IMAGES: GETTY


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THE BAHAMAS IGUANA Covered in small, sparkling scales in shades spanning


from deep onyx to pale pink, the Bahamian rock iguana is famed for its distinct colouring, which differs from the vibrant green hue of many of its South and Central American counterparts. The population is endangered, with around 5,000 left in the wild, most of which live on just two archipelagos of the Bahamas’ 700-plus islands, islets and cays. Stringent habitat protection is helping bolster numbers, however, so for a chance to spot them, head to Andros Island and the Exumas, where the iguanas can often be seen dashing along silky, tide-washed stretches of sand, their elongated tails curving slightly towards the sky. Allen Cay, a tiny, uninhabited speck of land in the Exumas, even has its own subspecies named after the island. HOW TO DO IT: Bahamas Air Tours offers day trips from the nation’s capital, Nassau, to the Exuma Cays for US$675 (£500) per person, including transfers, lunch and mandatory conservation taxes. Once on the island, the day tour includes six attractions, including swimming with pigs on the beach, snorkelling into Thunderball Grotto — famed as a filming location for the 1965 James Bond film of the same name — and observing wildlife such as the iguanas and nurse sharks. bahamasairtours.com


18 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL


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TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO SCARLET IBIS Easily recognisable due to its striking red feathers fringed


with black tips, the scarlet ibis is Trinidad and Tobago’s national bird, echoing the country’s red flag with a black and white diagonal sash. It gets its colour from a diet consisting largely of crab and is known for its penchant of picking its way daintily across wetlands and mudflats. To spot the birds, head to Caroni Swamp, Trinidad’s largest mangrove forest, covering 40 square miles of wetland on the island’s west coast. Characterised by its serpentine waterways hemmed with overgrown shrubs, Caroni Swamp and its adjacent bird sanctuary were made into a reserve in 1953, and over the seven decades since, conservation efforts have continued to protect and grow the scarlet ibis’s population in the region. As sunset approaches, hop in a boat and head out onto the water to witness the birds’ roosting habits. In a dazzling display of scarlet, hundreds descend to spend the night in the trees lining the swamp’s shores — red polka dots against a vast blanket of green. HOW TO DO IT: Nanan’s Eco Tours offers small-group boat tours priced from US$15 (£11). The five-hour excursion will likely turn up sightings of swamp boas, crabs, herons and egrets, as well as the scarlet ibis. nananecotours.com


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