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 muni ...

. It is one of the "Bocas Islands", which lie in the '' Bocas del Dragón'' (''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 w ...

, 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,

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 ''Cochlospermum religiosum'' i ...

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 Gaspar is a given and/or surname of French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish origin, cognate to Casper (given name) or Casper (surname). It is a name of biblical origin, per Saint Gaspar, one of the wise men mentioned in the Bible. Notable peo ...

by governor José María Chacón. Events in its history include the

Saga of Admiral Apodaca is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, from the Super NES to the Play ...

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 ...

s on the island.

Places

Point Baleine Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Points ...

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 Bombshell may refer to: *Shell (projectile), originally called bombshell *Bombshell (slang), a sexually attractive woman Television and film * ''Bombshell'' (1933 film), romantic comedy directed by Victor Fleming * ''Bombshell'' (1997 film), sc ...

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 Gaspar Grande or Gasparee is an island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago named for Gaspar de Percín. The island is in area and lies west of Port of Spain. It is one of the "Bocas Islands", which lie in the ''Bocas del Dragón'' (''Dragon's ...

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 ...

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 co ...

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 speleot ...

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