On the sea side, a wealth to be preserved
During an underwater escapade, you may come across one of 183 rare species such as green turtles(Chelonia mydas) or hawksbill turtles(Eretmochelys imbricata), protected by the Washington Convention. Leatherback turtles sometimes lay their eggs on the beaches. Nassau groupers can be approached, and you'll come across schools of tarpons and barracudas. Other well-known species include eagle rays and long-nosed seahorses. Among marine mammals, humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins can be seen at certain times of the year. Saint-Barth is one of the richest coral reefs in the French West Indies, with 51 species! They provide an ecosystem for a multitude of animals: sponges, gorgonians, sea urchins, crustaceans, fish... Some 50 different types of algae populate the seabed, as well as 5 species of phanerogams, including turtle grass and manatee grass.
Spread your wings in Saint-Barth
Sparrows chirp in mainland France. Here, you'll hear the songs of small, familiar species such as the red-throated solitaire(banaquit). There are a few mammal species (mainly bats), waders and a few birds of prey. On the ponds, such as Saint-Jean, which will be completely redeveloped in 2019, you'll find the following sedentary birds: green heron, superb frigatebird, ring-billed grebe, cattle egret, moorhen, American kestrel and black-crowned night heron. But the king of the island is undoubtedly the brown pelican (the only one to fish at sea, sometimes diving from great heights), as clumsy on land as he is an outstanding diver. Once it's spotted its prey, the brown pelican takes to the skies before suddenly swooping down like an arrow. A symbol of generosity, it is respected by all in Saint-Barth. It has become the island's emblem. Other migratory birds include the blue egret, snowy egret, American coot, great egret, semipalmated sandpiper, spotted sandpiper, royal tern, least sandpiper, little tern, American laughing gull, American stilt, semipalmated plover, osprey, kildir plover and peregrine falcon.
On the ground side, a rock that has resources!
The climate and the nature of the land do not make Saint-Barth an ideal place for the traditional crops of the Caribbean arc, such as sugar cane or bananas. Nevertheless, a number of tropical species thrive here, such as the seaside grape tree, the dangerous mancenillium and a variety of cactus unique to Saint-Barth, the Tête à l'Anglais. Two trees of particular importance in local history are the guaiac and the latanier.
Wildlife is scarce, but you may see a few iguanas. These evolutionary survivors are in fact harmless and, above all, very shy. Other reptiles include the common tortoise, Lesser Antillean iguana, common iguana and a few snakes and amphibians.
An environmental conscience
Preserving the environment on such a small area as Saint-Barth is essential, especially when the island's economic activity is focused on tourism. Political and financial stakes, real estate speculation and construction... can favor empirical approaches and slow down purely environmental actions.
In Saint-Barth, theAgence Territoriale de l'Environnement (ATE, a Public Industrial and Commercial Establishment) was created in 2013. The agency's activities include the preservation of flora and fauna (ecological monitoring, awareness-raising, development of renewable energy savings, etc.). Protecting and understanding nature has also been a priority for theSt Barth Essentiel association since 2009. Its main objective is to ensure "the protection of the historical, cultural, heritage and environmental interests of the island of Saint-Barthélemy, as well as its living environment".
