The traditional 12 days of Christmas run from December 25 to January 6. Instead of dancing lords and ladies, and the partridge, or cornbird in the coconut tree, Joanne Husain brings you 12 views around Tobago.

For many of us, transitioning the threshold from the old year into the new year is marked with celebration and reflection. The coast is also a threshold; one we can engage every day of the year. Terrestrial and marine life converge in this liminal space where change is the only constant. As 2022 ebbs, let us appreciate and consider our coastlines as we prepare to flow into 2023, cleansed and revitalised.

[caption id="attachment_992035" align="alignnone" width="640"] The pink morning glory, also known as goat’s foot, above the high tide line at Kilgwyn Beach. Photo by Joanne Husain[/caption]

Kilgwyn Beach

The pink morning glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae) fringes the upper sandy shores of Kilgwyn Beach in the Crown Point area. These creeping vines act as a primary sand stabiliser. Behind the ostentatious blooms is the last remaining stronghold of Kilgwyn Swamp. Habitats like this play a crucial role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, especially in small island developing states like ours.

[caption id="attachment_992036" align="alignnone" width="640"] Looking north from Buccoo towards Mt Irvine Bay. Photo by Joanne Husain[/caption]

Buccoo/Mt Irvine

Along the northern edge of the promontory separating Buccoo from Mt Irvine is a coastline hammered by the sea. With every high energy swash and backwash the land dramatically shape shifts. The bay at Buccoo is much calmer due to the presence of the Buccoo Reef.

Canoe Bay

Closer inspections of the beach at Canoe Bay reveal common coastal denizens such as the Caribbean hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus). Although they are terrestrial, the females must migrate to the sea to release their fertilised eggs. Hermit crabs do not have hardened abdomens and instead use discarded mollusc shells for protection. The littoral vegetation at Canoe Bay, which extends east from Kilgwyn Bay on Tobago’s Atlantic coast, adds another protective layer from predators during the day. Hermit crabs are more active at night.

[caption id="attachment_992039" align="alignnone" width="640"] Sargassum covers the shore at Little Rockly Bay in Lambeau. Photo by Joanne Husain[/caption]

Little Rockly Bay

The lengthy windswept Atlantic shores of Little Rockly Bay in Lambeau may be ideal for an afternoon walk, but the beach becomes seasonally inundated with sargassum – something that is both a nuisance and a threat. Removal of sargassum may be a Sisyphean task, but presents opportunities for Caribbean innovation. From biofuel to fertiliser, paper products to pharmaceuticals, when will we begin to transform this coastal curse into a blessing?

[caption id="attachment_992037" align="alignnone" width="640"] Leatherback tracks at Stonehaven Bay remind us that we share our shores. Photo by Joanne Husain[/caption]

Stonehaven Bay

Leatherbacks make their annual nesting pilgrimage