Wildlife· Little Tobago· Windward Islands
Little Tobago Bird Sanctuary
11° 18.1′ N · 60° 30.0′ W
A steep, scrubby island off Speyside that has been a bird sanctuary since 1924: red-billed tropicbirds wheel along its cliffs, alongside brown boobies, frigatebirds, sooty and bridled terns and shearwaters. David Attenborough filmed part of The Trials of Life here.
Practical
About 1 sq km and 1.9 km long. Most visitors cross from Speyside on a glass-bottom boat tour, which lands on a beach facing the mainland; trails climb to a gazebo above the tropicbird nesting cliffs. No facilities: bring water and snacks. An Important Bird Area. Breeding seabirds: red-billed tropicbird, Sargasso shearwater, brown booby, laughing gull, brown noddy, sooty and bridled terns, plus a few white-tailed tropicbirds; red-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds nest on nearby islets. Birds of paradise introduced in 1909 are presumed extinct since Hurricane Flora (1963). Landing from your own yacht's dinghy is not described in any source opened; go with a licensed Speyside operator. A 2014 Noonsite comment warns of a guide who raised his price mid-trip, so agree the price first.
Best for
Seabird colonies and tropicbirds up close
Season
Dry season (Jan-May) is the most comfortable for the walk; seabirds present year-round
Nearby
- Kelleston Drain Dive (brain coral)0.7 NM away
- Speyside Manta Rays (Little Tobago and The Sisters)0.7 NM away
- Goat Island (Speyside)1.1 NM away
- Japanese Gardens Dive (Goat Island)1.1 NM away
- Angel Reef Snorkel (Goat Island, Speyside)1.3 NM away
- AQUA Restaurant (Blue Waters Inn, Speyside)1.7 NM away
- Blue Waters Dive'n (Blue Waters Inn, Speyside)1.7 NM away
- Little Tobago Glass-Bottom Boat Tours (Blue Waters Inn)1.7 NM away