Montserrat
is a lush, volcanic island 27 miles from Antigua in the Caribbean. Every
year, it has a visiting population of turtles who come to lay their eggs on
the beaches. Leatherback, loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles arrive
from April through to the end of September, nesting on the black sand, and
the hatchlings start emerging from September and continue hatching until
December. A new hatchery in Brades, the Capital, means that the hatchling
survival rate has increased by 70% although only approximately 10% of the
hatchlings are expected to survive when released on the beaches. However,
this is crucial for these endangered species survival.
There are turtle conservation specialists living on the island, working with
volunteers and currently they are trying to bring in volunteers to work with
the turtles. Current volunteers help with recording, monitoring and tagging
the arriving turtles and also with releasing the hatchlings. In the peak of
the nesting season, around August, as many as 20 turtles can be seen
arriving and nesting at any one time. Quite a sight on a moonlit deserted
beach.
Montserrat has a wealth of other attractions for volunteers to visit during
their stay. The best known one is the Soufriere Hills Volcano which became
active in 1995. A major eruption in 1997 destroyed the former Capital of
Plymouth and resulted in 8,000 of the 12,000 inhabitants fleeing the island
to build lives overseas. Many were only just recovering from Hurricane Hugo
which devastated the island in 1989. Plymouth and its environs can now be
visited and have been described as a 'modern day Pompeii' eerily deserted
and filled with ash and ravines. A visit to the Montserrat Springs Hotel
which was formerly the largest hotel in Plymouth reveals ash covered rooms,
a pool full of ash and reeds and has stunning views of Plymouth.
The
Montserrat Volcano Observatory is responsible for monitoring volcanic
activity and is open to the public. Films and displays about the volcano are
shown regularly during the week for visitors. It is well worth a visit just
for the views of the Volcano alone and a good spot for photographers,
especially on a clear day.
Sir
George Martin, the Beatles' Manager, had a recording studio, Air Studio, in
Montserrat, which many famous musicians, including Sting, Dire Straights,
the Rolling Stones and Elton John recorded at. Stories still abound of some
of the exploits the musicians got up to on the island during their visits
here, but Air Studios was abandoned after Hugo in 1989. It is now
semi-derelict, but an interesting place to visit.
The
beaches are mainly black and gray volcanic sand beaches and are often
deserted. It's rare to find more than one or two people on the beach at any
one time unless there's a party going on. There are numerous reefs and
multi-coloured tropical fish which make for great scuba diving and
snorkelling, and there are several dive outfits on island who can take
people out to visit the reefs, or for a boat tour if preferred. If you are
lucky, you might get to see a turtle and around May each year migrating
whales pass the island. The only white sand beach is Rendezvous, a
spectacular quiet inlet surrounded by cliffs, with beautiful reefs. However,
Rendezvous is only accessible by hiking, boat or kayak.
The
Centre Hills are the central mountains of the island and are great for
hiking and seeing some of the flora and fauna of the island. They are
covered in rainforest and there are many trails, varying in difficulty. It
is possible to get a trail map and hike yourself or you may want to go with
a guide. Scriber Adventure Tours offers hiking with Scriber, who was
described in the UK Guardian newspaper as 'the Doctor Doolittle of
Montserrat' for his ability to call down Orioles, the national bird, from
the trees whilst hiking. There are many interesting species such as lizards,
agoutis and many bird species as well as interesting plants such as the
heliconia, the national flower, with its iridescent orange, yellow or red
tropical flowers.
Montserrat is a nature lover's paradise and unique with its active volcano
and visiting turtle population, deserted beaches and spectacular former
capital. It is well worth a visit.
An
opportunity to get involved with turtle conservation on the beautiful
Caribbean island of Montserrat with expert John Jeffers, who received an MBE
for his work with the turtles. Help to save endangered species whilst having
opportunities to visit an active volcano, hike in the rainforest, snorkel
and dive the colourful reefs and visit deserted beaches. On a moonlit night
in August, you may see as many as 20 turtles nesting on the beach. Get
involved! Website:
http://www.ccoleby2001.wix.com/turtlesmontserrat
or email ccoleby2001@yahoo.co.uk
