f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013

anches of live coral to take back as
souvenirs! Many countries, including
Tobago, adopt a no-glove policy for divers
who are more likely to touch and damage
the corals when gloves are worn.
Generally, the healthiest, most lush reefs
in Tobago are in Speyside and a few of the
best dive sites for coral magnificence and
diversity include:
Coral Gardens
The highlight of this dive site is the
largest Boulder Brain coral in the Caribbean
measuring 3.5 m tall and 6 m wide. Coral
Gardens is a gently sloping reef located 450
m from the southwest tip of Little Tobago
and 50 m from the southern end; the dive
begins in 10 m and heads in a northwest
direction. The reef is covered with a forest
of gorgonians including giant slit-pore sea
rods, black sea rods, porous sea rods and
large colonies of sea plumes. There are
several species of stony corals including
starlet coral, maze coral, small boulder
brain coral and honeycomb plate coral.
Black Jack Hole
One of several reefs south of Little
Tobago, this dive site gets its name from
the numerous Black Jacks that are seen
here from the months of May to July. This
steeply inclined reef is covered by small
brain corals, several varieties of fire coral,
black sea rods, slit-pore sea rods, common
sea fan, Venus sea fans. Beyond 30 m,
black coral, Devil’s sea whip and wire coral
can be found.
Japanese Gardens
Situated at the southern end of Goat
Island, the reef takes on a flower-garden
appearance because of the vivid and
brightly coloured corals and sponges. On
exiting through “Kamakazee Cut,” the reef
then slopes steeply and numerous reef
boulders are covered mainly with small
brain corals, large sea fans speckled with
Flamingo Tongues, fire corals, giant slitpore
sea rods and sea plumes.
In the South (Columbus Passage), noted
dive sites include: Flying Reef and Kariwak
Reef, while North Coast dive sites offer Mt.
Irvine Wall, Arnos Vale and Culloden.
Due to their attractive colours and
complex and diverse ecosystems, corals
are often the focus of tourism activities like
snorkeling and scuba diving. However, they
are easily susceptible to certain diseases,
like black band disease (BBD) and many
threats, which can upset marine life as well
as foreign exchange revenue. Stressors
can diminish their health, appearance
and beauty and may lead to a decline in
Feather Black Coral (Antipathes pennacea) at dive site, TDE Special, Speyside
tourist satisfaction, reflecting poorly on the
tourism product.
One of the biggest challenges faced
by corals is coral bleaching and ocean
warming (stemming from global warming).
Zooxanthellae become increasingly
vulnerable to damage by lack of light or
increases in water temperature, resulting
in their expulsion from the stressed coral
host. Corals tend to die in great numbers
immediately following a bleaching event,
leaving vast, ghostly expanses of white,
lifeless coral in barren, deserted reefs with
minimal or no marine life.
Another leading cause of coral reef
degradation is pollution. This threat comes
from a variety of sources—oil, gas and
pesticide contamination poisons coral and
marine life. Reefs are harmed when raw
sewerage, animal waste and/or fertilizer
is dumped into the ocean or when river
systems carry these pollutants to reef
waters.
Careless boating, reckless diving,
snorkeling and fishing can also damage
coral reefs. Whenever people grab, kick or
walk on corals, or even stir up sediment
in the reefs, they negatively affect coral
health and the ecosystem.
Coral reefs are important indicators
of ocean health, and even the overall
condition of the planet. They are our
warning system—if they can’t survive, we
are on our way to self-inflicted devastation.
But if we can protect and respect our reefs,
we can all thrive in a healthy world, and
enjoy these marvelous “sea gardens” for
generations to come.
The Ins & Outs of Trinidad and Tobago
145