Wild Barbados: Sea Turtles, Green Monkeys and the Gullies

Barbados’ wild side, from the sea turtles that nest on its beaches and the green monkeys of the Barbados Wildlife Reserve to the marine parks of Carlisle Bay and Folkestone and the tropical gullies and gardens of the interior, with a directory of the places in our guide. Facts from Visit Barbados, the Barbados Sea Turtle Project and the places themselves.

Barbados is a coral island, and its wildlife follows the coral: turtles graze the reefs of the calm west coast and haul out on its beaches to nest, while inland, rainwater has carved the limestone into deep, green gullies where monkeys and butterflies live among tropical trees.

It is a gentle kind of wildlife-watching, most of it within half an hour of the coast. Follow the guides, keep your distance from nesting turtles, and never feed the animals.

Reefs and marine parks

On the south-west coast, Carlisle Bay curves from Bridgetown to the Hilton peninsula, and its protected marine park holds six wrecks between 10 and 52 feet deep, a favourite with snorkellers and divers. Up the west coast, Folkestone Marine Park protects the reef off the beach at Holetown, with snorkelling close to shore; Visit Barbados lists it as open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

A day on a catamaran along the calm west coast, with a swim with sea turtles and a snorkel over the wrecks, is one of the classic Barbados days. Choose an operator that keeps its distance and doesn’t let swimmers touch or feed the turtles. For a dry view of the reef, Atlantis Submarines takes passengers down to the coral and wrecks off the west coast.

Green monkeys and the gullies

At the Barbados Wildlife Reserve in St Peter, you stroll freely among animals in natural surroundings, among them green monkeys, agouti, armadillo, brocket deer, tortoises, iguanas and parrots.

The gullies are among the island’s great sights. Welchman Hall Gully is a deep, green ravine formed where the roof of a cave collapsed, with an easy paved path through tropical forest; Hunte’s Gardens fills a former sinkhole in St Joseph; and Andromeda Botanic Gardens, now 70 years old, describes itself as an organic sanctuary for native wildlife, planted with nectar-rich flowers for butterflies. Flower Forest’s 53 acres sit high in the cool country of St Joseph.

Critically endangered hawksbill turtles still nest on the beaches of the west and south coasts, a few steps from the beach bars.

Feature: the Barbados Sea Turtle Project

Hawksbill turtles nest mainly on the beaches of the west and south coasts, and leatherbacks on the windswept beaches of the east and south; both are listed as Critically Endangered. The Barbados Sea Turtle Project, based at the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, monitors the nesting beaches, and its trained staff come out to record nests and hatchlings.

If you see a turtle nesting, hatchlings on the sand, or a turtle in distress, call the project’s 24-hour hotline on (246) 230-0142, keep lights off and stay well back.

Did you know? The first record of green turtles nesting in Barbados came only in 2005, so the island now hosts nests of three sea turtle species.

Our advice

Our advice: snorkel the marine parks in the morning, when the sea is calmest, and never touch, chase or feed turtles in the water. On the beach at night, keep torches and phone lights off near nesting turtles and hatchlings, and report sightings to the Barbados Sea Turtle Project. Combine the Wildlife Reserve with Farley Hill National Park, also in St Peter, and give the gullies a slow morning with insect repellent.