Tides Are Changing
By Ruqayyah Thompson, Research Officer. International days are a powerful advocacy tool used to raise awareness on matters of public concern, garner political support and resources to address global problems as well as to celebrate humanity’s achievements. This month, we join with the global community to recognise World Oceans Day on June 8th under the theme, “Planet Ocean: Tides Are Changing”. The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface and forms 95% of the biosphere, the part of the Earth where life exists. It produces at least 50% of the world’s oxygen and is a main source of protein for over a billion people. The...
Danger at the Beach: Five Facts to Know about Rip Currents!
The Institute of Marine Affairs is urging the public to exercise caution at the beach, especially over the long Easter weekend. During the month of April, beaches in Trinidad and Tobago experience heightened wave energy associated with the Northern Hemisphere winter, which increases the likelihood of strong nearshore currents that pose a threat to beachgoers. The month of April is also a preferred time for families with children and friends to visit the beach as children get a vacation break from school. Rip currents are powerful flows of water moving seawards that can easily drag unsuspecting bathers out to sea, these dangerous currents are often...
Recognising the Importance of Our Seagrass Meadows
March 1, 2023 marks the first-ever United Nations recognised World Seagrass Day. The day is being commemorated to raise public awareness on the importance of seagrass meadows and to recognise the importance of seagrasses to the health and well-being of the planet, as well as to the people, communities, flora and fauna that rely on them. Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that grow in the intertidal and subtidal zones along shallow tropical and temperate coasts. They are very productive, faunally rich and ecologically important marine resources that provide nursery habitats for several commercially important species such as conch, fish and lobster and a major food source...
Salybia Bay
Salybia Bay is on the extreme northeastern tip of Trinidad. To reach this bay, turn right (east) on to the Galera Road at the Toco junction where the Toco Main Road turns into the Paria Main Road. The beach is approximately 2 km east of the secondary school. This bay is not to be confused with Saline bay, on the east coast, which is close to the fishing village of Salibea. This beach is approximately 700 m long with coarse-grained, whitish-grey sand composed primarily of quartz and carbonate particles and slopes moderately to the sea. Waves approach from the northwest as plunging breakers with an...
Grande Riviere Bay
Grande Riviere Bay is off the Paria Main Road. Approximately 1 km west of the bridge over the Grande Riviere River, turn right onto Hosang Street which leads directly to the beach. The beach, composed of coarse-grained, quartzrich sand, is approximately 1.2 km long and has a moderate to steep slope. Shrubs, vines, almond trees and coconut palms grow on the flat upper beach. The Grande Riviere River enters the sea at the eastern end of the bay. High energy waves averaging 82 cm in height in the dry season and 60 cm in the wet season, approach from the north as plunging breakers. Strong longshore...
Matelot Bay
The fishing village of Matelot is where the Paria Main Road ends. To reach Matelot from the east, turn left at the Valencia Police Post junction and follow the Valencia Road onto the Toco Main Road. Turn left and continue along the Toco Main Road for approximately 32 km to the Toco junction. Here, the road becomes the Paria Main Road. Turn left again at this junction and follow the winding road in a westerly direction along the scenic north coast to Matelot. Matelot Bay Matelot Bay, with its fishing depot, is located at the end of the Paria Main Road. The beach is small and...
Paria, Grand Tacarib and Madamas Beaches
The secluded beaches of Paria, Grand Tacarib and Madamas can be reached by hiking trail from Blanchisseuse or Matelot, or by boat. The boat trip from Blanchisseuse takes about half an hour to Paria and forty-five minutes to Madamas. The journey provides breath-taking views of arches, stacks, caves and other rock formations along this coastline. Besides this scenery and the picture-perfect beaches, there are additional places of natural beauty. A stack formation is located within an arch on the western end of Paria and the refreshing Paria waterfall is just a fifteen minute walk inland from the beach. Paria Beach Massive sandstone outcrops are exposed in layers...
Blanchisseuse Bay
Blanchisseuse Bay is off the North Coast Road approximately 11 km east of Las Cuevas Bay. It is located on the eastern side of Blanchisseuse upper village. The beach is not easily visible from the road. To get to it look for the sign ‘Wilson’s Trace’ just east of the recreation ground. A footpath to the west of the houses opposite Wilson’s Trace leads down to the beach. Blanchisseuse Beach is approximately 1.4 km long and is bounded on its eastern and western ends by steep-cliffed headlands. It is composed of light brown, medium-grained, quartz-rich sand and has a moderate to steep slope. Almost the entire...
Las Cuevas Bay
The beach at Las Cuevas is also very popular, and is reached via the North Coast Road, 7 km east of Maracas Bay. It varies in width, and is 2.2 km long. It is bounded on its eastern and western ends by prominent headlands, Las Cuevas Point to the west and Abercromby Point to the east. ‘Las Cuevas’ is the Spanish word for ‘caves’. This bay gets its name from the small caves at both ends of the bay and from notches in the low, but steep, cliffs at the eastern end of the beach. This gently sloping beach is composed of a grayish-brown fine...
Maracas Bay
There are two beaches within Maracas Bay. Although visitors mistakenly refer to the eastern end of Maracas Bay as Tyrico Bay, the actual Tyrico Bay is located further east. The western part of the bay is Maracas Beach, the most well-known beach in Trinidad. To approach Maracas Beach from the western suburbs of Port of Spain, follow the Saddle Road through Maraval and turn left at the pillars onto the North Coast Road. If approaching from the eastern suburbs of the capital, go through San Juan and take the eastern end of the Saddle Road through the Santa Cruz Valley and turn right at...
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