Tobago Data Collection
Tobago, the smaller and more touristic of the twin-island state, is currently experiencing progressive erosion on some of its popular beaches. Our data collection is taking place on two popular beaches: Pigeon Point Beach and the Magdalena Grand Hotel beachfront.
Pigeon Point Beach
Pigeon Point is located on a small peninsula on the south-western end of Tobago. The beach is part of the Pigeon Point Heritage Park (PPHP), which doubles as a touristic beach facility and event venue for Tobago’s popular events. Pigeon Point beach is often considered Tobago’s most beautiful beach, including the internationally recognized thatch-roofed jetty which has become a touristic signature of Tobago. The coastline has been experiencing progressively worse erosion over the years. Efforts have been made to mitigate the erosion by using large boulders along the coastline, but this method has only been effective over the short term. Check out our blog article on using drone imagery to select camera locations at our Tobago sites! See the photos below for observations on site.
A section of the shoreline at Pigeon Point beach. Large boulders have been placed to mitigate erosion.
Different views of erosion along the shoreline in Pigeon Point Beach. Boulders that were used to mitigate erosion have been progressively undermined by the continued erosion.
Magdalena Grand Beachfront
Magdalena Grand Hotel is a popular state-owned tourist facility on Tobago’s south-eastern coast, facing the Atlantic Ocean. The beach experiences high wave and wind energy year-round.
The hotel created a sea pool, using large rocks, for guests to enjoy safe and casual swimming in the midst of the strong currents. However, on our most recent visit, we observed overtopping from large waves into the pool. Similar rocks have been used along the shoreline to mitigate erosion, and to create breakwaters. Further along the property, we observed severe damage to the shoreline, including the loss of what was previously a walking path along the beach. Check out our blog for our first site visit to Tobago and see the photos below for our observations on site.
