Guppies woo tourists to Tobago
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This summer I was delighted to accept an invitation to contribute a ‘Top Ten Animals’ piece to the Guardian’s online ‘Island Guide to Tobago’. Finally – a chance to use some of the experience I’d accumulated while exploring the island in the various roles of biologist, naturalist, tourist and tour guide over the last 6 years.
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The difficulty was narrowing it down to just ten! There was no question in my mind about the inclusion of the leatherback turtle; Tobago’s noisy national bird; David Attenborough’s magnificent frigate birds; the endemic motmot; the hummingbird that was almost wiped out by a hurricane; the ubiquitous but exquisite orange-winged amazon parrot; the astonishing mantis shrimp; the huge resident stingrays; the acrobatic Atlantic spotted dolphin; and of course that left one last slot to squeeze in everyone’s favourite freshwater fish – the guppy.
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I felt sad to leave out all the other fantastic species to be seen – leafcutter ants, blue-backed manakins, giant brain corals, rufous-breasted jacamars, Tobago glass frogs, ‘marsupial’ river crabs, mouse opossums, iguanas – to name but a few. However, I have done my best to ensure that the recommended trips and trails will give the reader an excellent chance of seeing much more than the top ten alone.
As well as wildlife, the Guide includes a whole list of different ‘top tens’ for everything a visitor to the island might be interested in – from the most beautiful beaches and hotels, to the best food and music. Who wouldn’t want to visit Tobago after all that?
Amy Deacon