Gaspar Grande or Gasparee is an island in the Republic of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

named for Gaspar de Percín. The island is in area and lies west of

Port of Spain Port of Spain (Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municip ...

. It is one of the "Bocas Islands", which lie in the ''

Bocas del Dragón The Bocas del Dragón (Dragon's Mouths) is the name of the series of straits separating the Gulf of Paria from the Caribbean Sea. There are four Bocas, from west to east: * The Boca Grande or Grand Boca separates Chacachacare from the Paria Penins ...

'' (''Dragon's Mouth'') between

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. Gaspar Grande is primarily

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, and reaches a height of at its highest point. Gaspar Grande is home to the Gasparee Caves, a natural limestone cave system with a mysterious pool at its base. Other caves on the island include the White Cave, the Brioge Cavern and the Precipice Cavern. Vegetation on the island includes the Yellow Poui, Giant Cactus,

Hog Plum Hog plum is a common name for several plants that produce edible fruit, and may refer to: *Species of the genus ''Spondias'' **''Spondias dulcis'' **'' Spondias mombin'' **'' Spondias pinnata'' *Species of the genus ''Colubrina'' *'' Prunus rivulari ...

Silk Cotton Silk-cotton tree is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *''Bombax ceiba'', native to the Asian tropics *''Ceiba pentandra'', native to the American tropics and west Africa *''Cochlospermum religiosum'', native to the Asian tropics { ...

Agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, although some ''Agave'' species are also native to tropical areas of North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for ...

, Manicou Fig, Naked Indian,

Pelican Flower ''Aristolochia grandiflora'', the pelican flower, is a deciduous vine with one of the world's largest flowers that emits an odor that smells like rotting feet, attracting flies. Description ''Aristolochia grandiflora'' produces large solitary f ...

, Queen-of-the-Forest (Filipendula occidentalis), Cow Itch,

Sugar Apple The sugar-apple or sweet-sop is the edible fruit of ''Annona squamosa'', the most widely grown species of '' Annona'' and a native of tropical climate in the Americas and West Indies. Spanish traders aboard the Manila galleons docking in the ...

and Salt-fish Wood. Legend has it that another cave on the island,

William Dampier William Dampier (baptised 5 September 1651; died March 1715) was an English explorer, pirate, privateer, navigator, and naturalist who became the first Englishman to explore parts of what is today Australia, and the first person to circumnav ...

s Tunnel, has a pirate's treasure chest which is easily accessible on certain days of the year.

History

In 1783, Gaspar Grande was granted to Gaspar de Percin Roque by governor

José María Chacón Don José María Chacón (1 January 1749 – 1 January 1833) was the last Spanish Governor of Trinidad, serving from 1783 to 1797. He was responsible for signing the Cedula of Population in 1783, leading to extensive French immigration to Trini ...

. Events in its history include the Saga of Admiral Apodaca and the establishment of

whaling station Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industry a ...

s on the island.

Places

Point Baleine was once a

, as indicated by its name, which is French for "whaling point". Located on the Southwestern end of Gaspar Grande, Point Baliene is one of the main drop off sites for visitors to the Gasparee Caves. Bombshell Bay got its name from its historical past as there once was a fort located in this area. It is now a holiday resort. Gasparee Caves is one of the more popular sites in Chaguaramas. The cave is full of geological formations such as

stalactites A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via ''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble an ...

stalagmites A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling") is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically ...

flowstone Flowstones are sheetlike deposits of calcite or other carbonate minerals, formed where water flows down the walls or along the floors of a cave. They are typically found in "solution caves", in limestone, where they are the most common speleothe ...

s, pillars, ribbon, and fringed curtain. Other landmarks on the island include Bordel Bay, Winn's Bay, Goodwill's Bay and St. Madeline Bay.

References

* {{- Islands of Trinidad and Tobago Gulf of Paria Whaling stations of the Caribbean Whaling in the Caribbean

History

Places

See also

References