点评:The 5 hour Nariva Swamp tour with Kayman was an unforgettable experience. On arriving at Limeland, Kayman drove to the put-in point on the Nariva River. After paddling the kayaks up river through the mangroves and herbaceous swamps, we arrived at Bush Bush Island for a short hike, refreshments and returned the way we came.
What makes the tour unforgettable is Kayman’s passion and knowledge of the region and his understanding of the human and environmental pressures that threaten its biodiversity. The entire experience is personalized and puts you in direct contact with the flora and fauna.
The kayaks, low in the water and noiseless, provided a ring side seat to fiddler crabs by the millions clinging to mangrove roots, a great Annie, a striated heron, and a little coo coo among others. On Bush Bush Island we saw sac-winged bats, strangler fig trees, wait-a-while palms, cocorite palms, canon ball trees and iguana nests and learnt all about their origin, their lifecycles and symbiotic relationships with other organisms. With Kayman’s guidance the interrelationship of Trinidad’s colonial past, practices and beliefs of its people, research of the Tropical Imperial College, current exploitation and conservation all came alive in the story of the plants and animals we saw.
The highlight of the trip was the 20 minutes we spent surrounded by a troop of endangered Trinidad white-fronted capuchin monkeys. Unafraid, perhaps used to the sound of Kayman’s voice they were all around and above us, some descending to less than 8ft away. They seemed as curious and interested in us as we were of them. With only 40 or so of these creatures left in the world we were spellbound by this intimate, interactive experience.
Although I grew up in Trinidad in the 70’s and 80’s I had no exposure like this and I am so grateful for the insight I got through this tour.
翻译:与凯曼一起进行的5小时纳里瓦沼泽之旅是一次难忘的经历。抵达莱姆兰后,凯曼驱车前往纳里瓦河的入水点。我们划着皮划艇逆流而上,穿过红树林和草本沼泽,抵达布什布什岛,短暂徒步,享用茶点,然后原路返回。
凯曼对这片地区的热情和了解,以及他对威胁生物多样性的人类和环境压力的理解,让这次旅程令人难忘。整个体验都充满个性化,让您与动植物零距离接触。
皮划艇在水中低低地行驶,悄无声息,为数百万只依附在红树林根部的小招潮蟹、一只大安妮、一只条纹鹭,以及一只小咕咕鸟等提供了近距离的观察视角。在布什岛,我们看到了囊翅蝙蝠、绞杀榕、稍等棕榈、椰子棕榈、炮弹树和鬣蜥巢穴,并了解了它们的起源、生命周期以及与其他生物的共生关系。在凯曼的指导下,特立尼达殖民历史、当地人民的习俗和信仰、热带帝国理工学院的研究以及当前的开发与保护等相互关系,都在我们所见的动植物故事中鲜活地展现出来。
这次旅行的亮点是我们被一群濒临灭绝的特立尼达白额卷尾猴包围了20分钟。它们毫无畏惧,或许是已经习惯了凯曼的声音,它们在我们周围和上方徘徊,有些甚至离我们不到8英尺(约2.4米)。它们似乎对我们一样好奇和感兴趣,就像我们对它们一样。世界上仅存大约40只白额卷尾猴,我们被这种亲密的互动体验深深吸引。
虽然我在 70 年代和 80 年代在特立尼达长大,但我没有过这样的经历,我很感激通过这次旅行获得的见解。