The two sides of the Caribbean butterfly - Thomas Girondel

THE TWO SIDES OF THE CARIBBEAN BUTTERFLY

Guadeloupe during the pandemic: a mandatory break for tourism vs. a respite for nature – a chance for the introduction of a green tourism

The archipelago of Guadeloupe, which belongs to the West Indies Volcanic Island Arc in the Caribbean, is located in the south of the Tropic of Cancer. Its two main islands, coral Grande-Terre and volcanic Basse-Terre, are separated by the Salty River and occupy together with the dependencies Marie-Galante, la Désirade and les Saintes Islands a territory of 1,780 km².

Two children play in the Corossol River near the Crayfish waterfall, while a couple and their children discover the natural site. Located in the middle of the rainforest in the Guadeloupe National Park on Basse-Terre, it is one of the most visited sites on the island because it is easy to access, including for people with reduced mobility. The rivers are included in the sanitary restrictions put in place by the regional prefect; access is forbidden from 7pm to 5am. Picnics are allowed at noon, except on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe - 07/03/2021

A view at the sunset on the Léger’s Hill and the Mamelles mountain pass from the sugarcane fields of La Rosière on Basse-Terre Island. According to the forecasts of A.T.O.M’s network (overseas economic research network), without governmental aid the sugarcane-rum sector, corresponding to direct consumption by tourists, hotels/restaurants and the purchase of souvenirs, should be the one most affected by the tourism crisis, with a drop in activity of -4%. La Rosière, Guadeloupe - 18/03/2021

A woman walks on a wooden pier at sunset in Malendure beach located in the western coast of Basse-Terre Island in Guadeloupe on 06/03/2021.

Engulfed between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the archipelago boasts both a dry and wet tropical climate and therefore abounds in an exceptionally rich flora and fauna that populate fascinating ecosystems and landscapes, both terrestrial and marine. Consequently, in 1992 UNESCO designated it as one of the 34 hotspots of world biodiversity.
This remarkable insular environment also led to the creation of the Guadeloupe National Park in 1987, one of the few in France.
Its territory extends over a tropical forest dominated by the active volcano of La Soufrière on Basse-Terre, the lagoon of the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, the islets Kahouanne and Tête à l'Anglais, and the protected marine reserve Cousteau. Half of the tourists who come to Guadeloupe visit the major sites of the park. In addition, the Pointe des Châteaux on Grande-Terre–a major place for the biodiversity of the island and its migratory birds–attracts 550,000 visitors per year, which makes it the most visited place of the archipelago.

On Basse-Terre Island, view from the town of Capesterre-Belle-Eau on the active volcano La Soufrière. It’s in the "historic" heart of Guadeloupe National Park created in 1989. Its summit which culminates at 1467 meters is the highest of the Lesser Antilles. A regular subject to the foehn effect, La Soufrière is the "water tower" of Guadeloupe. Its summit retains the depressions coming from the trade winds by the East, it is therefore very rare that the ascents are made by good weather. Its rainfall can exceed 10 meters/year. The slopes of La Soufriere are surrounded by a tropical rainforest whose flora is particularly rich. This exceptional natural site was one of the most visited in the archipelago, with 300,000 visitors per year until the volcano erupted in 2004. Before the pandemic, about 100,000 people visited the site each year. Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe - 09/03/2021

Mosaic of flora in the tropical rainforest around La Soufriere volcano between 700 meters and 1142 meters altitude. Among these species, the red balisier (Canna indica), which was regularly victim of wild gathering, is growing again near the trails since

Mosaic of flora in the tropical rainforest around La Soufriere volcano between 700 meters and 1142 meters altitude. Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe - 19/03/2021

Near the Pointe au Feuille, a young brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) takes off at the end of the day to go fishing in the shallow waters of the bay. As a nesting bird, it is very sensitive to disturbances while nesting in this area, which is highly frequented by jet skis and motorboats coming from Port-Louis or Sainte-Rose. Vulnerable to visitors coming too close, the tour operators have been made aware of good practices by the authorities. These efforts have allowed the brown pelican to return to nest in the bay after more than twenty years. The lockdown and the absence of intrusive visits have allowed them to flourish in this vast natural protected area. Vieux-Bourg, Guadeloupe - 10/03/2021

View from the point of morne Pavillon on the Pointe des Châteaux, looking down on the coral bay of Grande Anse and its large and small salty ponds. Located in the extreme south-east of Grande-Terre Island merged to Saint-François’ coastal town, this peninsula with 32 kilometers of coastline is separating the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The Pointe des Châteaux is the most visited natural site in Guadeloupe with a frequentation of about 550,000 visitors per year in normal times. This interest comes, in large part, from its jagged south coast and its admirable panoramic views on La Désirade Island, Marie-Galante Island and the islets of Petite-Terre. The Pointe des Châteaux and its large and small salt ponds are the most significant sites for the biodiversity of the island and particularly for migratory birds. Saint-François, Guadeloupe - 15/03/2021.

For years, the French overseas department has been welcoming people from the mainland, also called “la métropole”, and other French-speaking countries searching for paradisiac landscapes and wishing to escape their winter. Taking the natural assets and the ideal climate of this territory into account, the French government has started betting on tourism in the 1970s. While competition in the Caribbean for the attraction of visitors is fierce, mass tourism has never really worked in Guadeloupe due to high living costs as well as the language barrier for non-French speakers. Still, the tourism industry was boosted by the liberalization of air transport in the 1990s and in 2019 it broke all records with 808,000 visitors registered at the Pôle Caraïbes airport in Pointe-à-Pitre.

However, tourism came to a halt in March 2020 when the French authorities introduced a nationwide confinement due to the global pandemic Covid-19. During summer tourist numbers recovered somewhat and while the archipelago was preparing for its touristic high season, the new lockdown of October 30 robbed the French once again of their freedom of movement. In search of a loophole and reassured by the low case numbers on site and the insular character of the French overseas department that poses a natural bulwark, 40,000 French people took advantage of bargains to spend their end-of-year holidays in Guadeloupe.

View from the inside of the AF092 long-haul flight from Paris/Orly to Pointe-à-Pitre. Usually fully booked at the end of the high season, this flight carries only 170 people of 476 available seats. Air France flights to the French West Indies have dropped significantly since the French government implemented travel restrictions for the overseas departments, forcing the airline to reduce its number of flights. In February 2021 Guadeloupe’s Pôle Caraïbes airport suffered from a significant drop of passengers in the range of 72 %: a total of 66,715 passengers was recorded this year, compared to 240,019 in February 2020. Paris, France - 05/03/2021

At dusk people enjoy the rays of sun in Malendure beach located in Basse-Terre Island on 11/03/2021

The second wave on the islands turned out to be more fatal though, due to imported cases (167 cases of death on January 3, 2021, compared to 13 in the month of May 2020) as well as a fragile local health system that is already suffering from co-morbidities. Thus, the compelling reasons re-introduced on February 2 put an immediate halt to the fragile recovery of passenger traffic observed in January. Only family and friends visiting as well as retired people can enjoy the heavenly landscapes now.

However, these visitors do rarely consume touristic services or products. With a record number of cancellations, the tourism sector has collapsed since then. Isolated and 6,754 kilometers away from the French mainland, the archipelago has been facing an unprecedented health, tourism and economic crisis by itself: in the first nine months of 2020, French census INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) has recorded a drop of 47 % in the number of tourists.

A man holds himself against a wall of the closed Darse market in Pointe-à-Pitre. This local market frequented by regulars is closed due to the lack of social distancing measures and the absence of tourists at the end of the touristic high season. Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe - 12/03/2021

At Sainte-Anne’s market a masked woman passes by a stand in the middle of empty spots. It is an emblematic and touristic place of this beach resort andis–in normal times–very busy from 7 am to 5 pm every day of the week. Most merchants no longer come to work, due to the lack of tourists. Only a few independent workers and those who sell fruit and vegetables still sell their products to the locals. The market is running at less than 20%. Following the sanitary restrictions and the ban on touristic travels, the city of Sainte-Anne also suffers from the absence of cruise passengers, an essential clientele for its economy. Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe - 18/03/2021

View on the central market Saint-Antoine, commonly called the Spice Market. To compensate the closure of Darse market, as it wasn’t possible to keep the measures of social distancing, the merchants who wish to do so can sell their local products here. Due to the lack of customers and tourists, many stalls are empty or unprofitable. Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe - 12/03/2021

Mosaic of traditional huts and high-and-low houses. Most of the existing buildings date from the first half of the 20th century and bear witness to Guadeloupe’s architectural and social contrasts.

A run-down traditional hut. Most of the existing buildings date from the first half of the 20th century and bear witness to Guadeloupe’s architectural and social contrasts.

A man smokes a cigarette sitting in downtown Pointe-à-Pitre near a mural and graffiti painted above a wasteland. Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe - 12/03/2021

Originally from Normandy, Martine, 78, plays petanque with her husband Gilbert, 79, and, among others, their friends from Guadeloupe, Marina, 68, and Serge, 70. Owners or tenants, they met in the city of Saint-François "About 13 years ago." In December 2020, during the lockdown, they decided to go celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Day together. Thanks to a "Trick", Serge and Marina who found "absurd" the travel restrictions, cunningly took "a cab to the airport", and left 6,750 km away from the mainland. Saint-François, Guadeloupe - 15/03/2021

Grande-Anse beach on Basse-Terre Island in Deshaies. Several people came to enjoy the beach on a Sunday afternoon. As it is forbidden to stay in the archipelago for touristic reasons , the frequentation of the beaches is lower than in normal times. Only locals, "friends and family market"*, and senior citizens enjoy the jewels of the island, and its peacefulness. Deshaies, Guadeloupe - 14/03/2021 *A form of tourism whose main motivation is to visit family or friends

A couple of masked retirees pass by a local graffiti with the writing "We love Guadeloupe" in the beach resort of Sainte-Anne on 18/03/2021

A couple of masked retirees pass by local graffiti with the writing "We love Guadeloupe" in the beach resort of Sainte-Anne on 18/03/2021

A traditional high-and-low house. Most of the existing buildings date from the first half of the 20th century and bear witness to Guadeloupe’s architectural and social contrasts.

A man takes a bath at dusk on the beach of La Perle located in the north of Deshaies located on Basse-Terre Island. It is very popular and considered one of the most beautiful beaches of the islands, both by Guadeloupeans and tourists alike. Since February 25, 2021, a curfew has been established at 22:00 throughout the archipelago to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Rifflet/Deshaies, Guadeloupe - 08/03/2021

The French State faces a complex situation: it has to protect the archipelago and its population from the pandemic while at the same time being aware that tourism– injected in the local economy–generates 800 million euros each year. Indeed, this key sector, which accounts for 4 % of the regional GDP (7% excluding the non-market sector), provides a large part of the local population with a living. From street vendors to restaurant owners and managers of lodges: the whole island relies on tourism. In lack of perspectives, the locals and the actors of the industry struggle to understand the governmental guidelines.

Dealing not only with a fragile local health system but also with the threat of poverty and the properties’ takeover by real estate agencies, small family-owned businesses are struggling not to shut down while at the same time preparing themselves for the apprehensively anticipated next wave of tourists as best as they can. The question of the survival of tourism in times of the pandemic seems essential to the territory.

Portraits of Arsène and Loreta in front of their business by the beach of Bourg. Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe - 18/03/2021

View on the bungalows of the two-star hotel Les Rotabas near Sainte-Anne in Grande-Terre. A small family-run business by the sea, this hotel has a capacity of 44 rooms. There are 28 bungalows with private gardens, and 16 upstairs rooms. The managers have decided to carry out some modernization work while waiting for the lifting of the measures taken by the authorities. Contrary to large corporate groups that are able to compensate their employees, the small family-run businesses are in great financial difficulties. Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe - 18/03/2021

A woman walks alone on the beach of Bourg in Sainte-Anne in Grande-Terre. Since the return of travel restrictions, the quarantine and compelling reasons decided and brought into action by the French government on January 29, 2021, the island suffers from the absence of tourists at the end of its touristic high season. Despite the return of travelers from mainland France in December 2020 and January 2021, the consequences for the local economy are worrying; the tourist fallout had generated 800 million Euros in 2019 for Guadeloupe, and the majority of visitors came from France (90%). Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe - 18/03/2021

A man consults his cell phone near a deserted stand offering say trips to the islands of Guadeloupe. Sainte-Anne benefits, in normal times, from a great popularity with tourists and cruise passengers who come to enjoy the beaches, and the day trips organized to the neighboring islands La Désirade, Marie-Galante and Les Saintes. According to the forecasts of the network A.T.O.M (overseas economic research network) without government aid the day trip organizing sector has been be hit by the tourist crisis by a drop in activity of up to - 5%. Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe - 18/03/2021

Portrait of Clara Philibert, street vendor in Sainte-Anne. Guadeloupe - 08/03/2021

Portrait of Sébastien Mathouraparsad, economist and lecturer at the University of the West Indies Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe - 12/03/2021

The owner of a deserted bar/restaurant eats at the entrance of his establishment at dusk in the beach resort of Sainte-Anne. Located by the sea, the beach bars and restaurants attract a mostly metropolitan clientele in normal times. In the French West Indies, Guadeloupe–together with Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin–remains one of the exceptions of the French overseas territories, where restaurants remain open, as long as they respect the 10pm curfew. Saint-Anne, Guadeloupe - 13/03/2021

In front of the Kahouanne islet and near the Pointe du Vieux-Fort, two locals fish at dusk on Basse-Terre Island. Cluny, Guadeloupe - 14/03/2021

But there is also a third factor to consider: nature. While a stream of visitors is usually attracted by the exotic natural sights, its impact on the local environment is not negligible. Due to the afore-mentioned restrictions, the Guadeloupean biodiversity has benefited from a respite since the pandemic has kept the planet in suspense: during lockdown, access to the natural sites was prohibited for two months, and the travel restrictions that are currently still held in place limit the number of tourists, especially from mainland France.

The usual rush of visitors in search of a change of scenery undeniably puts a constraint on the local environment: from the wild cutting of protected flowers, to the trampling of herbaceous plants on the beaches, and the disturbance of nesting birds, a large part of the flora and fauna as well as the coastline are subject to a strong anthropic pressure. Despite the efforts of local actors and supervisors to raise awareness among tourists and tour operators about the fragility of the ecosystems, some species have been absent for years and erosion can be witnessed.

Véronique Hardel, nature lover and volunteer of the association House of Tourism of Basse-Terre, and of Hiking and Green Tourism, holds a Bois couille flower (Marcgravia umbellata). She accompanies mountain guide Henri Marie, to offer, among other things, a gentle and educational hike around La Soufrière to a mostly French-speaking audience (80-85%). The lockdown of March 16, 2020 ”Has stopped" the touristic season. Despite a return to normal activities by the end of 2020, the association went from 70 visits per day to five or even none at all which resulted from the travel restrictions (compelling reasons, 7 days quarantine) put in place by the French government to protect the archipelago from the pandemic. Except for the elderly public coming to the island sfor several months, the tourists have all cancelled their stays. Henri Marie and Véronique Hardel have to adapt permanently to the governmental decisions to avoid the spread of COVID-19, which defines "the rate of frequentation of the clients and its typology". It makes them weary as the expenses for the promotion of their activities "have no fallout". Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe - 09/03/2021

Mosaic of flora in the tropical rainforest around La Soufriere volcano between 700 meters and 1142 meters altitude. Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe - 19/03/2021

Portrait of Henri Marie, 71 years old. The passionate retired science teacher is the president of the association La Maison du Tourisme de Basse-Terre since 2002, as well as of the Hiking and Green Tourism association. He was the first certified mountain guide in Guadeloupe which allows him to accompany groups to the top of the volcano La Soufrière, and to be authorized to show the fumarole zone. As a guide, he makes three trips per week with between four and twelve people in normal times. And currently "It’s zero". He has to approach families, schools, or even the elderly people to offer them religious guided tours. Henri emphasizes a "positive impact" for the wildlife since the lockdown as well as travel bans have been introduced. He has noticed that the animals are "less shy" of human presence. They have regained confidence in themselves to reproduce because "no one deviates from the beaten path anymore”. As for the flora, Henri noticed that young plants "were already bearing fruit" or that some, such as the red Balisier, orchids, strawberries and porcelain roses (Etlingera elatior), were growing again near the paths because "the wild gathering has stopped". Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe - 09/03/2021

A Corrossol Mockingbird (Margarops fuscatus) landed on a branch above the picnic area of Beau Soleil in Saint-Claude. According to Henri Marie, this West Indies endemic species had "Disappeared" because of the noise generated by the visitors nearby the rainforest, and the frequentation of the paths leading to La Soufrière volcano. Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe - 09/03/2021

In the tropical rainforest around La Soufriere volcano between 700 meters and 1142 meters altitude. Among these species, the red balisier (Canna indica), which was regularly victim of wild gathering, is growing again near the trails since the lockdown and sanitary restrictions were introduced on the archipelago. Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe - 19/03/2021

In the north of Basse-Terre Island, view of the Gros Morne point and the beach of Grande-Anse stretching for nearly 2 kilometers. Despite an anthropized part, its wild side makes it one of the most beautiful beaches of the Caribbean. Deshaies, Guadeloupe - 14/03/2021

Emmanuel Gorjux, expert senior at the O.N.F (The French National Forestry Office) and specialist in forest health in the West Indies, French Guiana and some African countries, touches the bark of a red gum tree (Bursera simaruba) in a coastal forest located in the south of Grande-Anse beach. It is a part of the beach that is "Less frequented than the others (...) that has kept a natural side". When "the vegetation took over" (during the lockdown) it was "very fast to the point that this part became not accesable." Deshaies, Guadeloupe - 16/03/2021

View of a regeneration of Bois-Patate plant or Patate-Bord-de-Mer (Ipomoea pes-caprae) lianas, and the Grande-Anse Sablière. This lagoon is an old protected sand pit, bordered by a curtain of mangroves. It results from the digging of a sand quarry, now abandoned. It stretches inland to more or less wet marshes. Deshaies, Guadeloupe, 16/03/2021

So, while the pandemic represents an undeniable threat not only to the human health but also to tourism and the regional economy, it is a real hope for the Guadeloupean nature.

Some areas of the National Park of Guadeloupe are the greatest beneficiaries of the current measures introduced by the French authorities: the reappearance of plant and animal species, usually subject to snatching or noise disturbances, are the most visible examples. On the coastline, too, the flora has shown great resilience regarding the vegetative regeneration on certain beaches that are very busy during the touristic high season. At Pointe des Châteaux, a “must do” touristic spot, the absence of tourists has shown the lasting effect of human influence on nature: local migratory birds took advantage of the absence of humans to nest closer to the trails than usual, but then fell victim to human-dependent predators.

In the early morning at Anse des Châteaux, Jérémy Delolme, ecologist and coordinator of the conservation plan for Pointe des Châteaux, observes the birds present in Morne Petite Saline during a field survey. The latter, located near the parking lots, is as easily accessible as Pointe des Châteaux. The classified site undergoes an "Enormous touristic pressure", several zones are literally "scalped" by the trampling of visitors. During the lockdown, Jérémy Delolme, together with volunteers, set up a pathway to protect the Morne. The Little Stern (Sternula antillarum) came to nest for the first time on this usually very busy outcrop. The colony took advantage of the lockdown to settle there for the first time. Saint-François’ municipality (aware of the ecological interest of the site) and the managers of the site decided to leave it closed for two more weeks in mid-May. This was because a human presence would have been detrimental to the nesting of the Little Sterns. Unfortunately, the proximity of a closed restaurant, which normally attracted mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus) "starved by garbage" redirected these predators towards the nests, causing the "abandonment of the site by the birds after one week of installation." Saint-François, Guadeloupe - 15/03/2021

View on the Petite Saline located behind the very touristy Anse des Salines. Its surface area covers less than one hectare. It is surrounded by forests whose dry vegetation is characteristic of the difficult conditions of the environment: drought, continuous strong wind loaded with sea spray and a strong human pressure. Saint-François, Guadeloupe - 15/03/2021

Traces of the passage of shorebirds are visible in the Grande Saline. Its pink tone is created by the presence of artemia shrimps (Artemia sp.) that give this salt flat its color. As the lockdown was lifted and the Little Sterns were disturbed again by human presence, "They settled on their preferred site of the Grande Saline". After several breeding attempts in 2020, the Little Stern has still not reproduced at Pointe des Châteaux, even though in 2012 it constituted "the largest breeding colony in Guadeloupe." Saint-François, Guadeloupe - 15/03/2021

Semipalmated snipers (Calidris pusilla) are seen in the Saline des Restaurants, like the latter Wilson’s Gravelots’birds (Charadrius wilsonia), a heritage species of the Pointe des Châteaux and "Last breeding species of the salty ponds", took advantage of the lockdown to invest their breeding areas. Saint-François, Guadeloupe - 15/03/2021

The mandatory break the pandemic poses for the economy and the respite it means for nature make it an ideal time to rethink and redesign the approach of tourism in Guadeloupe. Considered as one of the most beautiful and diverse islands of the Lesser Antilles, the actors of the tourism industry have the unique chance to develop a sustainable and green tourism, and invest for example in the development of a sportive and health-oriented approach to attract future visitors.

The arrival of tourists could be seen not as a threat but as an opportunity to support the local health system and to finance development projects through a solidarity tourism tax (Yon a Lot tax proposal). In order to safekeep a unique natural sphere that is still mostly able to recover, a more environmentally friendly approach has to be considered, for example by introducing guided tours with a limited number of visitors. For the sake of man and nature, at the dawn of the lifting of sanitary restrictions, tourism in Guadeloupe has to be rethought and turned towards a more intimate and even selective green approach than just serving the masses.

Regeneration and resilience of the vegetation on a site trampled by many tourists who came to admire the beauty of Anse des Salines. The flora of this natural site was the greatest beneficiary of the lockdown.

In this vast area, the seaside mangrove forest is composed of the Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle). Its imposing stilt-roots arranged in arches are a natural shelter for fish against predators, but also a place of spawning. It is the "Nursery" of the tropical sea. The mangrove forest is an essential element in the ecosystem, it plays a vital role as a bulwark against erosion by absorbing the waves, limits the damage caused by hurricanes, floods and even tsunamis. Vieux-Bourg, Guadeloupe - 10/03/2021

Frigatebirds (Fregatidae) fly over "Bird Island", an islet recently occupied by birds. Males (black color), females (white belly) and young (white heads) share this space with brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) but also snowy egrets (Egretta thula). These species used to nest on the islet Rousseau off Port-Louis. Infested with rats, the eggs had little chance to survive. Recently, since visits to the islet were interrupted due to the lockdown and travel restrictions, the islet was no longer occupied by these birds, nor by the rats. Vieux-Bourg, Guadeloupe - 10/03/2021

In the bay of Grand-Cul-de-sac-marin, Guy Belair returns with his sea ATV to the port of Vieux-Bourg, the sun sets on the mountainous relief of Basse-Terre Island. Vieux-Bourg, Guadeloupe - 10/03/2021

Tom GirondelPhotographer

Tom Girondel
Photographer