By DIVE Staff

A British tourist is reported to be in a ‘stable condition’ in intensive care after being severely injured during a highly unusual shark attack off the Caribbean island of Tobago.

Peter Smith, 64, was standing in waist-deep water just 10 metres from the shore of Turtle Beach, Courland Bay, when he was reportedly attacked by a bull shark on the morning of Friday, 27 April. Mr Smith suffered serious injuries ‘to his left arm and leg, puncture wounds to the abdomen and injuries to his right hand,’ and is currently receiving treatment in Tobago’s Scarborough General Hospital.

Farley Augustine, chief secretary of Tobago’s House of Assembly – the island’s governing body – said that the bull shark was estimated to be 8-10 ft (2.4-3m) long and 2ft (0.6m) wide. Eyewitness Orion Jakerov described how other bathers tried to fight the shark at is was attacking Mr Smith.

‘I don’t think they saw it,’ said Mr Jakerov in an interview with local broadcaster,  TTT Live, posted on X. ‘They were about waist height in the water so they weren’t out of their depth. I think their backs were turned and they were just kind of lounging around. Nobody saw the shark coming.

‘Even while the shark was around and doing the attack,’ said Jakerov, ‘the other people were in the water and physically trying to fight off the shark.’

The surrounding beaches were closed following the attack and drones were dispatched to monitor the surrounding waters. A bounty of US$10,000 was offered by the House of Assembly for ‘the successful capture of the shark involved’, although this was retracted shortly afterwards.

Mr Smith’s wife, Jo, said that as of 9am on Sunday morning, her husband was ‘aware of what is happening and able to communicate a little, although he is still under strong medication.’

The incident is highly unusual as bull sharks are very rarely seen around Tobago. Blacktip reef sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, and nurse sharks are most commonly sighted, with occasional visits from tiger sharks and great hammerheads. Since 1815, just five shark-biting incidents around both Tobago and its much larger neighbour, Trinidad, are logged in the Global Shark Attack File (GSAF), three of which were unprovoked and only one fatal (in 1815).

Bull sharks – classed as ‘Vulnerable’ to extinction on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – are known to be aggressive, and their ability to tolerate freshwater brings them into closer proximity with humans than most other species of large shark. Nevertheless, attacks – especially unprovoked – are extremely rare, with just 164 incidents (26 fatal) listed on the GSAF since 1963, (although the figure is likely higher due to underreporting from developed nations).

A spokesperson for the Tobago Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation said that the attack was ‘a very unusual occurrence’.

‘Tobago is renowned for its safe and beautiful beaches,’ said the spokesperson. ‘The division would also like to reassure the public that the safety of our visitors is a priority and all expertise are being engaged to ensure safety and manage this situation as best as possible.’

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An inquiry into the tragic deaths of four divers sucked into an oil pipeline off the coast of Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago, has concluded that the pipeline’s owner, the Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited, should be tried for gross negligence and corporate manslaughter.

The four divers, Kazim Ali Jr, Yusuf Henry, Fyzal Kurban and Rishi Nagassar, were killed on 25 February 2022, when they were sucked into the pipeline in Pointe-a-Pierre harbour while carrying out maintenance work. A fifth diver, Christopher Boodram, survived the ordeal after being pulled from the pipe by Mr Kurban’s son, Michael, after spending three hours trapped inside.

According to the 380-page report produced by the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) at a cost of $15.5 million, Paria had failed in its duty of care to the divers. Not only did the report blame the company’s poor operating procedures for the disaster, but its point-blank refusal to allow a rescue mission for the divers, who remained trapped – injured and alive – inside air pockets within the pipeline.

The report also said that the company for which the divers worked, Land and Marine Construction Services (LMCS) – which was contracted by Paria to perform the maintenance procedure – was equally culpable for the outcome of the disaster, although it would not be prosecuted under criminal law as it had been ‘effectively prevented from pursuing [the] rescue by Paria’.

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The CoE report said that the tragedy was caused by the ‘methodology adopted by both Paria and LMCS in removing the content from the pipeline,’ which created a ‘Latent Differential Pressure’ – also known as a ‘Delta P’ – hazard: a vacuum within the pipeline caused anything within the immediate area to be sucked inside under great pressure as soon as it was opened by the divers.

With four men remaining trapped inside, rescue divers were prepared to return to the scene once Boodram had been brought to the surface, but Paria’s terminal operations manager, Collin Piper, who was managing the company’s Incident Command System (ICS), refused to allow them to attempt a rescue.

Arguing during the trial that he had made the decision in order to prevent any more lives being lost, the CoE report concluded that he had not acted reasonably, had wasted time waiting for a camera drone to return pictures from inside the pipeline, and had failed to calculate how much air each of the men would need to survive.

‘All realistic options should have been considered,’ says the report. ‘Even if the camera revealed that which they sought, no plan to carry out a rescue had been put in place. No attempt was made to engage with the country’s best experts in commercial diving which had arrived on site.

‘Piper closed his mind to any alternatives without even hearing them. We regard this as a serious breach of Paria’s duties under the ICS. This is not to suggest that a rescue must inevitably be sanctioned but to recklessly close one’s mind to alternatives carries the hallmark of a serious breach of duty.’

The surviving diver, Christopher Boodram – who has not been able to return to work following the deaths of his colleagues – said that he welcomed the report’s findings, but did not have confidence that criminal charges would ever be brought against Paria.

‘I have researched this law and I don’t believe this will hold up in a court in Trinidad and Tobago, corporate manslaughter,’ he told the Trinidad Express. ‘But I am pleased that the Commission of Enquiry did their job well and honest. I hope that the recommendations are considered and applied by the marine and subsea industries.’

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Sponsored Feature

Tobago is a perfect dive destination for learning to scuba dive. The conditions make it suitable for both intermediate and novice divers and the island has a number of established dive operators with more than 30 years of experience.

Tobago has a variety of intermediate and beginners dives sites all around the island offering a range of easy drifts and shallow dives, rich with marine life and a variety of thriving coral reefs with a wide diversity of fish and critters. Tobago also has some shallow wall dives which descend to a depth of just 10m/30ft, are close to shore and and full of interesting crevices perfect for spotting spiny lobsters and moray eels.

Diving is split between the island’s Atlantic and Caribbean coasts. Nutrient-rich waters from the outflow of the Orinoco River’s massive delta are driven along Tobago’s Atlantic coast by the Guyana current, the life-blood of the island’s strong and vibrant coral reefs. More than 300 species of coral – including some of the largest-known brain corals in the world – and 700 different species of fish can be found in Tobago’s waters.

The current makes for some thrilling drift dives along the Atlantic coast, especially between July and December when the nutrient-rich waters attract a wide variety of species – from smaller schools of fish feeding on plankton blooms to the larger, pelagic species that hunt them. Jacks, barracuda and tarpon are regularly spotted, as are several different species of shark, manta rays, eagle rays and turtles.

Tobago’s Caribbean coast, on the other hand, is less exposed to the elements, with less in the way of current but with excellent year-round visibility among the vibrant, sheltered reefs and a host of reef fish species. The Caribbean coast is also home to Tobago’s most popular wreck, the 30m-deep wreck of the Maverick, a former car ferry sunk as an artificial reef in 1997.

For the more experienced diver, a visit to The Sisters, two small rocky islands approximately 3km out to sea has a good potential for shark sightings, especially during the winter months, when scalloped hammerheads have been known to school in groups of up to 40 animals.

Water temperature averages between 25- 29°C (77-85 °F), with February and March the coolest months and August and September warmest, making for very comfortable diving throughout the year, especially for entry-level training.

Why dive in Tobago?

Tobago’s nutrient-rich waters create strong, vibrant coral reefs with a plethora of coral and fish species. There is a range of depths and diversity of marine life that is suitable for all levels of diver, so whether you’re just starting out, or have many hundreds of dives under your weight belt, Tobago diving has something for everyone. Here are just a few images from the best of Tobago’s diving.

Tobago Dive Centres

There are several dive centres around the island, of which the following are currently listed on the Tobago Beyond tourism website. There is also a hyperbaric chamber on the island, providing rapid access to emergency treatment, if required.

1. Undersea Tobago

Undersea Tobago is owned and operated by husband and wife team Derek and Evelyn Chung. Diving in Tobago waters since 1987 has given them the experience and local knowledge necessary to give you an exhilarating and safe diving experience. In 1997, Evelyn and Derek decided to start their own dive centre, Undersea Tobago, a PADI dive resort designed to give personalized and professional attention to the novice and experienced diver alike.

www.underseatobago.com

2. Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville (ERIC)

Located in the traditional fishing village of Charlotteville, Tobago, the Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville works towards sustainability for the people and ecosystems of North East Tobago. Alongside the institute, the ERIC Dive Centre offers dive training, coral reef ecology, survey and monitoring training, and dive excursions and expeditions with marine biologists for environmentally conscientious divers.

www.eric-tobago.org

3. Frontier Divers

Tobago Frontier Divers is a certified Scuba Dive Centre, registered with the Tobago Dive Association (ATDO). The centre is located at Sandy Point Beach Club, an RCI Resort situated at the southwestern tip of the island. Frontier is one of the only locally owned dive shops on the island of Tobago. It is owned and managed by a husband and wife Alvin & Kerry Douglas.

www.tobagofrontierdivers.com

4. Tobago Dive Experience

Tobago Dive Experience was founded by Sean Robinson, a dive instructor with more than 30 years of experience as a commercial and recreational diver, and his wife Kathleen, a dive travel industry veteran of more than 15 years. Sean and his team are dedicated to teaching the country to dive with programmes available in schools as well as dive resorts. The dive shop in Speyside is still the major focus for couple, with Sean and the dive crew keen to entertain and showcase the best of the island’s diving, while Kathleen helps to plan every detail of the customers’ trips.

www.tobagodiveexperience.com

Topside in Tobago

There is much to do in Tobago in between dive excursions. For watersports enthusiasts who enjoy the surface as much as the depths, Tobago is perfectly suited to wind and kite surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, sailing and kayaking at Pigeon Point Heritage Park – and for a special treat, make sure you book a spot on Tobago’s Bioluminescence Experience, which also departs from Pigeon Point

Bird watching and nature Trekking at the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, the oldest protected forest reserve in the western hemisphere, is a great way to spend a day enjoying the vibrant life that Tobago harbours above the surface of the water.

Visit the Tobago Museum at Fort King George which overlooks the Capital Scarborough to explore some of Tobago’s cultural heritage, and local crafts and gifts can be bought at Storebay beach as well as trips to snorkel Buccoo Reef and visit Tobago’s swimming pool in the middle of the sea, The Nylon Pool.

Tobago’s legendary carnival-atmosphere nightlife is best enjoyed in Crown point on Fridays and Saturdays and the ‘Sunday School’ street party in Buccoo Village on Sundays is not to be missed!.

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Sponsored Feature

Scuba diving in Tobago is divided between the island’s Atlantic and Caribbean coasts, with a number of dive sites that are perfect for beginners. Although Tobago’s Atlantic side can be prone to the strong currents and somewhat murky visibility brought on by the Guyana current driving from the south, the Caribbean side of the island is sheltered from the current and offers calm diving in clear waters.

The reefs range from shallow water – perfect for divers taking their first steps into the open ocean – to deeper reefs to explore later in entry-level training and beyond. Some reefs are easily reachable from shore, making for an easy introduction to diving for those who may not be familiar with boats.

There are more than 50 established dive sites around the island, but here are some of the most popular beginner-level dive sites to whet (or perhaps wet?) the prospective visitor’s appetite.

2. Flying Reef

Depth range: 5-14m/18-45ft

Diving experience: Beginner

Flying Reef’s Atlantic waters are a good introduction to drift diving for the beginner. The current is usually mild, running between 0-2 knots, although at times the pace can pick up – giving the reef its ‘flying’ name. Look out for stingrays, turtles, nurse sharks, schools of both big-eye and glass-eye snapper as well as reef fish like parrotfish, French angelfish, and porcupinefish. A particular highlight is the sunken ship’s anchor – where pork fish and schools of Bermudan chub gather.

5. Kariwak Reef

Depth range: 3-17m/10-55 feet 

Diving experience: Beginner

Located about 35m/120ft off Store Bay, Kariwak Reef is easily accessible as either a shore or boat dive, and a local favourite for night dives, since it is so easy to navigate. The absence of current and the array of colour and marine life makes the reef an underwater photographer’s delight. Flying gurnards can be spotted ‘walking’ about on their finger-like spines across the sandy bottom, and Nassau groupers, balloon fish, lizardfish, barracuda, green morays, spotted eagle rays, and Christmas tree worms can often be spotted during a dive.

7. Mt Irvine Wall

Depth range: 5-15m/18-50ft

Diving experience: Beginner-Intermediate

Mount Irvine reef is actually comprised of three dive sites – The Wall and Extension being the two most popular, with the third, Rainbow Reef, situated in the middle. The Wall is a shallow 10m/30ft dive site close to shore and full of interesting crevices, where moray eels, spiny lobsters and crabs congregate.

Extension is a deeper dive site that follows the outcropping rocks of Mount Irvine Bay. Big enough for several distinct dives, this beautiful reef is a perfect spot to see large groupers, snapper and hawksbill turtles – as well as the shy spotted eagle ray that rarely approaches divers and tends to travel in pairs. 

Rainbow Reef is a little more advanced with a depth of between 15-22m/50-70ft, and is named for the large schools of rainbow runners that can congregate over the reed. There is also a large fisherman’s anchor, possibly dating back to the 17th century, wedged into the reef.

10. Cardinal Rocks

Depth range: 6-22m/20-75 feet

Diving experience: Beginner

This dive is a spawning ground for many species of fish and the presence of millions of fries tend to give the water a milky appearance. The reef slopes steeply to a sandy seabed where Southern stingrays, spiny lobsters, yellowhead jawfish and small snake eels can be seen. Also look out for moray eels, fairy basslets, cardinalfish, queen, French and grey angelfish, and hawksbill turtles

15. Angel Reef

Depth range: 15-60ft/4-18m

Diving experience: Beginner

A fantastic canvas for photographers with a naturally blessed variety of corals and fish.

Here, visibility is usually good and with a quiet current, making this reef an excellent choice for night dives. There are a number of cleaning stations along the reef, providing great opportunities to snap pictures of cleaning shrimps picking parasites off of momentarily paused angelfish, groupers, snappers and parrotfish.

Enjoy close-up shots of star, starlet, honeycomb and plate corals dotted with sea plumes as well as black sea and bent sea rods.

To find out more about Tobago’s dive sites, visit:

• Northern dive sites
• Eastern/Speyside dive sites
• Southwest dive sites

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It’s party time both above and below the water for Francesca Page as she heads off to the Caribbean to scuba dive Tobago

An elongated oval of 41km long by 14km wide, Tobago provides a surprising amount of biodiversity within its craggy coastal fringes. The spine of the island called Main Ridge, is in fact the oldest protected rainforest in the Western Hemisphere, dating back to 1776.

It is home to 16 of the nearly 90 species of mammals found in the Caribbean region, 24 species of non-poisonous snakes,16 types of lizards and 290 species of birds – including the rare and endemic white-tailed sabrewing hummingbird.

Last year it was announced that the coral reefs around the northeastern coast of the island are to become a marine protected area. Tobago’s reefs are the most southerly in the Caribbean – its sister island of Trinidad which is nearer to the vast freshwater outflow from the Orinoco river in Venezuela, has no coral reefs.

Being just 20 kilometres further from the Orinoco Delta not only allows the reefs to grow, but to bloom. It washes them with nutrient-rich currents encouraging both hard and soft corals, and in the wet season (July to September) provides a greenish planktonic soup for manta rays to feast upon. Combined, this makes the marine environment one of the most exciting in the Caribbean for divers.

I visited in January, when the water was clear and, as a bonus, the island was gearing up for carnival. With steel drums, elaborate outfits and energetic parades, the carnival is an explosion of colour, dance and music.

As I woke up to my first morning on the island, I lay in bed listening to the sound of the waves breaking on the shore, and experiencing my whole room being lit up by the bright morning sun. A warm glow invited me to open my balcony doors to take my first peek at Tobago’s riches. While drinking coffee on the beach at the Blue Waters Inn, I couldn’t get over the tranquillity. Pelicans flew overhead while hermit crabs scurried across the water’s edge.

We headed to the first dive centre of the trip, the Tobago Dive Experience, a short journey from the hotel, to start the undersea adventures. In the bright sunshine we passed thick, emerald-green jungle to our right, and sparkling blue water to our left. I noticed a ‘lionfish for sale’ sign beside a metal table on the roadside – an early reminder of one of the region’s most intractable problems: the invasion of this voracious predator is cutting swathes through the Caribbean.

We got our gear ready and headed out to sea, with the captain blasting out carnival tunes as flying fish danced across the ocean surface. On board, the divemasters practised their own moves for the upcoming festivities.

We were lucky with the first few dives, being greeted with good visibility and calm, relaxing warm water. The coral landscape was a delight for the eyes, small fish flocking between dancing giant slit-pore sea rods, massive fan corals swaying in the current, and huge barrel sponges looking more like craggy mountains, all set against a rich blue background.

Tobago’s nutrient-rich waters explain the formation of the massive hard corals, such as the giant boulder brain coral off Speyside. In fact, Tobago lays claim to the largest brain coral in the Western Hemisphere. French angelfish were whirling over the brain corals, not shy of divers and swimming right up to you, almost inviting you to join their party.

I spotted my first lionfish of the trip, gliding between the sea rods which reminded me of feather boas. The lionfish’s beautiful orange-pink fins and spines seemed to mimic the vibrant outfits worn at carnival.

During our surface interval, with the boat at rest in a small lagoon, I used the time to talk to Jon, one of the divemasters, who spends a good deal of his time trying to eradicate lionfish underwater while topside encouraging people to add the fish to their menu. ‘Aren’t lionfish poisonous to eat?’ I asked. ‘The most dangerous part about eating lionfish is catching them, so I am the one at risk’, he explained. ‘The venom is only poisonous if it gets into your blood stream. If I were to swallow the poison right now, I would be fine, as my stomach acid would destroy it.’ He added: ‘They are really tasty!’

The lionfish are wreaking havoc on Caribbean marine life. Unlike the predators of Indo-Pacific, the local sharks and other larger hunters seem to be deterred by their poisonous spines, leaving the lionfish to feed freely.

One theory explaining their arrival in the Caribbean and the Atlantic is that during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, a damaged aquarium released some specimens into Florida’s Biscayne Bay. By 2004 they had gained a foothold in the reefs off the Bahamas and have since spread at an alarmingly rate.

Lionfish are voracious and can feed on fish and invertebrates up to two thirds their size. Studies in the Bahamas by Oregon State University indicate that a single lionfish on a reef can reduce the juvenile fish population by up to 80 per cent in less than five weeks. With the plague of lionfish spreading around the Caribbean, volunteers have been playing a major role in fending them off in Tobago.

I went diving with the Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville (ERIC) to learn about coral restoration on the island. I asked one of the team how Tobago coral reefs have been affected by rising sea water temperatures common around the world, and was told that while there has been some stress seen on the corals, so far the reefs haven’t experienced any mass bleaching events. While further stress impacts were recorded in the summer of 2019, the reef was still able to bounce back, unlike some of the worse affected reefs in other areas of the world.

We left Man-O-War Bay on a small fishing boat; the small marine conservation group hires local fishers’ boats to help inject extra income into the community. We headed to our first dive site, Sail Rock. As we got further out beyond the rocky, flora-covered coastline, the weather changed, the water turned grey and the waves started to rock the boat. A marked contrast to the previous few days of diving.

As we were gearing up while trying to keep our balance, I looked up to see a small manta ray jumping out of the water creating a large splash! Mask on, regulator in, let’s go diving! The water was murkier than on previous days but this didn’t stop it being a great dive, with lots of fan coral swim-throughs and dramatic topography. We did our surface interval further north at Pirate’s Bay where we watched frigate birds flying overhead.

The team collected corals for us to plant at the local coral nursery – our next dive. Here we saw the different stages of coral growth from the coral-propagation programme, surrounded by fish and eagle rays doing flybys. This is the only place in Tobago known still to have any staghorn coral. Today, the majority of Tobago reefs are made up of soft corals, sponges and some large plating and brain corals.

In the 1970s, Man-O-War Bay was filled with staghorn corals. Due to diseases which have swept through the Caribbean, the staghorn coral has now largely gone. Through ERIC’s planting programme, they are slowly making a comeback.

We then headed across the island to the Caribbean side – what a difference a few hours in a car can make. We left the tranquillity of Speyside and entered the lively party vibes of Crown Point, colour and rhythm filling the air – carnival was here.

The diving on the Caribbean side was more relaxing, with lots of coral and some good wreck dives. You can drift-dive over galleries of intricate gorgonian corals and large barrel sponges where turtles, nurse sharks and an abundance of reef fish come out to play. The underwater landscape was covered in the most ghostly looking sponge corals you’ll ever see. The giant eels dancing around them were like green dragons from a strange fantasy film. A light current pushed us along a conveyor belt past nurse sharks sleeping underneath massive plating corals and schoolings of fish hovering over white sand.

I was lucky to end the trip out in the blue waters, doing a safety stop, when I spotted a young green turtle coming up for air. The sunshine piercing the water’s surface and hitting the turtle’s shell, bestowed a radiant, golden glow.

While heading back to shore after two great dives on Coco Reef, the boat surfing on the waves and dance music playing, the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse. Sunshine quickly turned to heavy rain, which caused the captain to shout: ‘It’s liquid sunshine, everyone!’ He proceeded to turn the music up and got everyone dancing on the boat. It seemed there was a party to be had in any situation: the perfect way to end our last diving day.

Francesca stayed at: Blue Waters Inn, Speyside and The Shepherds Inn, Crown Point.

She dived with: Tobago Dive Experience, Speyside. Blue Waters Dive’n, Speyside; Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville, Campbleton; Black Rock Divers, Stonehaven Bay. Undersea Tobago, Crown Point

Thanks to the Tobago Tourism Agency for hosting Francesca’s trip. Discover more about diving in Tobago: TobagoBeyond.com

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