Martinique, kayaking in the Mangrove

In Ducos (between Fort de France and Trois-Ilets), Joseph offers discovery outings by kayak. If you can just rent a kayak, it is much more interesting to go with a guide, passionate and knowledgeable about life in the mangroves of Genipa Bay, with 1100 hectares one of the last great wild mangroves in the Caribbean. Only four species of mangrove trees have succeeded in adapting to this inhospitable environment, bays and estuaries where sea water mixes with fresh water from the rivers.

Along the silent navigation on the waterways along an incredible tangle of roots, Jean-Pierre explains the mode of growth, multiplication of the mangroves which are anchored on roots resembling stilts. “Aerial roots absorb ambient humidity to feed themselves and they grow, until they find a solid point to put down roots: if they grow vertically downwards, there is no problem but they also grow horizontally, resulting in this inextricable tangle. Their seeds can float for a year, until they find a favorable place to root. »

During the winter, the mangrove is home to many species of migratory birds. As a good naturalist guide, Jean-Pierre, who seems to know every corner of this verdant and humid universe, unearths the "little big ones" (land crabs), spots the crab cages in the water neglected by the fishermen, points out a termite mound. Right in the middle of nowhere, he has kayakers dock in front of a rickety pontoon: it's time for a drink. The “mangrove punch” concocted by Joseph (who does not reveal his recipe) is accompanied by coconut skilfully cut with a cutlass, an essential tool for Martinicans in the countryside. On a tiny piece of "terra firma", Jean-Pierre continues to explain, tell, show how to catch a crab in a rat trap...

The course is accessible to all, the handling of the kayaks without danger on the watercourses with very weak current. Imperative:
swimsuit or shorts (it gets a little wet), sunscreen and cap!