The Nariva Swamp has been threatened in the past by illegal squatting; the conversion of land to cannabis and rice farming, illegal grazing of livestock in the game sanctuary, overfishing and illegal timber harvesting, illegal hunting and excessive trapping of birds for the pet trade (Ramsar, 1996). Illegal activity was originally detected in the early 1980's and by the mid 1990's they had done untold damage. The farmers had dug canals to drain the wetland and set fires to forest and marsh in order to clear accumulated organic matter for rice cultivation. Local farmers, too, have used fires in their fields, and, because wind direction can change suddenly, the fires have often gone out of control and jumped into the forest or swamp. Fires are not a natural phenomenon here, so the damage is enormous. Agrochemicals were heavily used by the illegal rice farmers, but the local farmers also use them. Other problems include the use of illegal fish traps and poaching. Mammals such as agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) are killed for meat. Birds such as Orange-winged (Amazona amazonica), Cuban parrots (A. leucocephala) and the Red-bellied Macaw (Ara manilata) are caught for the pet trade. Both poachers and fishers set fire to the forest and the banks of streams, and again, they get out of control. Four major wetland vegetation types occur in the Nariva Swamp - mangrove swamp forest, palm forest, swamp wood and freshwater marsh. The Nariva Swamp is threatened by rice cultivation in the northwest and watermelon cultivation in the southwest. It has also been affected by channelisation in the swamp and deforestation of its watershed.

Sharwar our guide and boat driver caught me a Cicada to picture, the noise the wings made was awesome but he was released unharmed

The Nariva Windbelt Forest Reserve of 6,267 acres (25.36 km²) was declared under the Forests Act on the 18th of March 1954. This designation gives the Forestry Division the authority to manage the area with reference to felling of trees, damage by negligence in felling any tree or dragging any timber, fires and forest produce (CFCA, 1997). The year after the establishment of the Nariva Windbelt Forest Reserve (1955) the Manzanilla Extension, 383.2 hectares was declared a demarcated Forest Reserve.

 

  

 

 

Meet Short Man our lead guide, always on the look out. Sharwar stayed with me throughout the tour finding, holding and pointing out things for me to photograph, he was a huge help and very patient.

 

 

Scientist T.H.G. Aitken proposed the Bush Bush wildlife sanctuary in the Nariva Swamp as a nature reserve in 1960. In 1962, the International Council for Bird Preservation raised a protest against proposed logging operations by the Forestry Division in the Nariva Swamp; the Council protested that it would reduce the high bird diversity in the area.  At the end of his study of parrots and macaws, scientists Dr. F. Nottebohm and Carl Carlozzi recommended the complete legal protection of the Bush Bush and Bois Neuf islands for the birds and other wildlife, the mud volcanoes on Bois Neuf and the tourist potential they contained.

 

 

    

 

 

Interesting tree growth, aerial roots, hard fungus, Chinese Ginger and soft fungus

 

 

     

 

 

The dots on this tree growth are flying ants. Heliconia of course. The seed pod the Howler Monkeys love and a pretty fungus

 

 

Bonadie and Bacon (1998) confirmed that roosting sites for orange-winged parrots (Amazona amazonica) and red-bellied macaws (Ara manilata (Bodd.) were concentrated in Roystonea and Mauritia palm stands in the Swamp and they only counted 136 parrots (a reduction from 600 in 1969) and 224 macaws. The Conservation Ordinance allows orange-winged parrots to be shot as crop pests, so that if the palm swamp forest is eliminated they will become greater pests of cocoa and crops, and will face greater levels of irate shooting. Parrots and macaws fed on seven plant species with the major concentration of feeding on Mauritia setigera and Roystonea oleracea palm fruit. The third psittacine species observed in the swamp were green-rumped parrotlets (Forpus passerinus Lafr.).

 

 

  

 

 

Bear the Intrepid. A spiders web high up in the canopy in the morning sun during a downpour, very little rain actually got through to make us wet. A couple of beetles "having a hug"

 

 

As a result of the public interest and a grant of $5000 U.S. from the New York Zooloogical Society. In recognition of this interest, in July 1968, the Trinidad and Tobago Tourist Board held a meeting with the Forestry Division on the potential of the mouth of the Nariva River and its eastern bank for tourism. Six years later in 1974, the Tourist Board offered financial aid of $7000 to clear and maintain the Bush Bush canal to allow easier access. 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Bear next to an enormous Cottonwood Tree, beautiful rich colours of one of the solid roots.

 

 

  

 

 

I managed to capture the elusive Blue Morpho Butterfly in flight but got a better shot of it at rest. A Daddy-long-legs.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Sharwar found us a really well camouflaged Red Howler Monkey, he was so patient making calling noises until it paid attention and posed for me. Eighty feet up at a distance of a hundred yards.

 

 

  

 

 

Even when you are 'spotting nature' - you hear the ringtone "Mission Impossible" as Jesse carries on working.

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

My next treat was to see a Turkey Vulture soaring high above when we stopped at the Nariva Hilton, a wooden shack.

 

 

 

 

Soon it was time to walk back to the tidal ditch and walk further in the waters edge as the water level had lowered. We had seen Snowy Egret, a Great White Heron, Wattled Jacana or Lily Trotter, a Pied Water Tyrant, Smooth Billed Annies and a Pigmy Kingfisher. The trees we saw included the Silk Cotton, Canon Ball and the Maho. We saw Red and Black Soldier Ants, Leafcutters and I got bitten by at least seventy of the ninety two known species of Mosquito.

 

 

 

 

 

I found a relative of the Hoya Bella, a sweetly scented plant we used to have in the conservatory, just growing like a weed here.

 

 

  

 

 

It was quite nice that the boat engine packed up soon after we got going, so instead of zooming along for twenty minutes we had a gentle "punt". Short Man on the branch pull, Jesse using a machete as an oar and those of us on the outer edge paddling with cupped hands, all very pleasant. We got to see a Striated Heron. A baby mangrove tree and an Orange Postmaster.

 

 

 

 

 

There was a lot of girlie squealing as the boat touched the right bank and this chap got aboard for a hug. We knew him to be Harmless from Guadeloupe.The last thing we saw was a shy Juvenile Common Black Hawk - which is not common at all.

 

 

   

 

 

Time to leave the swamp and the "quiet engine", A total of four monkeys and no White Howlers or Capuchin Monkeys was a little disappointing, but that's nature for you.

 

 

 

 

ALL IN ALL THE FIRST TIME I HAVE PAID TO BE TORTURED - BUT A FASCINATING DAY. A BIG THANK YOU TO SHARWAR.

                     NOW OFF TO THE BEACH - YIPPEE