 Area view of the Tobago Cays | |
  Tobago Cays  Tobago Cays  Tobago Cays | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 12°37.9′N 61°21.3′W / 12.6317°N 61.3550°W |
| Archipelago | Tobago Cays |
| Total islands | 5 |
| Major islands | Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac and Jamesby |
| Administration | |
| Additional information | |
| Official website | The official site of the Tobago Cays Marine Park |
The Tobago Cays are an archipelago located in the Southern Grenadines of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines comprising five small islands and extensive coral reefs. The cays – Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac and Jamesby – are a popular tourism destination.
The Tobago Cays are now the key element of the Tobago Cays Marine Park, run and owned by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines government. The marine park consists of a 1,400-acre (5.7 km2) sand-bottom lagoon which encompasses the five cays, the inhabited island of Mayreau and the 4 km Horseshoe Reef. The marine park was listed as a regionally significant ecosystem under the SPAW (Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife) Protocol in December 2014.[1] The most extensive and well-developed coral reef complexes in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines occur on shallow shelves around the windward sides of Mayreau and Union islands and the cays themselves. In addition, principal vegetation types include beach vegetation and dry forest. With the exception of a small mangrove in Petit Rameau and salt pond in Mayreau, there are no wetlands in the cays.
Major users of the area include: cruise ships (an estimated 50,000 visitors each year, of whom 10,000 visit the cays); yachts (an estimated 3,000 yachts anchor in the lagoon each year); day charters (from nearby hotels); sport divers and snorkelers; and fishing enthusiasts.
- ^ "Parties decided to adopt the listing under SPAW of 13 additional protected areas at COP 8 - CAR-SPAW-RAC" (PDF). Regional Activity Centre for SPAW. SPAW-RAC. Retrieved 30 December 2015.