Speyside, Trinidad and Tobago
Abandoned and Filled with Wonder
(You can see Goat Island off in the distance on the right. View from Tyrell's Bay, Tobago)
Just off the eastern coast of Tobago in the Caribbean, is a smaller island that is even more interesting than the larger aforementioned one. It is known as Goat Island. With just one large house in the middle of the whole land mass, it has intrigued locals and tourists alike. When I posted the Goat island video (which can be found on 3speak HERE) on social media, most of the comments were about the mysterious house in the middle. But we will get to that later! We didn't physically go to the little island but I flew the drone way out there and gathered some of the most beautiful photos and videos. It was one of the most harrowing flights I ever did because of how much of a close call it was in terms of almost crashing!
(Photo taken on approach of the right side, look at those colors!)
I started off by looking at google maps and finding the closest part of the shoreline to the little island so that I could fly the least distance possible. I wasn't even sure if the drone would make it all the way but I was determined to at least try! The weather was perfect, no high winds and sunny skies.
(Photo taken on approach of the right side, no sign of goats yet!)
It took about what felt like a 10 minute flight but I got to the island with about 70 percent battery which gave me to confidence to stay a while and capture some amazing photos and videos. I guess you can see the photos for yourself, they ended up being the most favorite of the photos I took on that week long vacation to the heavenly Tobago.
(You can see the house in the middle of the island here, in the background is Tobago).
Since the name of the place was Goat Island I checked to see if I could see any goats but none was to be seen. What I did see of intrigue though, was also the first thing I noticed as I approached the island. It was a large house/ villa with a large jetty in the middle of the island with a brilliant view of a breathtakingly turquoise reef. I immediately thought about whoever lived there and how lucky they were to have a WHOLE island for themselves as well as a reef.
The word around the island when I asked the locals was that it once belonged to the Author of Sherlock Holmes; Arthur Conan Doyle. But since then it has been passed on to many other owners including prominent actors and so on. I'm not sure how true that is but the information is so widespread that people in the nearby larger Island, Trinidad, say the same thing.
(A a better view of Angel Reef on the western side of the island.)
I was told that the beautiful fringe of corals around the island is called Angel Reef. On seeing such natural beauty, a true hidden gem of the Caribbean, I suddenly wished we had made arrangements during our vacation planning to hire a boat to go there and see it in person. But no worries, it will be done on the next visit! The color of that water alone is so breathtaking!
(The view of the western coast of Tobago on the way back.)
I immediately saw that I had 30 percent battery left on the drone and quickly hurried back after being so engrossed in trying to capture the beauty of Goat Island. On the return journey, the magnificent scale and size of Tobago filled the view of the drone feed. It was such a large contrast with the prior smaller land mass and I appreciated the beauty and what Tobago had to offer even more. If you ever get a chance to go to Tobago, you will never be the same after, it is an intoxicating place and its serenity and beauty haunts you and you want to do nothing more than go back. And so we will and on the next visit, we will for sure head to Goat Island physically and explore its wondrous shores.
