In our little rock pool we met Jemma Moses and her grandson Schechiem - she lived nearby with her son . She invited me to see her garden and Neville took me there on my last day. | |||||||||||
We booked our holiday to Tobago in January 2015 and Barbados in February 2015 with Tropical Sky www.tropicalsky.co.uk e mail :- info@tropicalsky.co.uk Tel 08436364236 who offered an efficient and competively price package. |
|||||||||||
Jemma & Shechiem |
A fine array of tropical plants in the garden growing from an assortment of pots and cans - they were mostly grown for foliage but some were flowering |
Shechiem in his Sunday best |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Fort Bennett
|
Jean with Joseph in shelter at Fort Bennett |
'Island Girl' sailing past Fort Bennett Island Girl is a 43 foot catamaran for more details see website :- http://www.sailtobago.com/tobagowaters.html |
|||||||||
Le Grande Courlan Hotel (Pink building ) from Fort Bennett
|
Le Grande Courlon Hotel at Black Rock, Stonehaven Bay
|
View from Le Grande Courlon Hotel
|
|||||||||
Beach vender at Stonehaven Bay |
Small scale fisherman throwing his net |
After the catch- Stonehaven Bay |
|||||||||
Impressive fan shaped palm |
'Island Girl' sailing past rock pool at end of Stonehaven Bay
|
Beach at Le Grande Courlan / Stonehaven Bay |
|||||||||
Eleanor Alefounder's Wildlife Sanctuary/ Grafton Caledonian Bird & Wildlife Sanctuary I first visited this bird sanctuary in 2007 and was amazed by the vast number or colourful tropical birds there. Sadly it has been neglected and although James still feeds the birds at 8am and 4pm it is in a sorry state and I was very disappointed with my visit. I didn't return. I have included photos taken on my previous visit at the end of this album . I returned in January 2015 and work had recently started to clear the area around the bird feeders. The Cocrico, otherwise known as the Rufous-vented Chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda) was present in large numbers. Motmot's were there but were fed inside the building so gave little photo opportunities. |
|||||||||||
 |
 |
The pergola overlooking the bird feeding station- taken in 2007 - sadly it is now overgrown and in a sad state of repair |
|||||||||
Rufous vented Chachalaca at Grafton Bird Sanctuary
|
Rufous vented Chachalaca at Grafton Bird Sanctuary - there were dozens of these at the sanctuary |
Bananaquit at Grafton Bird Sanctuary - there were plenty of these. |
|||||||||
On Turtle Beach the Brown Pelican, Black Headed Gulls and Frigate provided constant entertainment |
|||||||||||
Gull trying to pinch Brown Pelican's catch |
Brown Pelican taking off |
Brown Pelican about to swoop
|
|||||||||
Frigate bird on patrol - they are about a metre long with an enormous wingspan on 2 metres |
a sky full of Frigate Birds and Brown Puffins |
The magnificent Frigate bird (Fregata magnificens) with massive wingspan-is also known as Man O'War or Man of War , reflecting its rakish lines, speed, and aerial piracy of other birds |
|||||||||
Pelican drying off |
seen near Fort James
|
Old pier overlooked by Fort James near Plymouth
|
|||||||||
 |
Bougainvillea |
 |
|||||||||
Adventure Farm and Nature Reserve is at Arnos Vale, Plymouth just a short drive away from Turtle Beach was a superb place to see up to 6 species of Hummingbirds and many others. See their website http://www.adventure-ecovillas.com/ |
|||||||||||
Ruby topaz hummingbird
|
Rufous breasted hermit hummingbird |
Black throated Mango hummingbird |
|||||||||
Ruby topaz hummingbird |
|||||||||||
My favourite image from January 2015 - Black Rock is a short walk along the shore from Turtle Beach
Little Blue Heron with Bleany fish (?) taken at Black Rock, Tobago on Canon 5D Mk 2 at 200 ISO with 400mm lens 6.3 1/1000 |
|||||||||||
Whimbrel with Star fish |
|||||||||||
Eleanor Alefounder's Wildlife Sanctuary/ Grafton Caledonian Bird & Wildlife Sanctuary I first visited this bird sanctuary in 2007 and was amazed by the vast number or colourful birds there. Sadly it has been neglected and although James still feeds the birds at 8am and 4pm it is in a sorry state and I was very disappointed with my visit. I didn't return.These are a few of the photos I took in 2007. I thought the most spectacular bird was the Rufous Tailed Jacama - I didn't see any of these in 2014. I have recommended this Sanctuary to many people but unless things improve Iwill not be recommending it again. There is a villa for rent in the sanstuary see website :- www.graftonhouse-tobago.com for details |
|||||||||||
A wet and bedragled Blue Crowned Mot Mot taken from our balcony at Le Gande Courlon |
Rufous Tailed Jacama
|
Blue Crowned Mot Mot |
|||||||||
Hummingbird |
Male Barred Antshrike |
Female Barred Antshrike |
|||||||||
Bare Eyed Thrush |
Male Blue Grey Tanager ( Thraupis episcopus) |
Female Tanager, Tachyphonus Rufus
|
|||||||||
Tropical Mocking Bird |
Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) |
Bananaquit |
|||||||||
also seen in the bird sanctuary |
|||||||||||
Tobago February 2007 In February 2007 we took a direct flight to Tobago from Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic - we stayed at in a Garden View Room at Le Grande Courlon which was an all inclusive adult only Spa hotel. It is still a Spa hotel but offers alternative terms to all inclusive. It has been upgraded and the trees and shrubs in the garden we overlooked have been cleared. This used to be a haven for many of the colourful birds which were ofter seen on or close to the balcony. It was chosen as it was within walking distance of the Grafton Bird Sanctuary where I spent many happy hours watching and photographing a wide range of colourful tropical birds. |
|||||||||||
Our flight from Gatwick on a damp February Day 2007 |
Approaching Tobago |
Landing at Tobago |
|||||||||
Sunset on the beach on our first night at Le Grande Courlan |
Le Grande Courlan |
View from Le Grande Courlan |
|||||||||
|
Stonehaven Bay |
Stonehaven Bay |
Stonehaven Bay |
|||||||||
|
The artist with his decorated Coconut shell |
Coconut shell decorated with Mot Mot bird |
Mot Mot |
|||||||||
|
Every night at Le Grande Courlan there was entertainment provided by colourful local dancers and musicians |
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
We went on a tour of the North of the Island and into a rain forest |
|||||||||||
|
en route village |
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
Bamboo study in B&W |
Land Crab emerging from its hole in the forest |
 |
|||||||||
|
en route |
Stop for rum cocktail on Island Tour
|
en route |
|||||||||
 |
Cliff top trader |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
Castara Beach |
Castara Beach |
Castara Beach |
|||||||||
Castara Beach |
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
In a tree next to the beach outside Le Grande Courlan we were fortunate enough to observe a humming bird nest - the tree was dead in 2014 |
|||||||||||
 |
 |
The tiny nest was about the size of an egg cup |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
These photos were taken of me in a 'kayak' which were available from Le Grande Courlan in 2007 as one of the complementary facilities |
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
Typical Caribbean beaches blue sky, blue sea lined with palm trees |
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
Strange crab emerging from its hole in the sand |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
Fishermaen at work in Stonehaven Bay by Le Grande Courlan, local Tobagan father and his daughter collecting discarded small fish and gulls scavaging for a meal |
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
Black headed gull and its shadow |
 |
|||||||||
pool and its swim up to bar at Le Grande Courlon |
|||||||||||
Manager's cocktail party at Le Grande Courlan |
Dinner at Le Grande Courlan |
Pre dinner cocktail |
|||||||||
Hen & chicks are often left to wander |
seen in the grounds of Le Grande Courlan |
Stray dogs are sometimes seen on the beach but are rarely a problem |
|||||||||
Little Blue Heron seen on our island tour |
|
Poisonous Manchineel Trees usually have prominent signs by them and are often painted with red bands as a warning. Do not shelter under them if it rains |
Seen in the forest |
 |
Hibiscus |
|
Hibiscus |
|
 |
Are those nests in the tree?? |
 |
|
|
||
