To report or to vacation, that is the question

Tobago is filled with sandy beaches and Trinis looking for an
escape from the hustle and bustle of the large island. (FTB)

When Mark and I first informed our friends and family about our potential project investigating environmental issues in Trinidad and Tobago, nearly everyone said, "Sounds like a vacation to me." For all the doubters of our "reporting project," our stay in Tobago was exactly what you thought we would be doing.

As soon as we arrived, we knew we had it made. Our air-conditioned hostel room sat right along the beach. Within the first few hours, we took part in Buccoo's weekly party, known as "Sunday School." Listening to the steel drum band play while eating shark for the first time, Mark and I began to realize this week would be unlike anything either of us had experienced before.

Our investigation took us across the island and back again many times, meeting fascinating people along the way. We shared puncheon with a Trini-documentary crew and learned all about the dual island nation. We met an English woman who's traveled to Tobago 35 times, and we learned what makes her fall in love with the the island every time. With the stars watching from above, a man who spent two years finding himself in the wilderness led us through the jungle to view his purpose first hand - saving sea turtles.

The Nylon Pool is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tobago. (FTB)

In addition to meeting these personalities, the island offered us unique opportunities. We gained immortality as we swam in the Nylon Pool near the Buccoo Reef. According to legend, if you're older than 40 years old, bathing in the pool will reduce your age by 10 years. If you're younger than 40, you're supposed to live forever. We were pirates on the Caribbean waters as we went out with a team of divers (or at least I had the Klaus Bedalt's epic theme playing in my head - Mark denies it entered his but I have my doubts). As the group entered the deep water, we got a private tour around the southwestern coast from the boat driver, viewing grand resorts and huge palm trees. On one of our last nights in Tobago, we witnessed a Hawksbill sea turtle come to shore to lay a clutch of eggs. After trekking to the three different sites that our guides watch every night, we witnessed a female crawl onto the beach late at night and dig a nest to lay 150 eggs.

Despite Tobago sounding like a page right out of a travel guide, there are real environmental problems. Whether it's careless littering along the side of the road or coral bleaching caused by global warming, the small island is experiencing environmental aches.

Although Tobago only makes up about 4 percent of the country's,
population, it receives almost twice that percentage of the national
budget, a point of contention for some residents. (MNO)

Tourism and fishing are vital to Tobago's economy. As companies begin to descend on its shores in search of natural gas, both industries are beginning to feel impacted. Companies are constantly exploring new LNG deposits that can be drilled. In doing so, they pay fishermen not to fish in the water so they can perform seismic tests to see what lies beneath the ocean floor. Often these fishermen are not being properly compensated, according to many of our sources. Scuba divers, unaware these tests are occurring, are caught off guard when they hear the seismic waves being used to measure the size of the gas deposits. These waves produce heavy sounds and vibrations that can cause permanent damage to marine life as well.

Even though it sounds like a major concern, it all goes back to the pattern we've seen over and over again. One of our sources said it best while we were discussing the pros and cons of the energy industry's presence in Trinidad: "It's been a blessing and a curse to not have that same kind of pressure for a very long time." Thanks to Trinidad's energy sector being able to financially support both islands, Tobago has been able to develop its tourism industry. Unfortunately, it has come at a cost.

As quickly as we first stepped off the ferry in Scarborough, it felt as if we were boarding it once again. Except this time, we had a plethora of memories packed inside our backpacks (and maybe an empty bottle of puncheon for a keepsake) and more information on the issues facing this country. The vacation may have come to an end, but the real work was about to become just as interesting in Trinidad's concrete jungle.

-- FTB