16 nature secrets of the Caribbean

1. Antigua and Barbuda

Avian pirates

Magnificent frigatebirds – yes, that’s their taxonomic name – are the badass pirates of the Caribbean. These mid-air muggers snatch food from other seabirds’ beaks in a behaviour called kleptoparasitism. Don’t judge these angular-winged seabirds only on their thieving habits, though. At Barbuda’s Codrington Lagoon, they act out spectacular courtship and nesting displays. From September to April, males woo potential mates amid the mangroves by inflating their tomato-red crops to the size of a football – a dazzling ‘come and get me, girls’. It’s quite the spectacle – not least because this 5,000-strong nesting colony is the largest in the western hemisphere.

And don’t miss… Antiguan racers
By 1995, these sandy-brown snakes teetered on the brink of extinction, ravaged by introduced species of rats and mongooses, until only around 50 survived. Conservation efforts have secured their future, with more than 1,100 now living across several sites. Take a trip to the protected Great Bird Island and you might be lucky to spot one.

2. Aruba

Caves and crags

It’s unusual for a country– in this case the pretty island of Aruba – to designate 20% of its landmass as a national park. But the rugged, arid Arikok National Park – an enticing melange of caves, scrubland, craggy coastal bays and dusty, cacti-studded areas – definitely merits that protection. The modest conservation fee charged to visitors helps fund the protection of several native Aruban species including an endemic leaf-tailed gecko, a vibrant blue whiptail lizard and a rattlesnake that’s found nowhere else.Elsewhere, join a guided walk to visit one of the park’s impressive cave systems – head to Fontein Cave to admire colourful stalactites and stalagmites, along with ancient paintings made on its walls by the island’s indigenous Caquetio people.

And don’t miss… adorable owls
Aruba’s national symbol is almost unbearably cute: the shoco, a tiny burrowing owl just 20cm long. Being ground-dwelling, these tiny birds are vulnerable to predation by feral cats and dogs, and fewer than 300 pairs may now survive on the island. As a result, this endemic subspecies is considered endangered and there are ongoing conservation efforts to protect them.

3. The Bahamas

Pretty in pink

With around 700 sand-fringed coral islands scattered across shallow turquoise waters, the Bahamas’ chief natural attraction could be said to be its marine life. And it’s true that a number of really big draws thrive under the waves – not least the giant marlin that Ernest Hemingway loved to reel in around Bimini. Yet today that accolade is stolen by the West Indian flamingo – and the world’s largest breeding colony of this leggy supermodel is found on Great Inagua Island. Following a steep decline driven by hunting and habitat disturbance, the flamingos’ fortunes were turned around with the creation of the Bahamas National Trust and the designation of the 32,000-hectare Inagua National Park in 1965. Today, around 70,000 flamingos gather on the saline lagoons and saltmarshes of Great Inagua, which is a birdwatcher’s paradise: among more than 140 other species recorded here are roseate spoonbills, which rival the flamingos with their lurid pink plumage. Spring, when female flamingos form huge flocks before laying their eggs, is a magical time to visit.

And don’t miss… Tiger Beach’s sharks
Between October and January, formidable tiger sharks congregate in large numbers at this shallow dive site some 20km from Grand Bahama Island. Look out for hammerheads, too.

4. Belize

Manatee magic

Antillean manatees are gentle seagrass grazers that can bulk out to 600kg. These pudgy sea cows swim leisurely through shallow coastal and freshwater environments, propelled by powerful tail flippers. They’re also endangered, their numbers hit by boat strikes and other human impacts. Latin America’s largest population of these delightful marine mammals lives along Belize’s beautiful Caribbean coast – an estimated 1,000 individuals. Strong conservation measures are being enacted to protect them, including the designation of key locations such as Swallow Caye and Gales Point as wildlife sanctuaries. If you join a boat tour to visit their habitat, please choose not to swim with or touch the manatees – it causes stress that they could do without.

And don’t miss … jaguars
The world’s only dedicated jaguar preserve is the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, a treasure trove of waterfall-striped rainforest through which these elusive cats prowl – though sightings, always rare, are more common in Río Bravo Conservation Area. The jaguar has great cultural significance in Belize and was a powerful symbol in the world of the ancient Maya.

5. Cayman Islands

True blues

Bright blue and growing to over 1.5m long, Grand Cayman’s extraordinary iguana was once among the world’s most threatened reptiles. It’s thought that the ancestors of this endemic species arrived from Cuba, though nobody is entirely sure why they evolved to become quite so blue. Once numbering in the tens of thousands, by 2001 fewer than 30 survived in the wild, decimated by predation from feral cats and dogs, and competition from introduced green lizards. In response, Blue Iguana Conservation established a specialist captive breeding facility near the botanical garden, where you might meet alpha males including Casanova, who bristles bluer with menace in the presence of rival iguanas. More than 1,000 have now been released into the wild, though their future remains fraught while feral predators still abound.

And don’t miss… Little Cayman’s reefs
The dive sites around the three Cayman Islands are world-class – notably the big wall drop-offs at Jackson’s Bay and Blood Bay, the latter plunging down some 1,000m. Fabulous corals including gorgonian fans illuminate reefs bustling with sea life – watch for huge Nassau groupers, now protected from overfishing, as well as barracuda and inquisitive blacktip sharks. Many of the best sites are off Little Cayman Island.

6. Costa Rica

Turtle mania

Five out of the world’s seven species of sea turtle nest on Costa Rica’s shores, its dreamy Caribbean beaches providing havens for breeding loggerhead, hawksbill and green turtles, as well as the daddy of them all – the leatherback, growing to 2.7m long and up to 700kg. Tortuguero National Park is undoubtedly the best-known nesting site, where four species nest at different times throughout the year: from July to October it’s endangered green turtles, and from February to June it’s the turn of leatherbacks – each huge female hauling her immense bulk out of the sea and across the sand to dig a deep pit into which she’ll deposit up to 100 eggs. Nesting beaches in Tortuguero are patrolled to deter egg poaching, and accredited nocturnal tours are available during the nesting season. During the day, explore the park to spot toucans, howler monkeys, ponderous sloths and spectacled caiman.

And don’t miss… somnolent sloths
Costa Rica is home to two of the world’s six species of sloth, differentiated by the number of fingers on each arm. The lethargic but feisty Hoffman’s two-toed sloth and the smaller, three-toed brown-throated sloth are both sleepy vegetarians, capable of dozing for 20 hours each day. With algae-greened fur, they can be tricky to spot among the foliage; for a guaranteed encounter, visit the Sloth Sanctuary near Limón to meet injured or orphaned individuals.

7. Cuba

Beyond birding

Your image of Cuba might be dominated by vintage Buicks, cocktails and crumbling colonial architecture. Yet the island’s mosaic of forested mountains, mangroves and wetlands, sandy coasts and rainforests hosts a rich array of exotic birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded across Cuba, including many migratory and overwintering species. Among 28 endemic varieties are the Cuban pygmy owl and the 5cm-high pink, green and red Cuban tody – like a long-billed wren after an explosion in a paint factory. Avian hotspots include the Zapata Peninsula – home to the bee hummingbird, the world’s smallest – and La Güira National Park, where you’ll also find the caves used as a base by Che Guevara.

And don’t miss… Cuban crocs
Crocodylus rhombifer may not be able to salsa but the Cuban crocodile is deft on its feet, as handy on land as it is in water. Long hunted for their meat and skin, fewer than 5,000 of these critically endangered reptiles may survive in sites such as Lanier Swamp on Isla de la Juventud.

8. Dominica

Resident sperm whales

The greatest natural wonders of this rugged, forested gem in the Lesser Antilles await offshore – a resident population of around 200 sperm whales who cruise the warm waters surrounding the island year-round. Possessing the largest brains in the animal kingdom, these toothed whales dive deep to pursue their favoured prey: giant squid. In 2023, Dominica declared the world’s first sperm whale reserve, an 800 sq km stretch of sea protecting important feeding and nursing grounds. Boat operators run tours to watch these huge predators, and if you take one, choose to observe from on board rather than swimming with them, to minimise disturbances.

And don’t miss… Boiling Lake
Otherworldly Morne Trois Pitons National Park is home to Boiling Lake – a flooded volcanic fumarole reeking of sulphur. Take a hike through the cloud forest to the lake, past fizzing geysers and bubbling mud pools fringed by hardy ferns and mosses, listening for the calls of the endemic red-necked Amazon, known locally as the jaco parrot.

9. Grenada

Unlikely monkeys

The brightest star in Grenada’s natural firmament is Grand Etang National Park, where hiking trails explore the forested mountains and an expansive crater lake. It’s home to rare birds such as the Antillean crested hummingbird as well as armadillo, mongoose and some surprising denizens – mona monkeys. Native to the lowland forests of Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and western Cameroon, these primates arrived on board slave-trading ships during the 18th century, when Africans were torn from their homelands to work Grenada’s plantations. The mona monkey has been in Grenada so long that it’s become part of the taxonomic furniture. With brown fur and bushy white Santa-like beards, they’re easy to see around Grand Etang – and not shy about approaching visitors with mischievous avarice.

And don’t miss… helping leatherbacks
Leatherback turtle eggs are poached across the Caribbean, often for little more than a snack to eat with a beer. Local bodies such as St Patrick’s Environmental and Community Tourism Organization (Specto) engage with communities, lead tours to nesting areas and undertake habitat work such as beach cleans.

10. Jamaica

Doctor Bird

Despite its diminutive size, the effervescently pretty red-billed streamertail – known in Jamaica as the doctor bird or scissor-tailed hummingbird – has a rich cultural history. The island’s national bird is an endemic beauty with electrifying green plumage; the males are extrovert show-offs sporting long tails like streamers. The Arawak people who inhabited the island before the arrival of Europeans reputedly called it the ‘god bird’, and believed that each was the reincarnation of a dead soul. This dazzling bird has even been celebrated in the lyrics of an old island song: ‘Doctor Bud a cunny bud, hard bud fe dead.’ Relatively common in forests across most of Jamaica, you’ll likely see them sucking nectar from flowers or defending a territory.

And don’t miss (although you likely will)… Jamaican boa
Wannabe herpetologists be warned: despite its size, you may struggle to spot this hefty snake both because it’s nocturnal and because its population is small and declining, hit by habitat loss caused by human activities. Known locally as ‘nanka’, this golden-hued 2m-long crusher is a handsome devil with a distinctive zigzag pattern.

11. Montserrat

Clucking frog

Saddled with possibly the most unflattering misnomer in the animal kingdom, the mountain chicken of tiny Montserrat is, in fact, not a bird but a frog. And a really big frog, too – one of the world’s largest species, which hops around the slopes of the smoking Soufrière Hills volcano complex. Named for its flavour, today nobody eats this reddish-brown colossus growing up to 1kg in weight – it’s critically endangered, with perhaps fewer than 100 individuals surviving. Since 2002, the Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme, which also operates on Dominica, has worked to save the species, which – like other amphibians – has been hit by the lethal chytridiomycosis fungus. The programme works with captive breeding facilities at sites such as London Zoo in the hope of augmenting the sparse wild populations on these Caribbean islands.

And don’t miss… Montserrat oriole
This species really is a bird – and a beauty, at that. Sporting a dark purple head and golden-yellow breast, it eats fruits and insects and is a birding highlight of the forests surrounding Montserrat’s still-active volcano. Captive breeding programmes overseas are working to ensure a secure future for this pretty little bird.

12. Puerto Rico

Bioluminescent bays

Travelling all the way to Puerto Rico to see microscopic dinoflagellates might fall into the category of a slightly nerdy endeavour. Yet individual single-celled planktons congregate in their billions to create a blue tide of bioluminescence – a spectacle that’s at its finest on this US island, where a chemical reaction in the dinoflagellates produces an eerie neon-glow. Puerto Rico has three of the world’s five great bioluminescence sites: Mosquito Bay, Laguna Grande and La Parguera, where it’s possible to paddle through these phantasmagorical tides in glass-bottomed kayaks. To experience the optical extravaganza at its most dazzling, nocturnal conditions need to be ideal – it’s best seen in an early phase of the moon, so that bright lunar light doesn’t detract from the marine phenomenon.

And don’t miss… rainforest bathing
Forget forest bathing in Japan or Scandinavia – in El Yunque National Forest, psychological wellness is promoted within a rainforest setting. Therapy trails lace this 11,000-plus-hectare forest reserve, along with fresh mountain rivers and waterfalls. Soul-seekers can inhale arboreal smells and find inner calm surrounded by lush ferns, wildflowers and tree frogs.

13. Tobago

A world first

Where would you guess that the world’s first legally protected forest reserve was created? Chances are you didn’t think that it was on a Caribbean island. Tobago’s Main Ridge Forest Reserve was founded in 1776 – reputedly as the result of 11 years of lobbying by British MP Soame Jenyns, who believed that protection of this forest was essential to ensure that plenty of rain fell on the plantations. Today, this reserve stretches two-thirds of the island’s length and is home to an array of flora and fauna including species associated with South America. Explore its walking trails, ideally with a local guide who can identify rare and endemic birds such as the white-tailed sabrewing or the gorgeous rufous-tailed jacama.

And don’t miss… reefs and seabirds
North-east Tobago is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve rich in marine life and bird species. Head to Little Tobago, just off the main island’s eastern tip, to admire red-billed tropicbirds; take a boat trip around St Giles to see magnificent frigatebirds and a host of migratory seabirds; and snorkel the eastern shore to fin above the largest brain coral in the western hemisphere.

14. Saint Lucia

Comeback parrot

With spiked volcanic pitons and rainforests echoing to the calls of nearly 200 avian species, Saint Lucia is a striking island paradise. One particularly special squawking presence is the Jacquot – the once critically endangered Saint Lucia Amazon, the island’s national bird. Extravagantly splodged like a Jackson Pollock painting, its plumage is a dazzling mess of cyan-blue, red, green and turquoise. Though its feathers are conspicuous, the parrot itself has been less so – by the mid-1970s, fewer than 200 survived in the wild, much of their forest habitat having been lost and their eggs predated by introduced species. A breeding colony maintained by Jersey Zoo has helped the population recover, and you might now encounter one in the central rainforest.

And don’t miss… Maria Islands
The protected offshore Maria Islands are refugia for critically endangered creatures such as the Saint Lucian whiptail and ornate ground snake. These islets boast divine coral reefs and fabulous birding. Check whether the Saint Lucia National Trust is permitting day trips at the time of your visit.

15. St Kitts & Nevis

Old Misery

Whoever coined the phrase ‘Mount Misery’ either wasn’t a fan of volcanic hikes or was a frustrated plantation owner unable to utilise the fertile soils of Mount Liamuiga to grow sugarcane because the terrain was too rugged. Regardless of how this 1156m stratovolcano, the highest peak on St Kitts, got its name, its inaccessibility has ensured its species-rich rainforest and cloud-forest have remained intact. Today, Liamuiga is a six- to seven-hour hike yielding exuberant tropical forests and giddying views from the 1km-wide crater rim. On the way up, stop to breathe and watch vervet monkeys, brightly-patterned butterflies slaloming between giant buttressed kapok trees, and among the island’s feathered friends, flycatchers and hummingbirds. Miserable, this special mountain is not.

And don’t miss … undersea Nevis
Nevis, the smaller cousin to Saint Kitts, is beautiful enough above water. Undersea it has wonderful diving with sites such as the Devil’s Caverns and Clyde’s Reef as well as volcanic vents and wrecks. The corals are effervescent and alive with turtles, moray eels, nurse sharks and rays

16. Trinidad

Bat caves

However much you’re thirsty for a sundowner, hold off on the G&Ts – instead visit Mount Tamana and experience the spectacle of tens of thousands of bats streaming out of the peak’s vast cave systems like departing souls. Millions of animals of eleven different bat species inhabit these caverns in Trinidad’s central mountain region. Two principal caves can be accessed with a guide during the day – but take care, and hold your nose: the floors beneath the bat roosts are slippery with guano. Pale spear-nosed and Trinidadian funnel-eared bats are among those roosting in the caves, a straightforward 30-minute walk from the nearest road.

And don’t miss... Asa Wright Nature Centre
This much-lauded research station and lodge is run by a non-profit land trust established in 1967 in the Arima Valley. Thanks to long-term habitat protection, some 180 species have been recorded here, including white-bearded manakins and squirrel-cuckoos. Day tours are available.