Isla Las Aves
Venezuela
The Islands of Las Aves
is situated some 30 miles west of Los Roques and 45 miles East of Bonaire.
With around 90 miles
from La Guaira, (on the North coast of Venezuela).
It takes a bit more
than a nights sail from La Guaire or Carenero Higarote with a Sailboat, the only
way to get there.
The group of islands
consists of Aves de Barlovento and Aves de Sotavento. Together they cover the
same area in Square miles as Los Roques, Around 355 s.m. with most barrier reef
and some 16 small and big Islands.
People who like to sail, dive, swim, fish or just enjoy the complete
solitude and completely deserted islands, will not find an more unspoiled paradise in the whole
of the Caribbean, it has no inhabitants apart from a couple of very friendly fishermen who lives here
for about 3 months a year and a small Guardia Nacional outpost with 4 young guys
to guard the Islands.
 Las
Aves has no airstrip so that means that there is no day tours or mass tourism to spoil the nature, it is not a National
Park and you will find more life in the sea here than other parts of the Southern
Caribbean known for its abundance of marine life includes
Los Roques and Bonaire which are National
parks! but with people and fishermen.
Just snorkeling
in Las Aves you will see quantities of King conch (Botuto), Lobsters, Turtles and other species that now has been
extinct for good in the northern Caribbean.
Aves Barlovento is also the most spectacular Bird Sanctuary
we have ever seen, with all kinds of sea birds, they live in the
south on the main island.
One can watch the
birds very close passing trough the canals in the dinghy between the mangroves which trough the years have developed in to tall
trees, about 20 meters tall and 40 centimeters in diameter.
It is not seen anywhere else in the
world. Mangroves do not grow that tall!
Aves Sotavento is known for it's many wreaks, both old and modern and there are a lot of
wreaks scattered along the barrier reef.
Lots
of old cannons, Anchors pieces of amphora's and other antique items can be found in very shallow water.
The Sailboat "Spirit of
Obsession" and crew have done many trips to the
Islands during the last years, on one of our trips we had the famous
underwater treasure hunter (Barry Clifford) onboard including Discovery
Channel and National Geografic.
They
re-discovered one of the ships that went aground in 1678 from the famous French fleet of
Count D`Estrees` where all of the 7 ships in the fleet went on the reef of Las
Aves Sotavento in one night the 4 of may.
After a lot of publications in the press,
(see news headlines) and photos,
national and world wide, It was decided to do an even better organized expedition to
Las Aves. The 4 of may 1998, 320 years after the disaster, Obsession and crew went back
on a one week expedition to try and locate all of the wreak sites, with great
success, more than 10 new locations where found and explored, and there is much
more to be discovered.
See
related map!
 Various artifacts where discovered. Las Aves has it all for the real
adventurer.... While it still lasts.
Isla Tesoro (Treasure
Island) is the name of one the Islands and probably has the most beautiful
anchorage in all of the Caribbean. HB., it is said that
the early fishermen from the 1900 found traces of treasure there, with the
latest equipment, money and time, we will soon bee ready for another land
expedition to Isla Tesoro.
The Sailboat Obsession just returned from a trip to Las Aves
Barlovento August 2006 reporting good fishing, and scuba diving with lots of
conches and lobster. HB.
Obsession
anchored at Treasure Island 2006.
(Isla Tesoro) Las Aves
Barlovento.
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