Caroni Swamp
Trinidad and Tobago · Trinidad · 2 m
Description
The Caroni Swamp is a mangrove system south of Port of Spain and the roost of the scarlet ibis, the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago and one of the most intensely coloured birds in the world. Flat-bottomed boats leave in the late afternoon and wait in an open lagoon while flocks come in from the feeding grounds at dusk, settling on the mangroves until whole trees turn red. The same channels hold caiman, tree boas coiled on branches and silky anteaters, and the guides find them on the way out. Boats leave in the late afternoon and are back after dark.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 day
Travel season
Best time to visit: December – May
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Scarlet ibis roosting at dusk
- Flat-bottomed boat through the mangrove channels
- Tree boas coiled on the branches
- Caiman in the shallow channels
- Silky anteater in the mangroves
- Herons, egrets and waders on the mudflats
- Mangrove forest and its root systems
- Sunset over the open lagoon